Application discovery is a big problem.  While search engines index the entirety of the web, making it fairly easy to find content most relevant to my search query, trying to discover applications that meet my needs is a bit more difficult.  Where search engines utilize complex algorithms (see Google Page Rank) to determine importance of a page, searching through application indexes yield results that seem to be based on less sophisticated algorithms.  Seeing as applications are, arguably, more complex than a web page, the discovery process should be more robust.  Here are three ways that I think these indexes can improve application discoverability:

1. Download count isn’t the only thing that matters: If there’s one common bond between app indexes on the web, it’s that download count (or user count) seems to have the greatest influence on the results rank. Ok, I get it; more users must mean it’s a better application, right? Sure, fair indicator, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Give me more ways to sort the results. How about the ability of the app to solve a user’s problem? How important is an app to a user? App indexes need to figure this out. Implied data is good, explicit data is better. Look at usage, user life, reviews/ranks. All of this information matters when showing me relevant quality results.
2. Index Features: What if I’m looking for a particular feature in an application? Right now I am limited to two behaviors: One, download the app, see if it has the feature(s) I’m looking for, and uninstall if it doesn’t. Rinse and repeat. Two, navigate out of the index to the app site, try to find a feature list and make a decision from there. Features need to be clearly identified and meticulously indexed so my decision making process can be streamlined. Think of application indexes being a “decision engine”, just like Bing.
3. Eliminate the Techie Skew: Two of the main app indexes out there (Wakoopa and Software.Informer) require a user to install an application that indexes and then tracks your applications and their usage. But, let’s face it, the users that download these apps are skewed as techie users. While I consider myself a techie, I know there are other app user personas out there and that relevancy can only be improved by ensuring all apps get a fair representation from all constituents. These indexing services need mass appeal to provide a service that truly encompasses the world of apps.

App indexes are moving in the right direction towards solving the problem of application discovery.  I visit these sites regularly because it’s amazing to see what the thriving world of apps looks like when it’s indexed.   There is room for improvement, however.  Indexes like these should, and undoubtedly will, become better at enabling users to discover what apps will best solve their problems.  And don’t get me wrong, it’s no easy task; indexing applications and their related attributes is not like indexing web pages.  It’s not like you can pull a standardized feature set right out of an app; much of this information is crowd-sourced.  But it must improve; the discovery process needs to be more relevant, higher quality and more streamlined.  There needs to be a “killer app” of app indexes.

Eric Montag, Product Manager, W3i Holdings, LLC
Eric uses his experience in graphic design, mobile, and internet marketing to lead the charge in product research, planning, and execution, from both a consumer and business standpoint. 

About W3i
If you need help with increasing distribution, revenue, or engagement for your Windows applications, contact us.  W3i has over nine years experience with over 250 million installations. App marketers join W3i’s Application Network to grow their application companies.

Applications are an effective vehicle for keeping users connected to your content and re-enforcing your brand message.  Through your branded application, you increase repeat users that are more profitable than new users because there is minimal cost of acquisition.  Here are several things to consider for improving your apps effectiveness:

