We’ve just installed a trial onto the Arc@UNSW Home Page using HeatMaps tracking from ClickDensity.
Heatmaps basically show the popularity of certain content within a website page, based on the number of clicks, and renders the data in a visual “heat map” (think Preditor style visual).
I will post the Arc heatmaps here each Friday for a month so we can see the results of the Home Page usage.
Google Example:
I like this concept.
See the site and Web2.0 application here http://www.beamme.info/
Essentially a bit of code that sits near product info, and on the front end this shows a little icon. Users can click on the icon, and have the product info sent (for free to the consumer) the detail of the product to their mobile. Easy.
Publisher of the website picks up the SMS tab, but the user gets the detail and get then go forth and purchase. Put this into a Used Car (dealership) senario or Property Auction senario, and this enables the used to get to their mobile all the key bits of info they need.
Whether this has a long term future with Apple i-Phone or later Google Android phone with their true web (not WAP) connectivity remains to be seen. But for those who can’t wait (me) for the info (give it to me now), this is an excellent and by the looks quite low cost web to mobile application.
I’m going to actively move on it to enhance a number of client websites, Car Dealerships, Real Estate and other such businesses currently in our portfolio of clients.
They were at AdTech, but I didn’t get a chance to meet with them.
I will blog on the first installation, and the process, once a client steps into the new Web2.0 world and takes it on.
Below is a bit of a muddle of thoughts from recent business meetings and the AdTech (Sydney) conference, around the Online Video Content marketplace:
There are a number of factors that will contribute to the success of a new start up in the delivery of niche online video (and audio) unique content.
The most important aspect of such as start up is of course content, and secondly the monetization of this via a suitable business model (i.e. advertising / sponsorship or subscription). You can ‘t make money without the content, so content is again (and will always be) KING.
Around the world, we are seeing Recycled content from the producers of broadcast entertainment media (i.e. Freemantle Media with Idol et al). They show the content one night, and the next day it’s up online for you to consume the best parts (surrounded by paid advertising of course). This is the way of the future, and now, whereby newly produced video / TV content will be available for consumption (let’s face it, it already is via www.quicksilverscreen.com and the like) so new followers of such shows as Underbelly can “catch up” on last weeks (or the whole lot) episodes if they missed it.
Recycled content is one thing, but what about original content? Youtube has it, and so do many many other sites. So the question is, how do you launch a new online video content website with niche content, and attract the right level of eyeballs to attract break even / profitability?
Before I answer that, here are five key learnings from AdTech’s excellent panel (“I’ll get on there one day”, he said):
1. 1) Online video, finally, is now a mainstream fact.
a. Media & publishers are scrabbling for content, and scrambling even more for models that will convert this into money.
b. However, nobody has yet put hard CPM $ figures around the value of the content, and that’s a hard thing to do as the consumer will determine that contents value, not the publisher, advertiser or media company.
2. 2) Advertising funded content is by far the best business model.
a. It’s free for consumers, and therefore more will consume your content.
b. The more content consumption (i.e. eyeballs) the higher the value of your advertising.
c. Having said this, no media has yet put a definitive value on the CPM $ ($ cost per 1,000 eyeballs).
d. Very few sites do subscription well, and the content would have to be premium content in order to generate the type of revenue needed to get a decent return.
3. 3) Get your content to cross platform
a. Don’t just put it on your website
b. Look to mobile, Facebook and YouTube (and others) to get your content out there, driving traffic to your site.
c. Mobile revenue models are possible, and will grow fast in 2008-2009+
4. 4) Blog about your brand and business build experience.
a. You’re business is Content and the monetization of that content, delivered to the masses by Web2.0 technology capability.
b. As you are “in” the industry, you need to get blogging about your business
c. Also, get to and meet with as many Web industry people, publishes and business as you can once you have launched.
5. 5) Don’t launch until it WORKS!
a. Site needs to look professional
b. Every button and click needs to work as required.
c. Streaming video and downloadable content needs to be fast (good hosting) and high quality
d. Expect spikes in streaming – 1 “hit” with a content piece can crash your entire site if you’re not prepared when serving that content.
So, back to the question “How do you launch a new online video content website with niche content, and attract the right level of eyeballs to become break even/ profitability?”
