I have helped many clients over the years with setting up a VRBO.com listing for their vacation rental. VRBO is Vacation Rental By Owner and has long been the premier online listing service for those seeking short-term renters for their properties. But the new features of FlipKey, a company linked with Trip Advisor, as well as their no listing fee promotion, should make VRBO.com re-think their listing strategies.

A Do-It-Yourself Vacation Rental Platform

The VRBO.com listing results page. Note the banner ad at the top of the screen.

The clients I have helped with VRBO.com listings needed assistance filling in the lengthy form and uploading photos. Although I haven’t created a client listing since 2011, the last two clients I worked with had a booking on VRBO within two days of the listing going live. The booking revenue was enough to cover the entire year of the listing with VRBO and my hourly service fee. If there was one negative to VRBO.com, however, it was that they offered no real property search feature. Plus, the listing wasn’t cheap. As far as getting your listing features, in past years a VRBO listing was placed in order of how many extra photos you purchased at $24 each, in addition to the $329 yearly fee. People searching for properties had to scroll down long lists to find what they were looking for, only to see that the posted price didn’t necessarily match the actual price, or the property wasn’t available.

Currently, VRBO.com does allow searchers to filter by date availability and property options such as hot tub, lake view, and number of bedrooms. They have also changed their price structure to allow all users the same number of images (24) and the ability to pay a higher fee to be featured higher on the list. Current VRBO.com prices range from $349 to $999 per year.

More Features At A Lower Price: FREE!

The VRBO upgrades are probably in response to the competition from companies such as FlipKey who are seeing the huge profit to be made from providing a user-friendly vacation rental platform. But although VRBO is attempting to modernize the way properties are listed, the new offerings from FlipKey.com are hard for vacation rental owners to pass up.

The FlipKey.com listings results page is cleaner, more modern, and user-friendly.

For starters, FlipKey is partnered with TripAdvisor, an online expert in property reviews. The FlipKey website is sleek and modern and is missing the obtrusive ads that VRBO.com uses to supplement their income. FlipKey also has a much better search engine for narrowing down the properties you are looking for. An example is searching for a property with more than one bedroom. Although VRBO does now allow you to filter your search by property type and number of bedrooms, it is not as easy and intuitive to apply search filters to find a property with two or more bedrooms. FlipKey also provides a very clear nightly price  for each property based on the dates of stay.

But in addition to the better search features, better website layout, better property sorting, and better way to view properties by location within a specific city, FlipKey now has something that should really cause VRBO to re-think their property listing model: free listings. FlipKey.com is offering vacation property owners FREE listings for their rentals! They chose to pursue a model where they will take 3% of each confirmed booking, and they’ve made the booking and reservation system quite easy for both the renter and owner.

VRBO Is Still Vacation Rental King

For now, VRBO.com is still the leader when it comes to the number of properties offered. When I did a search for vacation rentals in my home town of Pagosa Springs with no date specified, VRBO showed 312 properties available while FlipKey showed only 94.  But with the new free listing feature of FlipKey, along with the overall better website and property search experience, there is no reason that anyone with a VRBO.com listing shouldn’t jump over to FlipKey and have a listing there also. I expect to check the number of listings in a few months and see the FlipKey numbers shoot way higher.

With FlipKey’s offering of a zero dollar annual listing fee, it is well worth listing your vacation rental  on both VRBO and FlipKey to ensure your property can be found on both sites.

An Under-utilized Online Resource

As a technology consultant and educator, it is a great feeling to share ideas and resources that small business owners can use to make their lives more productive. An online tool that is still little known to most people is Google Voice, and it is usually the first thing I recommend people sign up for when they are starting their online endeavor.

Why would you post your personal phone number online?

A common problem for small business owners I consult with is not having a dedicated phone line for their business. Whether a hobbyist, an entrepreneur, or  someone offering products or services, nearly everyone uses their cell phone number as their business line. This creates two major issues.

The first issue arises with having your personal cell phone number advertised on the web. Anyone can see the number and spam it like crazy if they wish. If someone from overseas calls your number during their normal business hours, your phone could ring in the middle of the night. With your personal cell phone number, you usually have no control over who calls and when.

The second issue is with switching out the number as you grow. This could arise when you have someone else dedicated to taking calls, or you get a new number, or you just don’t want to use your personal number anymore. Changing an email address or phone number can be risky because you don’t know who is using the old one and may be disappointed when it no longer works.

Did I mention it’s FREE?

Enter Google Voice, a free service available through Google. The number one reason I recommend Google Voice to business owners or entrepreneurs is the single, virtual phone number you are given. The virtual number can be used as your dedicated business line and can be set to ring through to whatever physical phone you assign it to. In most cases, this means the Google Voice number rings through to a personal cell phone, but rather than have the actual cell phone number advertised online, the Google Voice number acts as a filter between the world and your personal phone.