1. What is your objective?
   • Increase frequency of brand/content with existing users
   • Expand your reach to new users
   • Generate revenue
     • W3i’s Application Network helps Windows application providers generate revenue from the distribution of their applications.
2. How will you distribute?
   • Through your web-site, newsletter, or blog
   • As a recommendation with other software you distribute
   • Through paid advertisements
     • W3i’s Application Network provides Windows application advertisers with access to millions of installations every month. Target to users based on their technical profile, application interests, geography, and more.
3. Why should I create one now?
   • Stay top of mind with your fans
     • Do you feel that there is no need to be in the browser? Consider the impact of not acting. Your users are more accessible to content from competitors than from you.
4. How can I create a killer app?
   • Create convenience
     • What content do you have that your users would value accessing on a routine basis?
     • Don’t limit yourself to your own content. Consider what other content you might be able to syndicate to improve your relevancy. If you outsource the creation of your browser plug-in, ask the third party what content they have available.
     • Let your users customize your app to suit their needs
     • Consider whether creating different configurations for different segments is appropriate so that users can download what is most relevant from the start 
   • Fully leverage technical capabilities.
     • Would your app benefit from other desktop applications or the operating system?
       • Convenient access to relevant files
         • Encouraging users to share their local files with others on the web
         • Easier uploading of files to your service
         • Understanding the technical profile to filter content which is most appropriate
     • Would your content benefit from web browser features?
       • Detecting when the user visits a particular web-site to deliver an important message
         • Need to clearly disclose the functionality of your app and provide an easily understood value proposition
       • Enhancing the browser chrome
         • Display important information in real-time through the chrome
         • Toolbars are common, but there are other shortcuts and integration possibilities dependent on the browser your app is developed for 
   • Build Or Outsource
     • Is this core to your business?
     • What are your essential (urgent) features versus important (desirable) features?
     • Will you have resources to build and maintain your app internally?
       • Have you considered how you will manage upgrading the application?
       • Have you factored in maintenance for browser or operating system updates?
     • For most companies, when these factors are considered outsourcing is more cost-effective. Some technology providers, like W3i, will even pay you for creating and distributing your app using their platform.

 Contact W3i if you would like to learn more about engaging your user with a killer app, expanding your distribution, or generating revenue with a browser plug-in.

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

Are you an Affiliate?  In working with affiliates for several years, I’ve put together a list of the top three ways to improve your payout with Affiliate Networks.

1. Communication. It’s obvious, it’s a daily function of our business, but it is not always used by affiliates to properly convey their key measurements of value. For example, if the users on your site skew female, and the marketing materials you receive from publishers are targeted at males, let your publisher manager know so he can get more targeted materials for you that will increase your epc, and help drive up your rates.
2. As our industry continues to find more ways to optimize campaigns through AFS-type systems, the open flow of information pertaining to the way an affiliate drives traffic is a crucial ingredient. When shared properly with publishers, it creates opportunities to identify poor traffic sources and helps steer an affiliate toward better-performing traffic sources. Working with your publisher manager to accomplish this will create value for you and the publisher that can get you to the next rate level.
3. What is the user experience when they go through your download process? Have you actually run through it? If not, objectively go through the download to actually experience what you are asking your users to go through. By doing this, you can find numerous tweaks that will enhance the user experience, increase your epc, and help you reach your targeted ROI.

There are numerous publisher managers who will work with you on these improvements, as well as many others. For further details on ways to improve your current payouts, or if you are interested in more information on W3i’s Affiliate Program, please feel free to contact Chris Brama at chris.brama@w3i.com.

Chris Brama, Account Executive, W3i Holdings, LLC
Chris uses a consultative approach to growing W3i’s affiliate partners’ business.

As the social stream (Twitter, Facebook, et al.) grows and becomes more dynamic, the state of software applications has never been healthier or more exciting.  And the cool thing is that the growth of social media and applications is a mutual one.  The social stream has become the driving force behind the creation of new, innovative applications — apps continue to enhance, expand, and increase accessibility of the social stream.  Let’s take a quick look at how social media has bred new applications, and been integrated into others, now and in the future.

There’s no way around it: social media entities breed applications.  Just look at Twitter.  Out of nowhere, an app vertical specifically geared towards making the Twitter experience more dynamic was born.  For those Wakoopians out there, just search for Twitter and you’ll be presented with 230+ application results. Mind you, these are only desktop and web apps; this doesn’t include mobile. A lens on Squidoo lists 275 unique desktop and web apps for Twitter alone.   iLounge has a great article on all of the iPhone’s 30+ Twitter apps you’ll find in the iTunes App Store.  And that’s just Twitter.  There were tens of thousands of Facebook web apps created since their Facebook platform was launched in May 2007.  When the next social media giant is born, expect a deluge of apps to enhance its experience.

