Site uses click analysis to increase ad sales 40 percent

It may be a tricky ad-sales environment online these days, but that doesn't mean every site's ad revenues are down. Some e-businesses, in fact, are generating growing numbers.

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That's certainly true of AllRecipes.com, an entry point for more than 20 other food-themed sites. AllRecipes improved its partner sales 40 percent in 2002, compared with calendar year 2001. Here are some of the steps they took to achieve this, according to a case study by ContentBiz.com:

1. TRAFFIC ANALYSIS. In early 2000, information from the site's log files was so hard to analyze that the actual information never got to the marketing group, says AllRecipes vice president of marketing Esmee Williams. The company solved this by outsourcing the analysis to digiMine, a remote service.

2. DEVELOPING NEW CONTENT. Results of the new traffic analysis revealed areas where visitors were looking for missing information, and AllRecipes moved to fill the gap when possible. For example, interest in Mexican recipes led the company to create a Mexican-themed area, which attracted the sponsorship of Ortega, a Mexican food brand.

3. PARTNER AND EVENT MARKETING. The company allows sponsors to develop their own branded areas, where more specific information can be provided. For instance, Hershey Foods is a backer of an area with a recipe of the day and 10 other recipes that feature Hershey products. Additionally, events such as the Super Bowl lead to special content that attracts even more sponsors.

All this culminated in the significant jump in partner revenue that AllRecipes experienced. It's a formula that many other e-businesses with a specific product niche could follow.

For more details, read: http://www.contentbiz.com@a2.tc/4e88

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LIVINGSTON'S TOP 10 NEWS PICKS O' THE WEEK

1. Do online stores these days need to offer free shipping? http://www.ecommercetimes.com@5a0.tc/450

2. Nominations for Webbys reveal best sites in 30 categories: http://www.webbyawards.com@3n.be/838

3. IBM plans sneak attack with Microsoft Office competitor: http://www.crn.com@1c.to/c20

4. Free service, Buddy Zoo, maps relations among IM users: http://www.buddyzoo.com@e.la/1008

5. Release of fewer new CDs causes sales of music to decline: http://www.azoz.com@31.dk/13f0

6. Five rules to follow that will help you get a tech job: http://www.builder.com@836.as/17d8

7. Galileo opens its travel database for use by Web services: http://www.computerweekly.com@a6r.ms/1bc0

8. New XML language, AVDL, is arising for online security: http://siliconvalley.internet.com@th.gs/1fa8

9. Introduction to RSS: Really Simple Syndication for sites: http://www.webreference.com@54.vg/2390

10. Downloadable app gives Nokia phones good vibrations: http://www.vibelet.com@a2.tc/2778

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WACKY WEB WEEK: THE TREASURY OF DEATHLESS QUOTES

Now that the Baath Party is no longer in control of most of Iraq, we have some time to consider the marvelously wacky words of the former Iraqi Information Minister, who disappeared from Baghdad on April 10.

The minister, MuhammedSaeed al-Sahaf, became famous for such pronouncements as "There are no American infidels in Baghdad " (after U.S. troops had taken the international airport) and "I blame al-Jazeera -- they are marketing for the Americans!"

Now these and dozens of other priceless gems have been collected in The Treasury of Deathless Quotes at a Web site called We Love The Iraqi Information Minister. As the site itself says, these quotes can be enjoyed by both hawks and doves. The site also offers the minister's historical reports from Gettysburg , Waterloo , and the Little Big Horn. See: http://www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com@n6.be/c3b8

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Livingston is publisher of http://www.BriansBuzz.com. Research director is Vickie Stevens. Brian has published 10 books, including:

Windows Me Secrets: http://www.amazon.com@isbn.at/0764534939

Windows 2000 Secrets: http://www.amazon.com@isbn.at/0764534130

You'll receive a gift certificate good for a book, CD, or DVD of your choice if you're the first to send Brian a Top Story or Wacky Web Week he prints. Send tips to mailto:Brian@BriansBuzz.com with "tip" in the subject line.