Re: Venting

From: Matt Mickiewicz <matt_at_sitepoint.com>
Date: Mon 09 Jul 2001 11:52:44 -0500

BRANDI JASMINE <bj_at_brandijasmine.com> WROTE:

>The problem on the small end is we don't even get the
>chance - and THEN we get asked "Gee - can I do a free
>test?" - would you ask that of a print magazine? Even
>an unestablished one? Over what might amount to a few
>hundred dollars? I have been tempted to give some of
>these people advice about travel, sex and farm animals
>in 4 words or less.

I agree, just because you're small you shouldn't be
discounted. But you absolutely must know your audience
in the long-term in order to succeed.

By this, I mean registrations. Just as trade magazines
require readers to fill out qualcards in order to get a
free subscription, you should have an upsell to your
existing visitors for a 'membership package' that they
can get access to only upon filling out a survey.

You can then directly approach advertisers and say:
I have 10,000 visitors who will be buying X within the
next 3 months, and they plan to spend $Z number
of dollars on that. Here's the complete set of information
that we have about our visitors, just tell me what segment
of my audience you want to reach and I'll do it.

You can read an article about this very subject at:
http://www.ecommercebase.com/article.php/457

I think the author, Dana, hits the nail on the head.
Publishers need to start following the trade
publication model and build qualified readerships
which they can audit. Because they'll be distributing
content over the Internet, their costs will ultimately
be lower, and they'll have bigger profit margins than
traditional trade publishers.


____________________________________

Matt Mickiewicz
SitePoint - Master The Web.

e: matt_at_sitepoint.com
w: www.sitepoint.com
    www.sitepointdesign.com
p: 604 716 4638
f: 630 214 3583
____________________________________



Received on Mon Jul 09 2001 - 11:52:44 CDT