Virtual numbers can be chosen with prefixes that are the same as or in close proximity to where you live. In my case, there were no numbers available that matched the two prefixes that exist in such a small town. However, I was able to get a number with a prefix from the closest “big town” that is a local call from where I live. This point is valuable when advertising locally, but not as important for online callers who would have no idea what your prefix is anyway.

By having a dedicated phone number, you will never have to change the advertised number if you get a new cell phone number or a new business line. The virtual number can ring through to any phone you choose, so as you grow and have staff, any of their phones can be set as the recipient of the Google Voice number. Here are a few example scenarios:

• EXAMPLE 1: a business owner has a home-office and uses his home number as the advertised business number. He moved and had to update his business number to the new location. He eventually opened an official place of business and once again had to change his business number. When he finally learned about Google Voice and signed up, he had a single number to permanently use for his business. Whether he moves out of state or gets a new staff member, he simply has to update the number the Google Voice number rings to. He won’t ever again have to change the number on his advertising.
• EXAMPLE 2: a small service organization has a club secretary whose cell phone number is listed on the website as the contact person. Each time the secretary position changes, a new number is used, requiring people who want to contact them to constantly check the website to see who the new contact person is. When a new astronomy club started in town, they acquired a Google mail account (gmail) and a free Google Voice number. They forward calls to the Google number to whoever is the current contact person for the group. No matter how often the contact person changes, a single number is always advertised as the one to call.

As exemplified above, the biggest benefit to having a Google Voice number is having a single business line that never has to change.

But wait, there’s more!

In addition to having a virtual number that never has to change, there are several more benefits to Google Voice for small businesses, nonprofit organizations, or even an individual who wants more power from their cell phone:

1. voicemail transcription – whether on your cell phone or online, Google attempts to transcribe the voice message (often with hilarious results) which allows you to get the gist of what a call is about by reading the text.
2. personalized greetings – assign callers to groups, then assign specific greetings to those groups or even to a specific caller. You can also assign personalized greetings to the number that is called.This means when someone calls your Google voice number, now your business line, they will hear a different outgoing message then someone who calls your personal number. Pretty  nifty!
3. share voicemails – because Google Voice is accessible online, you can check messages even without a phone! This allows anyone you assign to be able to log in and check voice messages, not just the person whose phone is set to ring.
4. block callers – in the event your number ends up on a spam list, you have the ability to mark any number as such and calls will then be blocked.
5. screen callers – Google Voice has a screening mode so when calls come in you can answer it and hear the voice message being left, then choose to answer the call if you want to talk.

If those reasons didn’t get you to click this link and sign up for a Google Voice number, here’s one final point: I can set my hours of business and never have to worry about taking a business call when I don’t want to. Anyone who calls the number after the hours I set will go straight to voicemail, but just in case, you can also set the callers who have priority and can ring through at any time.

What are you waiting for? Get Google Voice!

Especially for those just starting an online presence, a Google Voice number is an essential tool that will keep your business looking professional. If you are already established online and see the potential to grow, you might want to consider switching to a virtual number before you get big and your personal cell phone is constantly ringing, and before you have a wider audience who will have to note the new number. Learn more at voice.google.com.

Think playing video games is a waste of time? It doesn’t have to be! There are games available right now that allow players to solve real-world science problems for the betterment of humanity. And the best part is: people are playing them!

David Pogue is the host of a great PBS series called NOVA ScienceNOW. I recently re-watched an episode I had recorded. It was called “What Will the Future Be Like?” and featured mind-reading research such as thought identification where a computer was able to identify objects that a person was thinking about by analyzing brain patterns. But the real reason I recorded the show was for the segment on Adrien Treuille, assistant professor of robotics and computer science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Putting Video Games to Good Use

Adriene said he was always fascinated by games and invented his first one when he had his appendix removed and was bored in the hospital. As an adult, he was intrigued by the fact that people spend so much time playing video games. He saw that people spent over three MILLION hours a day playing the game Angry Birds and wondered what the results would be if that level of video game engagement could be used to benefit humanity. He developed the idea into using crowdsourcing to solve biological mysteries using a game.

For those new to the term,  crowdsourcing is a process that involves outsourcing tasks to a group of people, called the crowd.  The power of crowdsourcing comes from the fact that the system uses large numbers of solutions or information to accomplish a task or solve a problem. For Adrien, the problem he encountered was folding protein molecules in such a way that they became useful in the human body. How a protein is folded determines its function, and determining ways to fold proteins into a stable shape was something that computer models alone could not accomplish.

Using a model similar to the game Tetris, where a shape is turned to fit correctly into the pieces below it, Adrienne digitized protein parts into different colors and sizes that corresponded with the real-life molecules, essentially turning the protein molecules into a toy. The brilliant result was a game called FoldIt.  Launched in May of 2008, users played with the protein “toy”, turning and folding the pieces into the most stable shapes they could make. Adriene hoped people would be interested in playing the new game.

“Servers crashed within 24 hours,” Adriene recalled. “The public played it, and they cared about it, and they understood it.”