The integration of social media into current apps and the merging of communication vehicles to include social media are also important effects to acknowledge.  Digsby provides an elegant solution that merges IM functionality with Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn integration.  Oh yeah, their app supports email notifications, as well — pretty cool.  The newest version of the Flock browser includes new social features like Twitter search, drag-and-drop tweets, Facebook chat, etc.  Until recently, I couldn’t send tweets into Evernote for safe-keeping.  Now I can.  These are just a few select examples; there are many more.  I expect to see social integration in applications to progress, providing users with more seamless experiences.

Other apps could improve their leverage of the social stream in new ways.  Feed readers should beef up support of the social stream.  They should stop seeing themselves as RSS aggregators by taking a hint from FriendFeed and start seeing themselves as streamed information aggregators (FeedDemon is starting to with the new pre-release 3.0 version). The lines between how and what is streamed should progressively blur.  Productivity apps could leverage the social stream in their help section; instead of searching forums for answers, what if I could open up “social help” and leverage the stream for problem solving without ever having to leave the application? I want the social stream to flood over my illustrations in Photoshop so I can receive real-time critiques.  I don’t see how any application publisher can ignore the power and influence of the social stream and the impact it has on in-application user engagement.

In my eyes, the effects of the social stream on application use are just beginning. Assuredly, we will see more dynamic ways to connect people, share content, and democratize information — all in real-time.  Twitter and Facebook are current examples of how social media breeds application verticals through easy-to-use, open platforms and how applications enhance the experience of these core social services.  This relationship will continue to mature as the walls around social networks crumble, providing users with new applications that do more to exponentially enhance and expand the social stream.

Eric Montag, Product Manager, W3i Holdings, LLC
Eric uses his experience in graphic design, mobile, and internet marketing to lead the charge in product research, planning, and execution, from both a consumer and business standpoint.

Online media player provides monetization and marketing opportunities for artists and record labels

St. Cloud, MN, June 5, 2009 – W3i, a provider of marketing solutions that increase revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins, and RightsFlow, a provider of music licensing and royalty services, announced today the creation of an integrated music marketing platform designed to help artists and labels monetize free music downloads through media support.

“W3i has developed solutions to enable the distribution of free content for over nine years,” comments Robert Weber, Vice President of Business Development at W3i. “Our proprietary technology, Install IQ, and W3i’s Application Network can help downloadable content providers increase their revenue as well as ensure speed-to-market while utilizing minimal artist resources.”

As traditional music business models continue to change, artists and labels are looking for innovative sources of revenue in the digital space. “We are very excited to offer record labels and artists access to the W3i Media Player,” stated Alex Holz, Director of Client Relations for RightsFlow. “This system helps artists and labels reach music lovers searching for free music, while still generating revenue from their recordings.”

The media-supported initiative involves reaching fans searching for free music and offering DRM-free downloads of unreleased and difficult-to-find digital tracks. The initial rollout features 100 tracks across Rock, Pop, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Latin, Alternative, and Country music genres, including artists such as Say When, Carey Ott, Michael Olatuja, and Drunken Barn Dance.

“We are pleased to work with W3i and RightsFlow on this exciting program,” said Gary Taylor, manager of Carey Ott and co-manager of The New Congress. “Finding creative ways to market and monetize music is especially important for D.I.Y. artists, and earning revenue while rewarding fans with free music is an unmatched deal.”

Install IQ was the first installation system certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download program, and users have demonstrated high satisfaction in online surveys.

About W3i:
W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset. W3i’s Application Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program. Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 7.1 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Application Network.

