Today was like a dream come true! I took the domain name http://www.callingcapecod.com because it was all that was available back in 2005 but I wasn't really thrilled with it. I worked with it but I didn't invest much for it's promotion and advertising. I was hoping something better might come along even though I knew Cape Cod is saturated!
Well, this morning I got an email from Go-Daddy, they were running this huge promo offer for bulk domain names (six or more). I took a couple for the Song of Azrael website but I could only come up with the two and I needed four more, so I decided to try my luck for a domain name to replace the Calling Cape Cod one... and man did I find a couple really cool ones!
http://www.capeandislandsonline.com ~ priceless and definately workable!
http://www.thecapecodconnection.com ~ my personal favorite!
http://www.capecod2009.com ~ For the Calendar section.
http://www.capecod2010.com ~ For next year.
I had been bored so I didn't feel the urge to do the website redesigns that I had planned... but all that has changed. I just have a few server-side tests to do before I re-work the site, but it looks ike I'm going to have a really good year!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thursday, May 29, 2008
OK, I Guess It's A Competition After All.
Yes, this is about the Cape Cod Times Classified Ads section that printed in HUGE lettering, the words: BE SEEN! But let's not get hasty here. While it's certainly true that I've used this very phrase for years (along with others like "It's that easy!"), I'm not the one who coined these phrases so there are no copyright violations taking place. You can't copyright catch phrases or words like "online" - so all this really means is that there is obviously a competition and this is just one of those "friendly fire" events that often occur in the process.
Am I worried about it? Not really. For starters, they've already commited a fatal flaw in boasting 8500 page views per day - at a time when click fraud is finally being exposed for what it is! Now, I'm not saying that the Cape Cod Times is involved in a click fraud campaign, but I have, since 1990 explained that websites who do boast rediculous amounts of daily page views are not publishing the results of all that traffic. In fact, one of my competitors at that time didn't even bother to mention that the majority of their excessive traffic was caused by people logging in and out of their free email account service with the website in question! Then, of course, there is the question of how the IP action is tracked. I remove my IP action and only record "unique signatures" so I can be sure of where I'm sitting in terms of genuine traffic. Where an IP signature repeats frequently, I simply count the number of times they access the site - but I DON'T count their multiple IP sig entries as different page views. Yes, I'm really fussy like that. I use trackers for what they're intended to be. They help me to identify weak pages from stong ones so I can know which pages need more work than others. I also geo-track to determine where my target audience is coming from. But in the end, the bottom line is determined by what percentage of service comes from that number of page views. That is the information I'm after. Words to the wise...
It ain't what you got... it's how you use it!
Am I worried about it? Not really. For starters, they've already commited a fatal flaw in boasting 8500 page views per day - at a time when click fraud is finally being exposed for what it is! Now, I'm not saying that the Cape Cod Times is involved in a click fraud campaign, but I have, since 1990 explained that websites who do boast rediculous amounts of daily page views are not publishing the results of all that traffic. In fact, one of my competitors at that time didn't even bother to mention that the majority of their excessive traffic was caused by people logging in and out of their free email account service with the website in question! Then, of course, there is the question of how the IP action is tracked. I remove my IP action and only record "unique signatures" so I can be sure of where I'm sitting in terms of genuine traffic. Where an IP signature repeats frequently, I simply count the number of times they access the site - but I DON'T count their multiple IP sig entries as different page views. Yes, I'm really fussy like that. I use trackers for what they're intended to be. They help me to identify weak pages from stong ones so I can know which pages need more work than others. I also geo-track to determine where my target audience is coming from. But in the end, the bottom line is determined by what percentage of service comes from that number of page views. That is the information I'm after. Words to the wise...
It ain't what you got... it's how you use it!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Front Page #8 Position... and Climbing!
It's kind of sad. The Calling Cape Cod Online 2008 Summer Rental Program is ready and set, but I have no means to promote it other than online. Despite the fact that the listings are empty, it still managed to take the front page, holding the #8 position for searches using the phrase "Orleans Ma Summer Rentals" on the MSN Live Search Engine.
I'm going to post the free rental offer again on Craig's List to see if I can pick up at least five rentals per category to demo the program. It would be ashame to have the whole year go by. Sometimes I code too early. Sigh.