FoldIt attracted over 300,000 players who molded the protein molecules into stable shapes that advanced science. According to the ScienceNOW show, a long-standing riddle about an HIV protein was solved by the gamers in only three weeks. Visit the FoldIt site today and you can work on proteins that are used by real-world scientists.

Playing For Higher Stakes – From Proteins to RNA

Seeing the crowdsourcing power of using video games to further science research, Adriene found another biological problem to tackle. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, are large molecules that are most known for their vital role in the coding and expression of genes. RNA can be linked together in many ways, like a puzzle, to form proteins. But folding and linking RNA into useful, stable shapes had not been achieved in the lab.

This puzzle led to Adrien’s second game, EteRNA 2.0 (pronounced like “eterna”). Billed as “Played by humans, scored by nature,” the game was a bridge between the digital game and real-world lab experiments. Eterna 2.0 was played by having the crowd fold RNA molecules online, then submit the model to a lab where the molecules would be synthesized and folded in real-life by technicians. After the first round of submissions, not a single piece of RNA was correctly folded into a stable shape. Adrien feared the crowd would lose interest after those results. But they weren’t.

EteRNA allowed players to see all of the data on how the molecules actually folded in the lab compared to the digital model. Through collaborations in the online chat forums, players analyzed the data and revised their strategies. Hundreds of players worked for three months on the puzzle and the result was success in getting digital models to fold successfully in the lab.

“The worst player design was better than the best computing design,” Adrien says, demonstrating that there are some tasks that even a super-computer is not well versed for.

Adrien continues to use video game models to solve real-world problems and envisions a world where “anyone and everyone can contribute to solving huge problems.”

Video Games as Problem Solvers

So the next time you hear of someone spending hours and hours on video games, don’t judge them until you find out which video game is being played. They might just be solving the world’s biggest problem.

To view the entire NOVA ScienceNOW episode featuring Adrien Treuille, visit video.pbs.org. (Adrien’s segment is chapter 5, about 52 minutes in.)

Scroll to the end of this post for my summary. The low-down: if you are doing the Windows Pro upgrade from Windows 7 32-bit, be prepared to reinstall ALL of your existing programs.

Purchase and Download

It was nearly midnight, Mountain Time, on October 25 and I tried once more to click the ‘Buy Now’ link on the Microsoft Store page for a Windows 8 upgrade. This time, instead of the ‘coming soon’ page, the Upgrade Assistant loaded.

The Upgrade Assistant ran and determined my computer was capable of the upgrade from my current version of Windows 7, which was 32-bit pro.  During the lengthy download, there was no indication of how large the file was, but by 1 a.m., the Windows 8 download was 99% complete and I was excited to begin the install.

After the download was complete, the Upgrade Assistant went through

• Getting Files Ready
• Install Windows 8
• Getting Updates/Checking for Updates
• Restarting Windows 8 Setup
• We’re getting a few things ready
• Something Happened

The last ‘Something Happened’ was my first install glitch. The sub-error was, “We couldn’t find the License Agreement”. My only option was to click the Close button and the install box disappeared. After over 90 minutes, I was apparently nowhere.

However, I still my order confirmation screen open in the browser – the Thank You page that came up after I submitted payment for the upgrade in the Microsoft Store. There was a line on the page that read, “This is your receipt – make sure to print or save a copy for your records. if you need to download Windows, write down your new product key and enter it here.” The word ‘here’ was a link and I clicked it. I was prompted to download another program, which was small and quick, and suddenly the Install Windows 8 screen appeared again.

Next was the License Terms to accept for Windows 8 Pro, then a screen that it was ready to install with the following checked:

• Install Windows 8 Pro
• Keep personal files only

There was an option to change the selection under ‘keep personal files only’, and I think that is where the main problem that occurred later began. I think I remember an option to keep personal files and programs, which I thought I had originally checked, but apparently I did not.

At that point, the install box went away and the entire screen was blue with big letters that said ‘Installing Windows 8 – your PC will restart several times. This might take a while.’

The Windows 8 Setup

16 minutes later, the computer was attempting to restart and close the open windows I had. I did a force close to shut the explorer windows that were still open, then there was a black screen with a lone window and text that read, “Scanning and reparing drive (X:): 1% complete.” That progress lasted another 10 minutes and ended with the Windows Boot Manager screen that prompted me to choose an operating system to start. My choices were Windows 8, Windows Setup, or Windows 7. I chose Windows 8, but after a few minutes of the screen changing to appear that something was loading, I ended up back on the Boot Manager screen. I tried two or three more times with the same result.

I decided to try choosing the Windows Setup option on the boot screen and was able to get out of the loop. By 2 a.m., just a few minutes later, I saw a screen that said, “Getting ready.”

The Getting Ready step took about 15 minutes and then a “Moving your settings” message appeared with another percentage count. By 2:20 a.m., I was in Windows setup at the Personalize screen, where I was prompted to choose the color I liked.

Next was the Wireless setup, and my home network appeared on the list and connected after I entered my password. I was then at a Settings screen where I could click a button to use Express Settings or customize settings pertaining to auto-installing important and recommended updates, turning on Do Not Track in Internet Explorer, etc.