About RightsFlow:
RightsFlow offers Mechanical Licensing & Royalty Solutions for labels, distributors, and online music services. We specialize in obtaining bulk mechanical, DPD, and ringtone licenses including streaming, tethered, and limited downloads rights. Our proprietary “FLOW” system allows us to license, account, and pay royalties directly to the Harry Fox Agency (HFA) and the thousands of publishers not represented by HFA. Today, RightsFlow services over 1,500 labels for mechanical and DPD licensing. Some of the many clients we service include marquee companies such as imeem, E1 Entertainment, Muzak, EMI Music, Active International, Tapulous, CD Baby, IODA, Audible Magic, YouLicense, Constellation Wines (Blackstone), X5 Music Group, Zebralution and Disc Makers, among others. For more information on RightsFlow’s services and management team, visit www.rightsflow.com.

Media Contact for W3i:
Deborah Manthei +1.320.257.7571 / deborah.manthei@W3i.com

Media Contact for RightsFlow:
Gideon Kalischer, +1-212-937-6955 / gideon.kalischer@rightsflow.com

W3i’s Download Network featuring Install IQ is a Finalist in Most Innovative Service/Business Model category.

St. Cloud, Minnesota – June 2, 2009 – W3i, LLC, provider of marketing solutions that increase revenue, distribution, and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins, was named a Finalist today in the Most Innovative Service/Business Model category for the 2009 Comp TIA SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards.

The finalist designation was presented for W3i’s Download Network, a leading consumer software platform. Using a network approach, W3i’s Download Network pays partners to generate traffic, installs interactive consumer applications, and delivers active users to W3i’s clients.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the leading trade association for the world’s information technology (IT) industry. The SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards recognize innovative software products and new business models in eight different categories. Award winners will be announced at the CompTIA special online award ceremony on June 18, 2009.

SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards finalists by category are judged for:

Scope – What business problem or opportunity does the software innovation address? What is the size of the problem/opportunity?

Impact – What practical results, such as sales, users or profits, has the innovation had on a software product or on the software industry? The innovation must be new and have both a current and future impact.

Novel – How does the innovation break with traditional ideas or processes?

“W3i is honored to become a Finalist especially in the area of innovation. We know W3i’s Download Network can be a key distribution and monetization strategy for publishers and advertisers of Windows and browser applications. To date, we have installed over 250 million applications, and we are just getting started,” comments Andy Johnson, CEO of W3i. “Congratulations to the W3i team for becoming a finalist in the 2009 SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards.”

Entries are judged by a select panel of industry experts, including analysts, consultants, writers and trade press, and subject-matter experts. A list of the esteemed panel can be found here: http://www.softwareceo.com/leadership/awards_judging.aspx.

Details about the 2009 SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at http://www.softwareceo.com/leadership/2009/awards_finalists.aspx.

“Software innovation is more than just ideas; it’s the ability to develop those ideas and make them work in the market,” said Mark Fogle, publisher of SoftwareCEO. “The annual SoftwareCEO Innovation Awards recognize products, ideas and business models that break with conventional software ideas and processes to introduce product offerings and business models that are key to our industry’s future growth and vitality.

About W3i:
W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset. W3i’s Download Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program. Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 7.1 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Download Network.

W3i Contact:
Deborah Manthei
Director of Marketing Communications
W3i
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com
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About SoftwareCEO.com
SoftwareCEO is a resource-packed electronic newsletter and web portal built by software executives for software executives. It is Page One for software industry information and education on topics such as software marketing, sales, business, financing, and services. For more information, visit http://www.softwareceo.com/.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, please visit www.comptia.org.

CompTIA Contact:
Steven Ostrowski
Director, Corporate Communications
CompTIA
Phone: 630-678-8468
Email: sostrowski@comptia.org

7th annual Stevie® Awards will be presented on June 22 in New York City

St. Cloud, Minnesota – May 20, 2009 – W3i, LLC, provider of marketing solutions that increase revenue, distribution, and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins, was named a finalist today in the New Product or Services of the Year – Computer Services category in The 2009 American Business Awards.

The finalist designation was presented for W3i’s Download Network, a leading consumer software platform.  Using a network approach, W3i’s Download Network pays partners to generate traffic, installs interactive consumer applications, and delivers active users to W3i’s clients. 

