Inexperienced olive coloured

We’ve all been through it: inheriting a PPC account that someone else has managed. And we’ve all had that “WTF” moment after looking under the hood, when we’re baffled by how the account even survived to this point. But you never truly know what drove the previous PPC manager to do what they did — were they being downright dirty, were they just inexperienced, or were they overwhelmed with so many other tasks that they got sloppy? It could be any one of those circumstances. And hey, it’s a small world, so the last thing you want to do when inheriting a PPC account is bash the previous agency or professional to your new client or boss. It certainly does take some restraint as you’re pulling apart the logic of an account that doesn’t seem to make any sense. My agency recently inherited an account with some major blunders, and it’s been haunting me as I try to figure out why they made the choices they did. I wanted to share with … [Read more...] about Downright Dirty, Inexperienced Or Overwhelmed? 

In a rare joint appearance, Google executives Philipp Schindler, chief business officer, and Sridhar Ramaswamy, SVP of ads and commerce, addressed a group of several dozen publishers and broadcasters at an event held at the company’s Chicago offices Tuesday. And, at that event, he extended an olive branch. In his opening remarks, Schindler said Google returned $11 billion in ad revenues to publishers last year, while acknowledging, “We also know it has not been easy.” Everyone in the room knew that one key reason publishers have had difficulty generating ad revenue is that Google and Facebook draw some 80 percent of the growth in digital ad dollars directly. But Ramaswamy said there are limits to what the ad ecosystem can do for publishers, adding that the industry must focus on both ads and subscriptions. Schindler said Google is committed to building out subscription programs and plans to significantly ramp investment in this area. “We come in peace…We … [Read more...] about Google extends olive branch to publishers, lays out new focus on subscriptions

There are many different kinds of designers in the digital industry, from product designers to user experience designers. Each plays an important role in developing a brand’s identity and helping a business to grow. Today, let’s take a look at how a creative designer works. A successful design often takes time. There a many steps and considerations that contribute to an award-winning piece, all of which need to be balanced with client budgets and timescales. Key skills: What’s in a creative designer’s toolbox? Any designer worth their salt will have a list of bookmarks as long as their arm, a library of colour palettes, font pairings, and other useful resources – but we will come to that exciting stuff shortly. Not only does a creative designer need to be master of the mouse as well as a pixel perfectionist, but they also must have the ability to problem solve, communicate, push boundaries, challenge, and listen – to name just a few key skills. … [Read more...] about Design – It’s more than just ‘colouring in’!

In July, I shared the lessons I have learned selling websites with Quiet Light Brokerage since 2006, but the seller is not the only important part of the equation. Buying an online business can seem scary, but if you go in knowing how to conduct a deal you’ll improve your success rate immeasurably. I learned these lessons by observing literally thousands of smart buyers over the years, some of whom saw returns of over 1000% in their first year alone. The deals are out there, and these 19 lessons will help you get your footing (and your money’s worth) as a potential buyer: 1. Always Trust Your Gut Sometimes a deal just doesn’t feel right, even though you can’t place your finger on why. While analysis of a business is usually enough to determine if you’re making a good investment, sometimes there are intangibles you can feel in your gut. History tells us that this gut feeling is often correct. Learn to identify it and trust it. However, a smart buyer needs … [Read more...] about 19 Things I’ve Learned About Buying Websites

Google’s I/O developer conference brought several huge announcements about Google’s future direction and projects, including two new technologies which demonstrate just how important voice search and natural language processing are to the company’s future development. The first, Google Assistant, is a voice-activated digital assistant which builds on “all [Google’s] years of investment in deeply understanding users’ questions”, as Google’s blog declared. It takes Google’s voice search and natural language capabilities to the next level, while also allowing users to carry out everyday tasks like booking cinema tickets or restaurant reservations. The second is Google Home, Google’s long-awaited smart home hub to rival the Amazon Echo, which comes with Assistant built in. Google Home – which will be “unmatched in far-field voice recognition”, according to VP of Product Management Mario Quieroz – will give … [Read more...] about The continuing rise of voice search and how you can adapt to it