Data Protection and Privacy Laws

Below is a useful compliance checklist from 'Internet Marketing' by Dave Chaffey:

1. Follow privacy and consumer protection guidelines and laws in all local markets. Use local privacy and security certification where available.
2. Inform user, before asking for info on:
   * who the company is
   * what personal data are collected, processed and stored
   * what is the purpose of collection
3. Ask for consent for collecting personal data.
4. Reassure customers by providing clear and effective privacy statements and explaining the purpose of data collection.
5. Let individuals know when 'cookies' or other covert software are used to collect info about them.
6. Never collect or retain personal data unless strictly necessary. If extra info is required for marketing purposes this should be made clear and should be optional.
7. Amend incorrect data when informed and tell others. Enable correction on site.
8. Only use data for marketing when a user has been informed and agreed (opt-in).
9. Provide option to stop receiving info on all comms (opt-out).
10. Provide contact details on communications.
11. Use appropriate security technology to protect customer info on site.

Web Analytics

Avinash Kaushik "Web Analytics: An Hour a Day" shows you how to assess and improve your organisation's performance and capabilities across all aspects of digital marketing.

1. What = Clickstream
   Understand your audiences by analysing what pages they are clicking on. It's important you segment your audience so the information is used context (e.g. visitor of a certain source, keyphrases used, entry page, visited a page, date, time or length of visit, exit page, country etc...). Use tools such as: Google Analytics, NetInsight, WebTrends, IndexTools, ClickTracks, CoreMetrics, Omniture.
2. How much = Multiple Outcomes Analysis
   Define at least 2 reasons for your sites existence (e.g. goals, conversions, brand impact, likely hood to visit store, customer satisfaction etc...) and measure these through analytics or surveys. Use tools such as: Web Analytics tools plus iPerceptions, ForeSee.
3. Why = Experimentation & Testing
   Create an ideas democracy to test new layouts, content, imagery, etc, and learn what makes people perform the desired outcomes. Use tools such as: Google Website Optimizer, Offermatica, Optimost etc
4. Why = Voice of Customer
   Discover the "Segments of Discontent" by asking:
   a) Why are you here? (Look at the distribution of reasons)
   b) Were you able to complete your task? (Decide if to change)
   c) If not able to compete your task today, why not? (Here are the answers)
   Use tools such as: iPerceptions, Ethnio, ForeSee, perhaps even self service mechanisms.
5. What else = Competitive Intelligence
   How compare to others - #visits (attraction), time on site (stickiness), who and which keywords are sending traffic, who is competing for my keywords. Use tools such as: Compete, HitWise, Technorati etc.

View Avinash Kaushik presentation or read the book!

How to Evangelize a Blog

Good article about writing a blog...

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/04/the_120_day_won.html

Bring back the love...

This is a video created by Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions showing the the disconnection between advertisers and consumers: http://bringtheloveback.com/2007/05/16/mdas_europe/

Web 2.0 is about interactivity, engagement and 2 way communication and helps bring back the love!

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

A fantastic video explaining "Web 2.0" in just under 5 minutes by mediatedcultures.net:

It's very fast so keep up...The Machine is Us/ing Us.