I'm going to post the free rental offer again on Craig's List to see if I can pick up at least five rentals per category to demo the program. It would be ashame to have the whole year go by. Sometimes I code too early. Sigh.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Calling Cape Cod Ranks #1 in May, 2008
Rated number one out of 375,000 competing websites!
There has been a lot of hot talk about search engine performance. Some of my own clients have asked these questions too. How do you take the search engines by storm and gain the number one position? Well, that's a trade secret, but this is what I do for work. Today, we edged out our competition, taking the number one position in searches using the phrase "Cape Cod Cabin Listings" and it was a cake walk for us. In truth, I'm just getting warmed up here. I haven't even begun to compete on a serious level.
But there is one thing you should know when you consider listing your company with any web portal, and that is: What type of visibility can they offer your company?
Some talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk. Others will claim they're in the business of web promotion, but they'll try to make you pay rediculous amounts of money for Pay-per-Click schemes in Sponsored Ads. Sure, you'll get a top billing, but you'll go broke when the first bill comes in! I thought advertising online was supposed to be a cost effective solution to printed ads and mailings?
Folks, the old saying applies here. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is! I obtain our ratings without all these gimmicks. In truth, every website that links to us makes the whole network stronger and vice versa... it's a "shared" blessing and I'm just getting started. Revs the engines up...
For more ratings info, go to our page: Search Engine Ratings!
There has been a lot of hot talk about search engine performance. Some of my own clients have asked these questions too. How do you take the search engines by storm and gain the number one position? Well, that's a trade secret, but this is what I do for work. Today, we edged out our competition, taking the number one position in searches using the phrase "Cape Cod Cabin Listings" and it was a cake walk for us. In truth, I'm just getting warmed up here. I haven't even begun to compete on a serious level.
But there is one thing you should know when you consider listing your company with any web portal, and that is: What type of visibility can they offer your company?
Some talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk. Others will claim they're in the business of web promotion, but they'll try to make you pay rediculous amounts of money for Pay-per-Click schemes in Sponsored Ads. Sure, you'll get a top billing, but you'll go broke when the first bill comes in! I thought advertising online was supposed to be a cost effective solution to printed ads and mailings?
Folks, the old saying applies here. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is! I obtain our ratings without all these gimmicks. In truth, every website that links to us makes the whole network stronger and vice versa... it's a "shared" blessing and I'm just getting started. Revs the engines up...
For more ratings info, go to our page: Search Engine Ratings!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Cape Cod Times vs. Calling Cape Cod?
That was the buzz this morning, triggered by a very small re-vamp of the Cape Cod Times newspaper. They changed their header banner to include their web address. Hardly what I would interpret as a serious threat since most of my own clients do this too! Once their website is published, they always include their website address on their stationary and business cards, adverts and menus. One company even purchased cigarette lighters with their website address to promote it. Since when is that competition? If I were competing in the news industry, this might concern me, but I'm not. In fact, the Cape Cod Times is my favorite newspaper, and I've been archiving their news articles (including their header) since December 31st, 1999! The only area of competition concerns the business directory ~ and that's a healthy one. So let's not go off on the subject of the paper's redesign. I would not want them to complain about my decision to redesign my portal.
Yes, that's right... a redesign has been considered and will be put into place for some the main topic boards. The reason for this is because the front menu design doesn't acually fit with certain categories. Namely, the Health and Beauty section, which has been set up as pending. We changed the image background to suit the subject and I prefer it to the more uniform red, white and blue that has become the standard. Likewise, the Tranquil Moments section will feature art and imagery of the older Cape Cod. We know that when our guests come here, they're all looking for different things. Some come for rest, while others come for adventure and so on. They all should be able to find their bliss, and so we've decided to offer these different categories to help them in their search but I want the different pages to reflect the mood of each category of special interest.
I don't want the Calling Cape Cod portal to become a monopoly, where my viewers can only access news or other topics from our pages. First off, I really don't want that responsibility. Secondly, it's a waste of local talent and resources. Apart from this, our services are very different, so the thought that we're engaged in a "competition" with the Cape Cod Times or any other local business, is a little far-fetched. Allow me to clarify this point.
