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AUG 2008

20

Web video for Philadelphia Controller

After redesigning the Philadelphia City Controller web site earlier this year, we welcomed the opportunity to produce a new web video introduction for the site. We've just now posted the video the Controller's homepage video blog. It takes a good look at the recent accomplishments of City Controller Alan Butkovitz.

His award-winning office has pushed forcefully towards increased accountability, efficiency, and transparency in Philadelphia city government.


AUG 2008

8

Web presence, from the ground up

Nimblelight looks for clients who expect the best from their web development team. When you retain our services, you receive agile, responsive service rooted in open communication and shared vision. We handle all aspects of our work with great care and attention to detail.

This is how we build your web presence (from the ground up):

Context & Consultation1. Context / Consultation

We begin by listening to our clients. We take the time to learn where you've been, where you are now, and where you plan to go. Then, we research your company, your competitors, and the way your audience interacts with you.

This is the information we use to lay a solid foundation for each project we do. It guides the working process and helps us create a web presence that caters to your audience, fulfills your needs and meets your goals. What good is your web site if it isn't unique -- if it isn't... you?

 

Plan & Web Design2. Plan / Design

Design is an essential component of all of our work. We start by planning intelligent functionality, mapping out user navigation funnels, and crafting an attractive, intuitive web page layout -- all tailored specifically to your needs and your audience.

We then flesh out the design in "proofs" -- non-functioning mock-ups and wireframes -- of your web site's home page and other key pages. As the designs receive your approval, we begin moving into the next phase.

 

Shadow Site & Testing3. Shadow Site / Testing

Making use of the most effective web technologies, meticulously organized databases, and standardized code, we build a functioning version of your site. We call this a Shadow Site because it's hosted on a private server location that's accessed only by your team and ours.

Here, we breathe life into your web site, help you get accustomed to its content management system, work through design tweaks and adjustments, and test the site to prepare it for lift-off.

 

Web Site Launch & Analysis4. Site Launch / Analysis

Once the Shadow Site is tested and ready, we take your new or redesigned web site live at your doman -- all set up with reservoirs for user data collection and traffic analytics.

This is the end of the core development phase, but it's just the birth of your web presence. Now, our work begins again.

 

SEO & Web Consulting5. SEO / Web Consulting

Ongoing site optimization, benchmarking, and web conversion campaigns aren't for everyone. But for those who will benefit, we provide robust traffic analytics, user behavior and response data, navigation heat-map visualizations, continuous organic search engine optimization, and general web marketing and consulting. We work to ensure your web presence grows healthily, stays fresh, and remains effective.

We don't game the system or drive meaningless hits to your web site. Instead, we offer both short-term and long-term campaigns that bring you quality traffic and lasting results.

For new business inquiries or to get more acquainted, give us a shout.

 

JUL 2008

28

Q: What's the largest search engine?

Cuil.comA: With over 120 billion indexed web pages, Cuil (pronounced, um, "cool") means "knowledge" in ancient Gaelic Irish.

It is, according to its founders, both the largest and newest search engine on the planet. Google, of course, begs to differ.

After receiving $33 million in venture capital, Tom Costello and Anna Patterson, a former Google employee, have launched Cuil.com and are poised to challenge Google and other search engines by making better use of keyword context and relevance.

According to Costello, "other search engines are unable to keep up" with the growth of the Internet. He believes their top secret search technology will enable Cuil to provide searchers with more insightful results that are strongly based on the content of the page -- not just its popularity.

Interestingly, the new search engine also says it believes in "analyzing the Web rather than" its users, so they don't "collect data about you and your habits".

Competition in any industry is healthy and usually positive, but with Google standing head and shoulders above all other major search engines -- YahooAsk, Microsoft's Live Search -- Cuil is making some extraordinarily bold claims.

The real question may be whether or not any of Cuil's claims will make a bit of difference. Anyone remember Mahalo?

JUL 2008

21

Mobile web users: Surfs up!

AdMob StatsThere's no reason to target ads at mobile web surfers because not everyone uses (or wants) an iPhone or a Blackberry, right?

Well, this is now only partially true. Not everyone wants a smartphone. But according to AdMob, which serves ads to mobile devices from over 5,000 mobile-ready web sites, the less expensive, non-smartphone phones have been significantly driving up mobile web usage.

In a recently released report, AdMob found that Motorola devices (such as the Razr) and Samsung devices accounted for over 50% of all the mobile ads it served in the United States.

Furthermore, AdMob saw an overall increase of nearly 20% from May 2008 to June 2008. This is huge news for marketers and publishers considering an adventure into mobile advertising and web sites. The key takeaway here is that normal, everyday cell phone users are increasing their use of mobile Internet.

JUL 2008

2

Google taps your search data to tailor ads

Google uses cookies (small parcels of text), to collect data about its users. This data records what a visitor searches for, among other things.

Google changed its privacy policy years ago to say that it may use personal information and search history for "the display of customized content and advertising." Despite the change to its policy, Google maintained that it had yet to use any stored data to customize its ads. Until now.  

In response to inquiries including a study by Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, and an article by the New York Times, Google now acknowledges that it is testing ways to use the data it has collected to tailor search ads to visitors. 

While the acknowledgment is neither earth shattering nor particularly surprising, it is an important milestone in that it marks the first time Google has used stored data about individual users for financial gain (better targeted ads = more clicks = more revenue). 

Google's announcement comes at a time when perceived trust is critical to the success of another new offering from the search engine giant: Google Health

Google Health is a free product from Google that allows users to store their medical records online. The product aims to alleviate the problems that come from decentralized health information. 

Google Health currently contains no advertising, but the company hasn't ruled out advertising in the future. 

The public's embrace of Google Health could very well depend on how Google handles, or appears to handle, the personal information it already has.

Questions of privacy aside, using past search data to tailor ads is potentially great news for advertisers and users. Users will see less ads that have nothing to do with them. Advertisers will be happy knowing their ads are being seen by the best possible audience. Imagine the conversion rates! 

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This blog is edited by Nimblelight, a small web creative and consulting company based in Philadelphia.

WE DO WEB VIDEO

We shoot. We edit. We integrate it
into your web site. Don't have a web
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DESIGN IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT

...which can no more be excluded from manufacture than stress calculations, production planning or public relations.

- Sir Misha Black

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