The American Business Awards is the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit entries to the ABAs – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. 

Stevie Award winners will be announced during the annual gala on Monday, June 22 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.  Six hundred executives from across the U.S.A. are expected to attend.  The ceremonies will be broadcast on radio nationwide by the Business TalkRadio Network and hosted by Cheryl Casone of Fox Business Network.

More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories, including Most Innovative Company, Best Management Team, Best New Product or Service, Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program, Best Corporate Environmental Responsibility Program.  W3i will be competing in the New Product or Services of the Year – Computer Services category for Interactive Marketing.

“It took years for W3i’s team to fine-tune the proprietary technology for Install IQ, the installer that drives the success of W3i’s Download Network.  To date we have installed over 250 million applications.  My congratulations to the team for becoming a finalist in the 2009 ABAs,” comments Andy Johnson, CEO, W3i. 

Members of the Awards’ Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs will select Stevie Award winners from among finalists in final judging that will continue through June 3.   Finalists were chosen by business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April through early May.

“Despite very tough economic conditions, many organizations and individuals continue to perform well,” said Michael Gallagher, founder and president of The Stevie Awards.  “The results of the 2009 ABAs thus far are a testament to the resilience, creativity, and hard work of American organizations, executives, and workers.”

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/aba. 

About W3i
W3i increases revenue, distribution, and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset.  W3i’s Download Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 7.1 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Download Network.

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring companies of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

Supporting sponsors of The 2009 American Business Awards include High Performance Technologies Inc., John Hancock, Lifelock, RCN Corporation, Softpro, and Ultimate Software.  Media sponsor is the Business TalkRadio Network.  Localization partner of the 2009 Stevie Awards is Lionbridge.

Contact:
Deborah Manthei
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com

During a leading casual game publisher’s recent earnings call, the CFO cited that one of the primary reasons their quarterly revenue fell (Q1 2009 versus Q1 2008) was that they were generating less revenue from distributing the Google Toolbar offer with their downloads.

This is precisely the problem game publishers are faced with when having only a single offer to leverage with software recommendations from their installer, versus a marketplace of third party offers such as those provided by W3i’s Install IQ process. Had this game provider been a client of W3i’s Install IQ platform, they would have been able to recommend other offers with their downloads instead of relying solely on a Google Toolbar, and therefore closed the gap on their lost revenue from users which had now already all received the Google Toolbar offer in the prior year’s downloads.

Other companies with Windows applications should take note of this provider’s challenges, and proactively integrate with W3i before these revenue decreases show up in their quarterly financial numbers.

Today, I attempted to download from this provider to see what business models they were leveraging.

1. $9.99 Monthly Recurring Subscription – The most prominent business model is to get you to register with your credit card for a free trial to their paid membership. You have 30 days to try the membership, after which time you will be auto-billed monthly at $9.99.
   
   To cancel the trial membership, I was instructed to call their 800 number and provide my account number. I wasn’t too enthused that I could register online but was required to make a phone call to cancel. However, the customer support rep was immediately available and didn’t make life too difficult. Overall, I was pleased with their customer support.
2. Display Ads On Website – After subscribing to the free trial credit card subscription, you can then browse their catalog of online and downloadable games. The website has numerous banner ads on display which help them in generating revenues.
3. 60 Minute Try Before You Buy Downloads – Even with a membership I was still encouraged to download 60 minute trials of various game titles.
4. Toolbar and Other Software Recommendations – The first downloadable trial game came with Google offers including a Toolbar and Desktop Search option.

The Google Toolbar, when first opened, spawned an alert offering to change my default search as well as enable PageRank, further driving value to Google.

I tried downloading additional trial games and only one additional software recommendation, for Google’s Chrome Browser, was offered.

This demonstrates that even today the company has not yet diversified its dependence on Google’s very limited number of offers to be leveraged by their software recommendations.

