Top Web Brands and Site Usage
The Nielsen Company’s December ’09 rankings of the top visited “branded” sites and the time spent with each.
Google Browser Size Application
The phrase “above the fold” often used in Web design circles is nothing new. It has been used in the newspaper industry for at least a 100 years, to note that content above the fold of the paper is more likely to be read then content underneath it (or on the other side). In Web design it basically means the exact same thing, content that appears on the screen when a visitor first arrives at a site, without the user having to scroll down, is far more likely to be read then content “below the fold.”
As most people know Google is obsessed with all things design related. So enter this little application from Google Labs, Browser Size, which aims to help site owners solve one of the most fundamental problems in Web design: How should I lay out and design my website for higher readership and conversions?
Browser Size is about as stupid simple as it gets. Insert a URL and it overlays a transparent image on top of any page and displays what percentage of users (on average) will see your content without scrolling. Because people use various browser settings, monitor sizes, and screen resolutions, it can be tough to know when a key button, like “Buy Now” or “Subscribe” is easily visible by users.
Take a look at the Browser Size overlay for weBranding:
On the top and left are numbers depicting the length and width of the screen, in pixels. In the middle you’ll notice an array of colors and percentages. Based on research the company conducted they were able to extrapolate at what pixel height and width users would see the page without scrolling, from 99 percent to essentially 0 percent.
Simple yet elegant and pretty darn neat. Try Browser Size out on your website, you might be surprised what you discover.
IAB “Advertising Is Creepy” Campaign
Of course, targeted ads are nothing new, and since they don’t collect any personally identifiable information, they don’t pose a serious threat to anybodies privacy. But they do “creep” folks out that don’t understand how they work.
Therefore the Federal Trade Commission has been gently (or not so gently) pressuring the interactive advertising industry to reveal more information to consumers about how it collects data and targets ads.
Because of this advertisers are seeking to improve understanding of targeted advertising on their own. Cause face it advertisers and agencies have a huge vested interest in avoiding the stigma often associated with data collection and targeted ads.
So to help reinforce advertising isn’t a threat to their privacy, the Interactive Advertising Bureau has launched a campaign called “Advertising Is Creepy” (featured above). I don’t like or even really understand the execution of the ad, but at least the industry is making an effort to education the people they market towards.
IAB "Advertising Is Creepy" Campaign
Of course, targeted ads are nothing new, and since they don’t collect any personally identifiable information, they don’t pose a serious threat to anybodies privacy. But they do “creep” folks out that don’t understand how they work.
Therefore the Federal Trade Commission has been gently (or not so gently) pressuring the interactive advertising industry to reveal more information to consumers about how it collects data and targets ads.
Because of this advertisers are seeking to improve understanding of targeted advertising on their own. Cause face it advertisers and agencies have a huge vested interest in avoiding the stigma often associated with data collection and targeted ads.
So to help reinforce advertising isn’t a threat to their privacy, the Interactive Advertising Bureau has launched a campaign called “Advertising Is Creepy” (featured above). I don’t like or even really understand the execution of the ad, but at least the industry is making an effort to education the people they market towards.
IAB US Internet Ad Expenditures
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers have released their annual report (PDF) on US Internet advertising stats for the first half of 2009. The total number—$10.9 billion, a 5.3% decrease from the same period last year. Search continues to take nearly half of all US Internet advertising expenditures, with 47% of the total ($5.1 billion). Display ads, classified listings, lead generation, and e-mail took 34%, 10%, 7% and 1%, respectively.