Calling Cape Cod is part of a major online network. The purpose of the portal is to offer web services to Cape Cod's business community and our services are broad. We design websites, sure. But we also offer a hyperlink service to existing websites, even if they aren't part of our own program. We do this because those websites are invisible on the world wide web and when they link to us, they enjoy a higher level of visibility. We can provide this visibility for them because we are a major network. Websites such as the ones owned by the Cape Cod Times ~ these are free-standing, special interest websites. They gain their momentum by way of reputation but they do not have the power of a network and, therefore, cannot offer the same level of service we provide. We're in the business of putting other businesses on the world wide map, not just in a local directory and that's what makes us very different. In other words, we're meant to help the local business community, not wipe it out, lol.
Yes, that's right... a redesign has been considered and will be put into place for some the main topic boards. The reason for this is because the front menu design doesn't acually fit with certain categories. Namely, the Health and Beauty section, which has been set up as pending. We changed the image background to suit the subject and I prefer it to the more uniform red, white and blue that has become the standard. Likewise, the Tranquil Moments section will feature art and imagery of the older Cape Cod. We know that when our guests come here, they're all looking for different things. Some come for rest, while others come for adventure and so on. They all should be able to find their bliss, and so we've decided to offer these different categories to help them in their search but I want the different pages to reflect the mood of each category of special interest.
I don't want the Calling Cape Cod portal to become a monopoly, where my viewers can only access news or other topics from our pages. First off, I really don't want that responsibility. Secondly, it's a waste of local talent and resources. Apart from this, our services are very different, so the thought that we're engaged in a "competition" with the Cape Cod Times or any other local business, is a little far-fetched. Allow me to clarify this point.
Calling Cape Cod is part of a major online network. The purpose of the portal is to offer web services to Cape Cod's business community and our services are broad. We design websites, sure. But we also offer a hyperlink service to existing websites, even if they aren't part of our own program. We do this because those websites are invisible on the world wide web and when they link to us, they enjoy a higher level of visibility. We can provide this visibility for them because we are a major network. Websites such as the ones owned by the Cape Cod Times ~ these are free-standing, special interest websites. They gain their momentum by way of reputation but they do not have the power of a network and, therefore, cannot offer the same level of service we provide. We're in the business of putting other businesses on the world wide map, not just in a local directory and that's what makes us very different. In other words, we're meant to help the local business community, not wipe it out, lol.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A Good Thing, Gone.
I had tried to figure out where the sudden jump in business came from and I followed the path back to Craig's List. I should have known because I had recently posted a promotional offer there, but that was for free rental listings to get people to test drive my rental program. What I got instead was the concept of single page ads for $63.00 per year. They seem to be a big hit with the Cape's business community. So, I logged onto my Craig's List account to post another offer... the single page ads, but they changed their policy and now insist on telephone verification. I was asked to type my phone number in and hit the submit button. They, in turn, would text me the passcode I needed to type in the next screen. The problem. It doesn't work. It's a pity too because I was getting some really good action from Craig's List.
Flash Update: They fixed the bug and I'm back in action there. What a relief... it's such a great community!!!
Flash Update: They fixed the bug and I'm back in action there. What a relief... it's such a great community!!!
Monday, May 12, 2008
I Watched and Waited...
Cape Cod isn't a new experience to me. I've been a "wash-ashore" since 1985. Like most, I came here to raise my family in this peaceful setting, only to find that even paradise has it's problems. It could be worse, but I think I've found a solution to some of the cultural glitches. It's just a question of what we all want. What is it we hope to find here? In a world that seems to be totally out of control, few ever ask this question before they arrive. They just show up and hope for the best.
In truth, Cape Cod is a beautiful place that can accommodate every need, from a dreamy romance and to a daring adventure ~ and every shade in between. But you have to know what you want. Then you have to know where to find it. To that end, I'm building a web portal. I've decided to name it the Calling Cape Cod portal and I've added it to my main network. It's not your usual portal. There are no blinking banners or commercial fluff. This one is beautifully designed and well organized. It took me a long time to design the finished product, but now it's up and running. All that's left is to fill in the pages. Today I'm working on the Beaches and Boating guide.
In truth, Cape Cod is a beautiful place that can accommodate every need, from a dreamy romance and to a daring adventure ~ and every shade in between. But you have to know what you want. Then you have to know where to find it. To that end, I'm building a web portal. I've decided to name it the Calling Cape Cod portal and I've added it to my main network. It's not your usual portal. There are no blinking banners or commercial fluff. This one is beautifully designed and well organized. It took me a long time to design the finished product, but now it's up and running. All that's left is to fill in the pages. Today I'm working on the Beaches and Boating guide.
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