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

St. Cloud, Minnesota, May 7, 2009 – W3i, provider of marketing solutions that increase distribution, revenue, and engagement for Windows applications, announced today that VoloMedia is now part of W3i’s Download Network (WDN).  VoloMedia, provider of advertising and reporting solutions for portable media, is using W3i’s Download Network to broaden its user base for its iTunes plug-in to grow its panel of users for more effective advertising.

“W3i’s Download Network can be a significant source of new users for growth companies with Windows applications and various types of plug-ins,” said Rob Weber, VP of Business Development at W3i.  “VoloMedia joins a network of application companies in their efforts to ramp up user acquisition at a known ROI.  During the installation process, WDN leverages the demand for popular free or trial downloads by matching them with other download companies seeking distribution, like VoloMedia, giving the user a value-add.”

“W3i’s distribution capabilities are helping us reach our target users,” notes Jeff Karnes, VP of Marketing and Products for VoloMedia. “Their installation and download process is a great way for us to promote our unique iTunes plug-in.” 

W3i used its consultative services to optimize this distribution channel for VoloMedia, demonstrating how using proven techniques to engage the user can increase lifetime value and make their marketing spend more effective.

About W3:
W3i increases revenue, distribution and engagement for Windows applications and plug-ins. W3i uses a network approach combining the demand for free and trial downloads monetized by the distribution of useful downloads when the consumer is in the download mindset.  W3i’s Download Network uses Install IQ, W3i’s proprietary Windows installer, the first installer to be certified in the TRUSTe Trusted Download Program.  Tested and optimized on over 250 million installs–currently 15 million installs monthly and growing, W3i will prove to be a valued distribution partner in growing your application business. To learn more, visit W3i’s Download Network.

About  VoloMedia:
VoloMedia provides a unique combination of products with a nationwide ad sales team to deliver advertising and reporting solutions for portable media, extending the reach and monetization of video and audio podcasts. The company’s products and services are utilized by some of the largest and most well known media companies, including ABC News, FOX News, MSNBC, Washington Post/Newsweek, and Public Radio International in its Business, News, and Politics podcast verticals.  Other VoloMedia content verticals include Entertainment, Health, Music, Sports, Technology, Video Games, and Women. http://www.volomedia.com.

Contact:
Deborah Manthei
Director of Marketing Communications
320-257-7571
deborah.manthei@W3i.com

Jocelyn Johnson
212-924-9500
PR Contact for VoloMedia
jjohnson@gravitas-pr.com

Many of the online marketers I speak with have been using AdWords for years.  They love the ROI they see from the program but a common gripe has to do with the fact that many of them are having difficulty increasing reach and growing their customer acquisition efforts.

When I hear this my immediate question is always, “Are you advertising on the content network?”  The typical response is usually a variation of, “We’ve tried it in the past, but the quality of the traffic was always extremely poor.”

At W3i we’ve found Google’s Content Network, as well as similar offerings from other publishers, to be a great source of ad inventory to increase reach and grow user acquisitions for the W3i Download Network.  Whether it’s audio, video, games or utility software there are a plethora of relevant sites to advertise on in Google’s vast network.  After all, where do you think the users you’re bidding on in search end up when they don’t click a paid ad?  That’s right, probably a site that is displaying AdSense ad units.  Google’s robust algorithms do most of the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on what you do best.  To help jumpstart your AdWords account using Google’s Content Network I’ve put together a list of tips to keep in mind.

