Wouldn't it be nice if you could skip pre-rolls?
Pre-roll ads, those ads you see just before you view an online video, seem to be effective if you believe a recent article in Advertising Age. So it will be a very long time before we see them go away. It’s not surprising that this tactic works. Unlike banner-ads, pre-rolls are impossible to ignore – or skip. Because of this, the chances of the ad in making an impression on the user are greater. That’s not rocket science – you don’t need to be a marketer to figure that one out. However, they do enrage many users. While I don’t have any scientific data to back this up – but I would imagine that the anger probably doesn’t help motivate users to absorb advertising messages. I would dare to say that they might even instil a negative sentiment in users just prior to the ad. And if you ask me, that’s not ideal. Read more…
Marketing, Web Analytics
Idea, Pre-roll, Quiz-Skip
As my office continues its struggle to find the right candidates to fill a couple of Analytics Consultant positions, I’m learning first-hand how much the analytics field is still in its infancy. I have a strong sense of deja-vu as I see companies ask that their analytics workers be jacks of all trades. I remember back when a web designer not only had to layout a site, but also had to know how to code the mark-up, set-up the domain and maintain the servers. They after all ”webmasters” then. Specializations didn’t really exist – at least not like they do today. There weren’t any Ajax developers, dedicated usability specialists or analytics professionals. Like the WAA, I also remember early attempts to create a web designer certifications. But the web design field was and still is so splintered that no certification process could cover every aspect. I fear this will be the fate that WAA’s certification may face.
I can’t help but think the days of the web analytics professional are numbered. Read more…
Life Lessons, Web Analytics
Learn to play your instrument before getting on stage
I recently read this article fom Econsultancy a few days ago. It implies that some people believe that Google is manipulating web statistics by having a visitor window of 6 months for campaigns (though it does acknowledge this setting can be changed as per these instructions). For those who don’t know what this means, here’s a quick summary:
- You do a Google search, and see an AdWord campaign (those ads at the top and the right sidebar).
- You click on one of them.
- You arrive at a site.
- You leave the site.
- For the next 6 months, the original click you made on the that AdWord campaign will receive “credit” for your consequent visits regardless if you visit the site directly or via an AdWord campaign.
I watched as consipiracy theorists Tweeted ad nausium about Google hiding this little bit of information, and trying to manipulate the system in their favor. All I can say is, “Oh please”. Read more…
Rant, Web Analytics
Professionalism