The next set of settings concerned protecting and updating my PC. There were on/off options for Windows Update, SmartScreen Filter and Do Not Track requests. By now it was 2:26 a.m.

More settings to toggle on or off – improve Windows Store, respond to malicious apps and malware, improve Microsoft services, participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program, check online for solutions, share info with apps. Those screens were followed by the ‘Sign in to your PC’ screen with my name and prompt for Windows password, which was the same as my setting in Windows 7.

I encountered a glitch when I was prompted to enter my Microsoft account password, which included my email and password. I knew I already had a Microsoft account associated with my main email, but I could not remember what my password was for that account and it wasn’t taking the ones I was trying. I used the option to reset my password and a link was sent to my email account, which I was able to access from my Android phone. However, the link to reset the password led to an screen that said there was a temporary error. (NOTE: even 12 hours later, when trying to set up a new Microsoft account, the email confirmation link leads to a temporary error page.) I was provided with an option to continue without signing in with a Microsoft account and using my local account instead.

Windows 8 Metro – a New User Interface

A few minutes later, the new Windows 8 user interface screen appeared! I believe Windows is currently calling it ‘Metro’. It was 2:33 a.m.

I fiddled with the tile settings which were access via a right mouse click. I could easily uninstall a tile, turn off the live aspects of tiles, and move them around. There was an ‘All Apps’ button available by right mouse clicking on the metro screen. I found where I could install a new app through the Store tile, but it required a Microsoft account login, which I was still unsuccessful at accessing.

I was able to set my location for the Bing weather tile and discovered all of my options for national and world news, which could be pinned to the Start screen.

I discovered the quick way to get to toggle my old desktop and the new metro interface using either the Windows key on the keyboard or by dragging my mouse to the upper or lower right corners and choosing Start, which looked like a window. There is a desktop tile on the metro screen. But what I couldn’t find, no matter how hard I poked around, were my previous program files, such as Outlook, Word, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and all the other applications that I used on a daily basis.

I was able to determine that the programs were indeed on the hard drive, in a folder called windows.old, but none of the applications would run. I searched online forums, recent posts, and the Twitter feeds for any information that could help, but at the early hours I was working there was nothing I could find to tell me how to get the programs to transfer over. At 4 a.m., I gave up for the night.

By 8 a.m., I was back online searching for information on how to get my programs back. I found a few threads that stated an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro was not possible from a 32-bit version of Windows 7. This was obviously not true since I was actually running Windows 8 and it was not only working fine, it was functioning faster than my previous version.

From what I have discovered, I have two options to get my programs. I can uninstall my upgrade and revert Windows 7, then upgrade again and this time ensure that the setting is checked to keep personal settings AND programs (which I thought I had done). Because I am confident that I did indeed say I wanted to keep settings and programs, and from what I’ve read about program settings not being able to transfer over from the 32-bit version of Windows 7, I don’t think uninstalling and reinstalling will do any good.

My second option, which I will do, is to find the installation information for my previously installed programs and re-install. My fear of doing that is that much of the install information, including keys and registration codes, are stored in Microsoft Outlook as notes, and I am not able to access Outlook as it is no longer installed. <Sigh>.

As I type this, I am re-installing Microsoft Office. My attitude is that installing only the programs I want will help me in the long run since after two years, I have lots of junk that I only used once and never removed. I’ll post a follow-up to share the results.

SUMMARY

If you currently have Windows 7 32-bit, be sure you have all of your program discs and data available since you will not have access to any of your programs after upgrading to Windows 8 Pro.

As far as the metro interface, I like it so far. I consider myself extremely techno-savvy, and there was still quite a learning curve to discover how to get where I wanted to go. I don’t recommend you attempt the upgrade without setting aside a large block of time to install and learn the new system.

A recent client needed a new logo for his business. He had been using one design on his truck, another on his business cards, and nothing on his website. When I mentioned the costs involved with a good logo design, he was shocked. I explained that he could have a logo done cheaply, or he could have the right logo designed for his company, but it would cost more.

He went with the long-term solution – a nice logo that reflected his company, the creativity of his work, and even his two children that were the future of the company. The price he paid the designer (me) was reasonable, but below what most designers would charge for a logo design project.

For small business owners who are considering a new logo, or re-working of their existing logo, there is now another solution: 99 Designs.

99 Designs touts themselves as “the fastest growing design marketplace in the world”, and there’s a good reason for their quick growth. The company allows clients to post their desired goal with a logo design. Clients can include preferred colors, fonts, and degrees of “feel” for items such as feminine/masculine, young/mature, luxury/economical, or simple/complex. Clients also describe where the logo will be used and can attach any images, sketches or documents that would be helpful to a designer.

Once the client fills in the form, they can choose how much they are willing to pay for the design. Then the magic happens. Any number of designers can submit a design for the client who is then able to eliminate the ones they don’t like and leave the ones they do like. At the end of a set time period, perhaps hundreds of designers have submitted logo designs (although most requests end up with 20-50).