1. Implement Conversion Tracking.
   Perhaps this goes without saying, but the one thing needed prior to diving into any network is a method for tracking return on investment (ROI) at a granular level.  Google’s Conversion Tracking option provides the simplest tool for measuring key performance indicators (KPI’s) on the Google network. Of course there are non-Google tracking options as well.  Establishing conversion tracking up front will provide the needed clarity for decision making down the road.  After all, you can’t grow what you can’t measure!
2. Segment your search campaigns from your content campaigns.
   Be sure to separate your search campaigns from content campaigns.  For those who are fairly new to Adwords you may think “no brainer”, however, there was a time that co-mingling search and content was thought to be the way to go.  We know better now.  Separating search from content allows ads to be written with the context of the user interaction in mind.  Another benefit of segmenting campaigns is the creation of keyword lists specific to content placements.  Best practices call for smaller groups of keywords (10-20 keywords) and the use of broad matching. The bottom line is users behave differently on search than they do on content, and segmenting the two allows for optimization by network.
3. Remember to set a campaign budget!
   The fastest way to get noticed by your management is to not set a campaign budget! We don’t suggest this. Google’s content network is huge and can burn through thousands of dollars in a matter of hours, so make sure you’re setting reasonable caps, especially as you dip your toes into the water.
4. Utilize Cost Per Click (CPC) bidding on the content network.
   CPC bidding greatly simplifies the online marketing process. Review search network campaigns to determine a starting range for content campaigns. Google typically recommends starting content bids at about half of the rate of your search bids.
5. Keeping the budget tip above in mind – BE AGGRESSIVE!
   If you don’t get aggressive, you will never get the opportunity to show Google’s algorithms how well your ads perform.  We typically start with bids well above our estimated allowable CPC knowing we will lower them to meet our ROI goal once we begin to see some performance data rolling in.
6. Focus on clicks initially.
   Use the AdWords auto ad-optimization feature to make sure you’re going to auction with your highest click-through rate (CTR) ads.  You can always test different ad copy once you’ve scaled your campaigns, but focus initially on getting high effective cost per thousand impressions (eCPM) ads into the network.  Regardless of the way you are paying Google (CPM or CPC), your bids are always translated into eCPM so they can be compared to other ads in the auction and Google can maximize its revenue.  For example, if you are bidding .25 CPC and Google estimates your CTR will be 1%, Google will go to auction with an eCPM bid of $2.50.
7. Try using Frequency Capping.
   Frequency Capping is a relatively new feature which was introduced as part of the Doubleclick acquisition.  It allows you to limit the maximum number of times during any given time period your ad can be shown to each user.  This is commonly used when buying banner ads on a CPM basis because of the following logic.  Typically, each consecutive ad impression a user sees (depending on the length of time in between) will yield a lower CTR than the prior.  The logic behind this is basically that if a user is interested in an advertisement he or she will engage it the first (or first few) time(s) he or she sees it.  Using this knowledge you can frequency cap your ads so that each impression has the highest chance of yielding a click, thereby aligning your interests with Google’s (Google only gets paid when there is a click).
8. Research!
   Research the sites that rank high organically on keywords in your search campaigns. There is a high probability these are the same types of sites that your ads will be shown on in the content network.  Pay careful attention to the context of this type of site, and use this information when choosing content keyword themes and writing ad copy.  You can also use this information to target sites that you know rank well organically for your top performing keywords.
9. Use the Placement Performance Report.
   Using the Placement Performance Report will allow you to see your historical performance on every site in the content network, including conversion rate.  From there you can take two actions: exclude low performing placements and target high performing placements in their own campaign.
10. Bid to performance.
    Using the ad scheduling feature to adjust your bids by hour and day of week will allow you to increase your bids during the times you convert the best and reduce bids (or pause bids) when you’re performing poorly.  You’ll be surprised how much your conversion rate varies by day of week and time of day.  Look at the data and see for yourself!

Maximizing our ad spend is a crucial element for the success of W3i.  If you are looking for more revenue, distribution, or engagement for your Windows applications, contact W3i.  W3i has spent nine years perfecting a Windows installation technology, Install IQ, which provides a lot of marketing opportunities for companies with consumer demand for their Windows applications.

Peter Novotny, Manager of Marketing, W3i, LLC
Peter Novotny uses his years of experience in Media Buying and Search Engine Marketing to lead the B2C user acquisition efforts for W3i’s web properties.