Re: Interesting Twist to BANNER ADVERTISING

From: Fred <DTGNews_at_aol.com>
Date: Sun 2 Jan 2000 14:35:44 EST

HAVAH HOPE SAID:
> How would you figure out what the surfer's locale
> is? I mean I would love to know that.

We know absolutely who will see the local ads that
would replace other stock banner ads in web sites,
because they are displayed ONLY to our dial up
customers.

Your question is somewhat not related to the concept of
the thread because you are wondering more where your
traffic comes from.

> For instance we use WebTrends for
> site stats and it tells me that the majority of my
> shopper come from VA. Now, I know that is not true.
> I can look at shipping and billing addresses and
> tell you it is not true.

See what I mean? For me, the current ad model simply
doesn't work. I think now you're beginning to suspect
WebTrends for the same reasons I suspect all of those
type of services.

> If someone can tell me a way to get real demographic
> information from a surfer (who hasn't filled anything
> out) I would love it.

No, you can't get demographic profiles (age, sex, etc.)
HOWEVER You can tell where they came in from. Sure.
It's all in the server log if you can get your hands on
it. It tells you in no uncertain terms, where each of
the originating link came from: which page they looked
at, where they went next. (That's what I like about
owning my own servers and ISP.)

There is software for your hub router which provides
you with reports on who is sending you traffic, and
where that traffic is originating from. ISPs have IP
address directory, and can tell who and where the POP
is.

You'll find it's a lot of trouble, believe me. I sift
through hundreds of thousands of lines of text each
month learning where my readers come from.

You even see who has linked to your site. I make a
policy of contacting those people (if they're not a
big scalper site) who send a sizable number of readers
into my site(s) ... I thank them and offer to return
the favor by sending readers to their site!

This, I think, is one of the nicest aspects of the web.
That you _can_ find kindred spirits, and cross
pollenate in the original ideals of the web.

:-)
Fred







Received on Sun Jan 02 2000 - 13:35:44 CST