99 Designs works like a design contest, where the client can then choose the winning design and pay the designer the agreed-upon fee for the work. It seems like a great win for the client who instead of paying one designer for one design, they instead have a crew of designers submitting work that they can choose from.

In addition to logos, 99 Designs also allows contests for  business cards, websites or product packaging.  The logo contests that were underway on the site ranged in price from $295 to $500 dollars, a great price for a custom logo, and an even better deal considering the variety of designs the clients get to choose from.

Learn more about 99 Designs contests and see examples at www.99designs.com.

There are websites that look beautiful but function horribly – information is hard to find and navigation is almost non-existent.  And there are also sites that have clear and concise information, but the look is not something you’ll remember or invite friends to look at. Finding a good balance of  form and function will be the key to a site that you and your customers will love.     

I Want Everything!

I’m working with a client who has a small budget but would like the ability to add updated product photos and information to a new website for their retail shop.    

Their current ‘site’ consists of a main page with basic store information and a second page with a little Flash slideshow that showcases some of their featured products. The client is ready for a larger site, one that she can add content to on a regular basis and provide a place for her customers to browse some of the unique and handcrafted items that she carries.    

With a budget of under $1000, I suggested a content management system (CMS) like WordPress that is template-based, but could be mildly customized to suit her needs. Using a test site, I found a template that included a rotating slideshow on the main page and set up a basic site to present as a model for her to consider.   

“We like the idea of a more layered collage kind of look,” was her response. “Maybe blow up details of an image for the background…and use the hands as tabs for categories instead of straightforward  tabs and margins. We want it to look fun, but also clear and easy to navigate.”   

Having designed websites since 1996, her comments were not surprising to me. Often, business owners see a ten or twenty-thousand dollar site they like and want their own pages to be as elaborate. And even when price is not an issue, many well-intentioned people choose a pretty design over considerations that would benefit the people that will use the site most: their customers.   

Most often, the biggest challenge is convincing clients that having all the bells and whistles on their website isn’t neccessarily better.   

Web Design vs. Web Development

A good web designer will create a site that reflects the nature of your business in a way that is unique enough to stand out from the crowd of online storefronts.   

A good web developer will design a site that is user-friendly, adheres to web best-practices, and functions correctly.   

The most common mistake a business owner makes when choosing a site design themselves is not understanding who the site is being built for. Wanting something that appeals to themselves, rather than the needs of their customers who will be using the site, is not the route to go.   

I once collaborated on a web project where the client insisted that their new site should look exactly like their favorite car dealership site, with a main page Flash slideshow and exciting sounds and buttons. The problem was that their business dealt with document storage and recovery. Even after trying to explain that document storage probably wouldn’t be as graphically exciting in a web slideshow as new cars, the client wouldn’t budge. Not wanting to create something that we knew might please the client but wouldn’t serve the needs of their customers, we charged them a small consulting fee and politely referred them to another website company.  

Web sites that do not address the needs of the visitors who will be using them will not perform well. 

With the basic understanding that the usability of the site  is equally important as the look of the site, you will make better decisions about your online web presence.

What is Best – Form or Function?

Just as a functional doorknob can also be a work of art, your functional website, designed with your users in mind, can be a thing of beauty.

Since your website should be built for your customers and not you, a good site should contain a balance of pleasing design and practical functionality.   

As consumers, we have all been to sites that might look pretty at first glance, but quickly frustrate us when we can’t find what we need or things don’t work as they should.

A long load time waiting for that fancy slideshow to appear is a sure way to push customers away.    

If I physically walk in to a local store and am confused by what I see, I won’t stay long. If the store is pleasant to be in and was designed with my needs in mind, I will want to stay, and will want to return again.   

Your website is a virtual storefront and the same considerations you would make for your customers in a brick and mortar store should be taken with your online business presence.   

Don’t neglect design for function and vice-versa. Instead, use a balance of the two and your site visitors will be pleased.

Last week, it was announced that a new information site had raised over 9 million dollars in capital to proceed with what is called “an information experience.”

On January 24, Qwiki.com went live with with an Alpha version of the site that is functional, searchable and showcases brilliant examples of what Qwiki.com is all about. From monuments to natural wonders, animals and historic figures, the information presented in each ‘Qwiki’ is not human-generated, but instead gathered from sources on the web.

To understand this concept, imagine searching for a restaurant that you are interested in. To find out details, you would use a search engine, click on links that look reputable, and poke around on several of those sites, including the restaurant’s own pages, to gather information. Now picture what a Qwiki.com search looks like: you are presented with an audio/visual presentation of the restaurant that includes photos, maps and other pertinent information such as years in business, what they are known for, overall review, and a phone number.

Want to know about your hometown or favorite director? Although only in an infancy stage, Qwiki.com is slowly growing a database that will allow you see and hear and one minute mini-documentary about just about any person, place or thing you are searching for. According to a January 21 CrunchBase.com article, ”All Qwikis are created on the fly from web sources (without any human intervention).” 