We’ll, I don’t know. But I’m about to go on the journey to find out with www.birthmusic.tv (ignore the current site, if they listen and act it’ll be re-branded and launched within 6 months).
New prospective client for us.
Beta site at http://www.birthmusic.tv but not live yet, content is still in production (80hrs worth of live unsigned bands).
Interesting concept, solid Web2.0 potential (both as a project for us and as a consumer content driven business).
Good revenue model, but I’ve only heard the 30min business overview.
I’ll blog about the experience and process we go through with this particular start-up as we move forward, first we need to establish commercial terms with them….
Just a quick entry, one of my first posts was about a new project for the UNSW Student Members.
It is now live, with Video, Flash, AJAX, Membership & E-Commerce.
Next phase we will be implementing the Custom Navigation Slider (cross between SMH and new BBC website) where users can define their own primary navigation.
Well that was rather engaging.
Overall, excellent content rich presentations with real case examples. I’m looking forward to Fairfax Digital’s posting of the presenters presentations.
There was a definite “China” skew to the whole she-bang. Couple of China centric presenters on the digital landscape over there by Jonathan Haagen and Kaiser Kuo who basically said that the China market is massive (really massive) but enter it at your peril!
I thought the best speaker of the day was Assia Grazioli-Venier.
She heads up Ministry of Sound TV (MoSTV).
Putting aside the obvious (guys, her diamond ring is the size of most footballs), her presentation was “on-pulse” with web and web user trends. I’ll indefinitely read and following anything this person has to say.
The other great speakers on the day I though was the Widget guy Niall Kennedy who, obviously, spoke about the diversity, wide application and future of the little desktop widget.
I highly recommend you attend this in 2009.
So, I’m going to this today (see what it’s about here).
”Media 08 is an international gathering of executives, entrepreneurs and innovators from the world’s leading online media companies.”
I’ll blog this weekend on the interesting who and what, and if there is anyone I totally disagree with I’ll dedicate an entire post to dissecting them!
Recently we here at Balance Interactive, have been getting into a lot of corporate infotainment and edutainment flash games.
Ok, ours are pretty basic, but they have been used by their respective target audiences, and thus funding for the next generation of these “CorpGames” will be flowing through, so when these next generation versions are completed I’ll show you (the current ones just aren’t something I’m going to show at this point).
That’s lead me to do a bit of a global review and search in my spare time for some variations in the level of CorpGames that a) have a commercial or community message and b) are pretty damn tops to play (i.e. have a high level of user engagement / content / are compelling).
Before I give you my pick of the best out there (and feel free to send your suggestions in on what you think are the best out there), let’s just go through some that are NOT in the category to which I am referring.
Those would be games that simply waste time without a compelling community, social or commercial message. There are probably millions of these, most of the best can be found and played at the expense of workplace productivity at www.teagames.com and www.mousebreaker.com. Try the “Pinch Hitter 2″ on MouseBreaker, you’ll spend many hours (enjoyable ones) on a slow Monday afternoon.
Other nice games (again, non- CorpGames) that I like include “Vision” which is a tough “room with no exit” brain melting mystery game. It’s tough, for those more interested in the mechanics of the game rather than the playability of the game, you can use a “walkthough” cheat here. (Warning, this will download a .zip file, only 4kb containing small .txt file with instructions).
Ok so, now here are my favourite CorpGames (games that are made for a commercial reason, whether it’s branding, edutainment, infotainment or community/socially driven PR):
5. Absolu: Lost Bottle (link): Find Waldo style, i love it as any alcohol branded marketing is generally well and truly FUNDED!
4. Electrocity (link): a Sims style game about energy. Actually created by Lowe in NZ for Genesis Energy. Proves NZ’ers are exceptional in creative. (nobody tell Blair Parker I said that!).
3. (Coming soon)
2. (Coming soon)
1. “Get The Glass” (link): 3D board game all about the benefits of drinking milk. Outstanding.
It has been a few weeks since my last entry, but I’m making up for that now by adding this post complete with broken finger on the right hand.
(insert sympathy sound track here).
Couple of topics I will be posting about throughout the coming week will include:
The first item “Flash Games” will be written and published later today (once the pain dies down a little and I can type again!)
