Subject: RE: Report Supplies Blueprint for Media E-Commerce Sites From: "Eric Meyer" Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 12:10:36 -0500
How the Web Was Won
Subject: RE: Report Supplies Blueprint for Media E-Commerce Sites From: "Eric Meyer" Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 12:10:36 -0500
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At 17:17 on 17 Aug 98, Eric Magill  wrote in part:

> In our tests, those text links have at least tripled the traffic
> of a banner in all instances. In one test for a specific client, a
> text link below the first screen continues to outperform a banner
> ad at the top of the same page by 5-1.

We published very similar results two or two and a half years ago 
from a completely separate study.

The key remaining question is why. There are at least two 
possible, contradictory explanations, each of which would lead into 
a completely different solution:

1. Text is viewed as editorial, and thus less likely to be a shill.

2. Graphics are turned off frequently and, because of download 
   delays, do not show up on the screen until after readers already 
   have passed through the technical phase of readership in which 
   headlines and graphics have a lure and gone on to the phase in 
   which the reader's field of vision narrows to focus on body type.

There is very little evidence to support the first view. In other 
studies, messages tended to be evaluated on their own, independent of 
whether they seemed to be ads or editorial.

On the other hand, there is considerable support for the second 
possibility, including substantial evidence of users turning graphics 
off and of users clicking on text links before graphics files 
completely download.

The solution, therefore, would appear to be use of graphic-less HTML 
ads. Any who have recently visited the AJR NewsLink site may have 
seen a banner-like ad at the bottom of pages touting our new 
improved JobLink service. (Go to www.newslink.org and hit reload 
three or four times and it should show up.) This standard-size 
black-background banner ad with white, red and yellow text and eight 
different links is entirely GIF-free and frames-free. It is more 
interactive than a standard GIF banner, save for one that is 
image-mapped. The logo in it can be neither spinning nor flaming. But 
it does seem to get incredibly good response rates.

              ERIC K. MEYER - meyer@newslink.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------
           managing partner - NewsLink Associates  
           online publisher - AJR NewsLink  
    asst prof of journalism - University of Illinois
visiting research scientist - Natl Center for Supercomputing Aps

- "Tomorrow's News Today" critically acclaimed guide to strategic 
   planning for online publishing (mailto:report@newslink.org)
- "Designing Infographics" (http://www.newslink.org/book.html)
-  http://www.newslink.org, web's top media resource: 8,000 
   links, more newspapers, hundreds of journalism jobs 

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Subject: Re: From Janet Kyle From: "Eric Meyer" Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 12:10:36 -0500
How the Web Was Won
Subject: Re: From Janet Kyle From: "Eric Meyer" Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 12:10:36 -0500