The Qwikis are embeddable anywhere on the web to enhance your website.  Here is an example of a Qwiki on fly fishing. (I chose the medium size player.)

Facebook billionaire is early investor

A January 20 article at TechCrunch.com reports that Eduardo Saverin, an early Facebook co-founder who was pushed out but made billions from his shares, is the largest investor in Qwiki.com and was involved in the most recent round of fundraising that raised $8 million.

“A lot of the excitement around Qwiki is because of its ability to generate media on the fly that combines text, audio, and animated photos,” reports Erick Schonfeld of Tech Crunch. The TechCrunch.com article contains a video of the Qwiky.com demo presented by co-founders co-founders Doug Imbruce and Dr. Louis Monier that convinced Saverin to invest in the site.

“In the future, information becomes an experience that I can watch,” explains Imbruce as he introduced Dr. Monier for the demo , “and the future starts right here, right now, in this room.”

Information evolution in progress

Current Qwiki’s have a button to improve themselves by allowing users to suggest pictures or YouTube videos, and improve sound quality by listing any words that are mispronounced. The Parelli Natural Horse Training Qwiki has no picture or images so I suggested two from their official sites. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the system to find and use the information.

Qwiki is described by Imbruce as a platform, and as such, “can produce a Qwiki from any content on any device.”  This cross-device functionality is what may propel the site’s technology to become mainstream in our lives, as is demonstrated in the demo video when Imbruce uses a Qwiki as an alarm clock. He is told the time, temperature, weather forecast including high and low, and his important appointments for the day.

 It seems very sci-fi, but the proclaimed “marriage of art and science” could very soon change the way web searchers find their information. An iPad app is reported to be in development.

To try the information experience yourself, visit www.Qwiki.com. Let me know what you think!

A December 18th Wall Street Journal article titled “Your Apps are Watching You” discusses a recent test that showed how often personal information is transmitted to ad companies without user knowledge.

“These phones don’t keep secrets,” say authors Scott Thurm and Yukari Iwatani Kane , “They are sharing this personal data widely and regularly.”

Groupon's privacy screen on an Android smartphone. In addition to what app developers list here, a Wall Street Journal study found that many apps were transmitting information without users' awareness or consent.

The Wall Street Journal investigation involved an examination of 101 popular smartphone “apps” that covered a variety of games and other software applications for both iPhone and Android phones. Results showed that 56 applications transmitted the phone’s unique device ID to external companies without any user knowledge or consent. 47 apps transmitted the phone’s location, while 5 sent age, gender and personal details.

Why are many apps free?

I always wondered what the motivation was to offer so many free apps to smartphone users. Is it just to create something that people like and want to use? Perhaps so, but there is another very good reason why developers and ad companies could benefit from customers installing apps and transmitting information: demographic data.

I’m sure someone in the advertising industry would read that and think, “Well, duh.” But as I read the Wall Street Journal article about apps watching you and how prevalent data transmission is, it reminded me of a guy I knew in college who had a Nielson box on his cable television receiver. He was paid to allow Nielson to collect data about what he watched and when. The information was tied to his name, age, gender and location. Nielson could not only use the data for their ratings system to show what shows are the most popular, but it became a valuable tool for advertisers to know what shows certain demographics are watching in order to more custom-tailor the ads to that audience.

If you’ve ever compared commercials that play on TNT on Thursday night when NBA basketball is on to those that air during late morning network soap operas, you’ll see the method in action.

By offering free apps that are able to transmit data about the application user and where they are, advertisers are getting a clear picture of where to advertise and who is listening, and what they are watching and listening to.

A Google advertiser’s dream: lots of user information.

Think what is happening on a grander scale with your Google ID: I sign up for a Gmail account in order to customize my Google news home page. I can check out using Google merchants with that same ID. If (and I say “if” with tongue-in-cheek) there is a cookie on my computer that transmits anonymous info about a 40-year-old female in Pagosa Springs, Colorado who reads Sci/Tech stories more than other news articles, that cookie is also loaded with data that sends information about the sites I visited and the purchases I made. Although the information carries no personal data such as name or phone number, an advertiser can narrow it down to the fact that a 40-year-old woman in Pagosa Springs reads Sci/Tech articles spends X amount of hours online and purchases these items from these companies.

My Android smartphone conveniently uses my Gmail account to backup all of my contacts, which comes in handy if I lose my phone, get a new one, or need to do a full software update.  Since the Wall Street Journal study shows that my GPS location, age, gender and personal details are transmitted by many applications, it is fairly certain that the information is being tied to my other browsing information and used for advertising purposes.

Is it spying, or helping?

Privacy advocates are concerned about this anonymous information being transferred, and for good cause. The Wall Street Journal article explains, “Among all apps tested, the most widely shared detail was the unique ID number assigned to every phone.” And according to Vishal Gurbuxani, co-founder of Mobclix Inc., an exchange for mobile advertisers, that unique ID number is effectively a “supercookie”, but with one big difference. A cookie on your home computer that tracks your internet habits and site visit information can be blocked or deleted, but the unique smartphone identifiers cannot easily be deleted.

