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Leveraging Emerging Web 2.0 Technologies to Drive Sales
In an industry that is constantly evolving and increasingly competitive, we find that the most successful publishers are those tapping into the momentum of emerging Web 2.0 technologies.
Innovative publishers look to emerging technologies to capture and engage their
end-users in a way that will convert traffic into sales. In this article we look
at how publishers are using emerging technologies offered within the CJ Marketplace,
such as Commission Junction's Web Services, as well as outside of the CJ Marketplace,
including RSS feeds, forums and social bookmarking, to automate content, engage the
end-user, and ultimately drive sales.
Using Emerging Technologies to Automate Content
Successful publishers drive sales by delivering the right content to the right audience
at the right time. Thus in order to capture traffic that converts to sales, publishers
must be able to distribute current, relevant content to their audience. Below we will
take a look at two emerging technologies that publishers are using to automate content:
RSS feeds and Web Services.
RSS Feeds
RSS – Really Simple Syndication – is defined by Wikipedia as a "family of
Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated digital content." In essence, RSS
feeds are a distribution method that allows end-users to subscribe to a content feed
from a Web site and receive updates made to the site in real time. The benefit to the
end-user is that updated and relevant content is delivered directly to their feed reader
of choice, saving them the time and effort of searching for the content they want to see.
The benefit to a publisher using RSS feeds is the ability to reach their end-users by
delivering content directly to them the minute it is available. Publishers who use RSS
feeds have a competitive advantage because their content is viewed by the end-user as
a means of directing their online shopping efforts.
RSS feeds can be used to deliver general content, or they can be customized according
to the consumer's needs. For example, a coupon and deal publisher who offers an RSS
feed of the most current coupons and deals from apparel advertisers can deliver highly
relevant content to their end-users who frequently shop for apparel. They capture the
users' attention before they buy, ultimately helping to direct their online shopping
efforts, and even influencing unplanned purchases through the notification of new deals
or coupons. Because RSS feeds are customizable and can deliver highly relevant, easily
accessible automated content, they are highly effective in converting traffic to sales.
Web Services
Commission Junction's Web Services technology allows publishers to directly access 3rd
party data and deliver the data via their own Application Programming Interface (API.)
Web Services allows publishers to either capture data from Commission Junction and add
it into their own database, or directly access data from Commission Junction in real time.
Commission Junction offers two primary Web Services: Link Search Services and Product
Catalog Search Services.
Link Search Services enable publishers to create an application that will perform custom
searches in Commission Junction's database for links. Publishers can search by creative
type and size, and by keyword. The API is able to search links at any interval a publisher
chooses. Successful publisher Web sites are those that have systems in place to keep
their site updated with the most current content. Regular site updates drive more sales.
Therefore if a publisher wants to have the most up-to-date links on their site they can
create an API that pulls data from Commission Junction several times a day. This allows
the publisher to ensure that they are capturing the most current content and making it
available to their users to access as soon as possible.
Product Catalog Search Services are probably the most valuable to publishers who are
running product searches and price comparisons on their Web sites. In order to maximize
the sales potential of these functions, up-to-date content is essential. Using Web
Services, publishers can update their databases more frequently, or even make real-time
calls to the Commission Junction database directly when their users search for products
on their site. To learn more about Commission Junction's Web Services visit
http://webservices.cj.com.
Using Emerging Technologies to Engage Users
Web 2.0 technologies play to the desire of today's online users to influence and
control the content they view on the Internet. Today's end-users are not the passive
consumers of content of the past; increasingly, they expect that their behavior will
affect what they see online. Publishers who tap into emerging technologies can use
direct feedback from consumers to target their promotional efforts and ultimately enable
users to participate in their online experience. User generated content is the best way
for publishers to know their audience and understand what they are looking for. Below
we will look at two emerging technologies that publishers can use to engage users:
forums and social bookmarking.
Forums
Forums revolve around a community of people sharing content with each other. Forums give
end-users control, whether it is the ability to search for specific content or post
relevant content. Having these elements engages the end-user and gives them a role in
contributing to the content. Publishers can utilize forums to their advantage by placing
sticky threads – non end-user generated content that sticks to the top of the site
and introduces advertisers who have services or products relevant to the topic of the
forum. By placing relevant content on forums, publishers can utilize the interaction of
the end-users to spawn interest in a specific advertiser and their product or service
offerings. Forum members are often highly influenced by one another, and by injecting
the advertiser into the mix the publisher is able to tap into a well established community
in which the end-users will discuss, comment on and share their experiences with the
advertiser. Positive feedback from forum members will encourage other forum members to
visit the advertiser's Web site, thus driving sales.
Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking, the technology behind sites such as del.icio.us and Digg, provides
publishers with an opportunity to enable consumers to influence one another's purchasing
decisions. By "tagging" or "bookmarking" the products or services they are shopping for,
end-users share their findings with other users on the publisher's site, and also give
the publisher insight into what their consumers are interested in. For example, a publisher
who has implemented social bookmarking technology on their site can allow an end-user who
is looking for a digital camera to "tag" the advertisers or deals that meet their particular
needs. When the end-user revisits the publisher's site to make a purchase, they can access
their tags, review the tagged items and make a final buying decision.
Additionally, other end-users on the same publisher site who are looking for a digital
camera can view the advertisers and deals that were tagged by their fellow community
members. These peer generated recommendations are powerful tools proven to drive sales
for the publisher Web sites that implement them. Both forums and social bookmarking
help publishers tap into their communities and deliver more specialized content to their
end-users.
Join the ranks of publishers who are successfully building on the momentum of emerging
Web 2.0 technologies. Whether you are interested in incorporating emerging technologies
to automate content or to engage the end-user, emerging technologies can help you reach
your goal and ultimately drive sales. Using emerging technologies to deliver the right
content to the right audience at the right time through RSS feeds and Web Services, or
enabling the user to influence their online experience through forums and social
bookmarking, can empower you with the tools you need to succeed.
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