“That’s how we track everything,” explains Meghan O’Holleran of Traffic Marketplace, an Internet ad network that is expanding into mobile apps. “We watch what apps you download, how frequently you use them, how much time you spend on them, how deep into the app you go.”

Although both Apple and Google, makers of the two most popular smartphones, iPhone and Android, both let advertisers target groups of users, the companies say they don’t track individuals based on the way they use apps.

As a consumer, and knowing how the Nielson ratings were used to help gather demographic info for advertising, I have to say that I really don’t mind if my music tastes, YouTube video views, and site visits are tied to my age, location and gender if it means that advertisements are custom tailored to me. Online ads can be expensive to be simply thrown in a wide blanket, hoping that the right person sees it.

If I am an advertiser, I’d be much happier with the Facebook way of targeting viewers for ads. Facebook lets you choose exactly who sees your ad with criteria that includes location, gender, age and even hobbies and interests. If I’m selling a book aimed at women in their early 20′s who have an interest in horses, I can pay only for ads to display on the Facebook walls of users who meet that criteria. The fast-growing mobile advertising market is most likely using that same model.

As a consumer, I tend to want to read the ads on my Facebook wall because they are usually tailored to me and reflect something I am interested in. I first noticed this when I was new to Facebook and saw an ad for a women’s flyfishing school, followed by one for a new Stephen King book. Both were subjects that I had written about in my Facebook hobbies and interests section when I signed up. If an advertiser can custom tailor an ad for me, I’m more willing to look at what they have to offer.

But on the other hand, after reading through a database of the search queries that were released by AOL several years ago, several of which led to a searcher’s identity being found by simply by reading her search terms, maybe I should be worried about privacy. Where is the lline between offering a service that may be convenient, but can also put too much personal information out into the cyberworld for others to use? In the wrong hands, the information gathered could be used for something negative.

Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article titled, “Your Apps Are Watching You”. (NOTE: you need to register as a user to view the article, but WSJ articles are worth registering to read. They are very well-written and based on fact and good journalism, not assumption and personal perspectives.)

Comments? Input? I’d love to hear them!

Part 1: Television Advertising

Inbound marketing is about getting found, rather than marketing to a mass of people that are trying their best to block you out. Many inbound marketers focus solely on new marketing and ”non-interruptive” techniques, shunning traditional outbound marketing ideas such as email blasts, telemarketing, direct mail, TV and radio ads, and even print media ads, billboards and tradeshows.

While I wholeheartedly agree that modern consumers are using technology to disrupt outbound marketing strategies that have worked in the past, some of the strategies, when used properly, can be modified to work beautifully in today’s marketing world.

Outbound Marketing and Consumer Savvy

In my series, I will address how technology and savvy consumers have created challenges for businesses wanting to advertise their products or services. I will also present solutions that have been used to overcome these challenges, and ideas that small business owners can use to tap into the game.

Combining old media with new techniques - creative commercials and self-produced online shows can help you reach an audience.

1. Television ads

Problem: DVR and TEVO have allowed consumers to record and then fast-forward through expensive commercials. Many TV viewers no longer watch live television. Instead, they create timers for their favorite shows, then watch them on their schedule. By skipping through commercials, a one hour show can be cut to just 40 minutes.

Solution 1: Unpredictable commercial breaks 
While set-top recorders have changed the way consumers view television, there are ways that advertisers have continued to retain an audience. Networks like NBC and FOX no longer stick to a format that starts and ends prime-time shows on an hour and half-hour time grid. Instead, I need to set my DVR two to three minutes before a show starts or risk missing the beginning of the episode I want to view. During playback, the previous show ends and the new show begins immediately. When the first commercial does play, it is difficult to forward to the correct spot without stopping several times because cues that in the past would mean the programming is back on are now followed by another commercial. Even an experienced commercial fast-forwarder like myself finds that it is sometimes easier to advance through the advertisements to a certain point, then watch the last few commercials to avoid passing the beginning of the show, rewinding, and having to watch the commercial anyway. In this model, the advertisements that are at the tail of a commercial break are the ones I view most.

Solution 2: Creative and entertaining advertising 
Even low-budget commercials are getting more and more creative, and often the line between programming and advertising entertainment is blurred. The pricey commercials that play during the Super Bowl are a good example, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has recorded that football event only to skip through the game and watch the advertisements from companies who paid an exhorbant amount to have me learn about their product or service.

Superbowl aside, an ad slot during prime-time network television is still priced out of reach for most small companies. How are the large players ensuring that eyes are on their expensive commercials? Many companies are using actors from the shows that are being watched, or A-list actors that people want to listen to. These known faces often make consumers hold off on the fast-forward button. Another technique to keep viewers engaged is to present the commercial as a mini-show in itself, which encourages us to watch the content to see what the advertisement is even about. Another technique is to offer such creative and orginal content and presentation style that viewers are enticed to watch from beginning to end.

Solutuion 3: Product placement and show sponsors
I don’t mind seeing blatant use of Apple computers on NBC’s 30 Rock, or a Toyota Sienna being prominently named and utilized on Bravo TV’s Top Chef. In fact, I find it useful learning about new brands of cookware on a cooking show, or the new features of an electronic device through a fictional TV story. In the “olden days” TV shows were sponsored by one large company. That one company was often mentioned throughout the show and a pitch was offered during each commercial break.  If that model come back we would know what company or companies are sponsoring each show. When I watch public television with no commercials through my local PBS station, I take the time to watch what company sponsored Antiques Roadshow and the new Electric Company for my kids, and hearing about Robert Mondavi wine as a sponsor of America’s Test Kitchen has stuck in my brain.

Marketing solutions for the rest of us.

Most  business owners don’t have the budget to spend on a  network television ad, but thankfully, evolving technology has brought TV to the internet, and the internet to TV, meaning even companies on a small budget can get into the game. Large technology companies like Google and Netflix have been in the midst of mergers and acquisitions to offer viewers a television/internet combined experience. In the not-to-distant future, set-top internet boxes will allow television viewers to watch programming and internet content seamlessly on one screen. Conversely, internet viewers can now watch television content on a computer screen or portable device, so there is no longer a need to sit in front of a tv set to watch your favorite shows.

Because of the movement that blurs the line of where viewers are watching television content, small businesses can now sponsor an online show, place their commercial at the beginning of online video content, or work with viral video owners to make their website URL visible to millions.

But why stick with advertising on someone else’s video content? Internet solutions such Ustream.tv, LiveVideo.com, LiveStream.com and Justin.tv provide anyone with a computer and a camera a way to present their own live programming to anyone who is willing to watch. No longer reserved for large companies with huge advertising budgets, presenting live broadcasts about your product, service or event is a great way to engage customers and provide them with an interactive way to learn about your product. The Post Punk Kitchen hosted a vegan cooking show that highlighted the chefs playing punk rock music and demonstrating recipes. Their show developed a steady following, which boosted their online credibility and although new episodes are no longer being made, the website still ranks number two in Google under the keyword ’vegan cookbook.’ Not only will producing your own online show attract visitors, you can increase search engine rank by putting diverse content in multiple locations online.

When a plumber offers a weekly show with household tips, an author presents a monthly writing workshop, or an electronic store broadcasts timely technology updates for customers, all of these methods are an inexpensive way to have your own TV show and can help businesses reach a larger audience.

If your business marketing budget doesn’t allow for a traditional television commercial, create your own commercial to place within existing online content, or develop your own online show with your company as the title sponsor. Either way, new marketing levels the playing field and helps any size business be seen and discovered, as long as you are going where your audience is. I’d love to hear your feedback as to how you are using online commercials or producing your own online shows to increase your internet presence and gain exposure.

Coming soon in Part 2: Email Blasts and Lead Nurturing

Although I upgraded my laptop in June, I didn’t reinstall my StumbleUpon toolbar in Internet Explorer until late July.

Soon after installing the plugin, I was in need of a guitar tuner. Realizing something was not quite right with the low E string on my guitar, and not having a keyboard around to use for reference, I checked for an online tuner on Google.

Google search results featuring StumbleUpon ratings

When the results appeared, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new star rating next to each link. The StumbleUpon toolbar that I had just installed was integrating with my search. My Google results were now being rated.

I can now quickly scan the page and find the results with the highest star rating next to the StumbleUpon logo, thus using the power of other StumbleUpon users to help with my search. I can click on the star rating to read reviews and see the number of people who have viewed the page.

 I love the brilliant concept.

Not only is Google succeeding in making their results more relevant to my query, they are making it much easier for me to determine the best guitar tuner site that I will probably like.  The page I clicked on was a tuner I had never used before and I did indeed like it better than tuners I was already familiar with.

There was only one link on the first page of search results that had no stars at all.  The link in position one had only a three star rating, even though there were a few five star ratings on the page in lower positions. It appears that the pages with more reviews are getting more stars, and it would be interesting to know if the StumbleUpon star rating is based on simply more positive reviews, more “I like it” ratings, or a combination of both.

My next step will be to use two different computers and conduct a few random searches to see what page I choose to click on, first based on only the title and description without the StumbleUpon toolbar installed, and then with the StumbleUpon ratings being included. I can compare the two experiences to see if I feel my results are more relevant based on either method. My guess is that I’ll be much more satisfied with the quality of the pages I visit when taking user ratings into consideration. I’ll update this post after I have some results to report.

I wonder what other social media plugins  are out there to help searchers easily find the most relevant content? I love how searches using social media plugins are evolving so far…

**Update 1:
Apparently, ‘guitar tuner’ is a highly-rated topic and thus there were many pages that had StumbleUpon ratings and reviews. Many other search queries have no ratings to refer to. I suppose as more people use StumbleUpon, there will be more ratings. Eventually we may see Facebook and Twitter integration to use the power of their users and ratings.