Does Long Sales Copy on Web Pages Really Work?
Sales Copy Ad Nauseam --
Does Long Sales Copy on Web Pages Really Work?
Have you ever gone to a web site and unexpectedly come across a waterfall of seemlingly endless sales copy. You're forced to read miles of copy, sometimes several pages worth, before even ever getting to the price or the opportunity to buy. You've seen them: sales pitches for ebooks telling you how to "get rich quick on AdWords" or software that will submit you to "thousands of search engines and drive unlimited traffic to your site." For someone like me who just likes to get to the point, these long web pages of sales copy just drive me nuts. It's like a bad baseball game: long wind-ups and pitches but you just keep waiting for the hit.
What exactly is it about these long pitches with their multiple questions, highlighted text and endless testimonials that entices users to convert to sales? Do pages like this really work at generating sales? And is there only a certain type of online shopper who is attracted by these pages? The answer might surprise you. Read on.
Rather than let our own bias get in the way, we decided to talk to some top successful veterans of the entrepreneurial Web world and find out just exactly why such marketing tactics work. Our list of experts includes:
Willie Crawford - Willie hosts teleseminars as well as the annual "Internet Marketing How-To Workshop." He also runs an Internet Business Success Course at WillieCrawford.com and owns the shopping cart system ProfitAutomation.com.
Randy Cassingham - Randy is the author of THIS is TRUE and the creator of the TRUE Stella Awards.
John Skorczewski - John is the CEO of Market- Tek Enterprises, Inc. which specializes in search engine traffic and entrepreneurial web marketing. John also is the publisher of the "WebPromotion-Weekly eZine" and also the creator of Submission Spider software.
Andy Henry - Andy is the editor of the "money making newsletter" StartBiz, which focuses on ebooks, newsletter publishing and affiliate marketing. Andy also runs Learn-SEO.com, a search engine optimization tutorial site.
Paul Myers - Paul is the Editor of TalkBizNews, a business-oriented newsletter, who makes his living by writing and producing web books and sales letters.
WA: There's obviously something to these pages of long sales copy. Can you explain why they work?
Willie: I use long copy of most of my landing pages which are generally set up to capture email addresses of first time visitors. The pages are designed to sell them on the value of joining my list, and I don't believe that you can provide TOO much proof of the value of what you have to offer. It is critical, though, that you provide links at numerous places on the page where they can take action when ready.
John: Long copy is the ONLY way to go. In virtually every test we've ever run that has been the case. It just makes sense. You're selling over the Internet...the words you convey are the only tool you have to convince a potential customer to buy your stuff. (Well, now people are using audio...but that's still long copy in script form.) The more information a person has about your product, the more comfortable they will be in deciding to buy it.
Paul: A few points on this: Quoting Gary Halbert, (I think) "Copy can never be too long. Only too boring." If you read fiction or even newspapers you'll know that people will read whole books **if they're interesting.** If the copy shows a reasonable chance of offering a solution to a problem, the person with that problem will read it. All of it.
Randy: To be sure, there ARE people out there who don't like long copy, no matter how well- written it is. Just like there are those who "need" or require a long explanation, or to be convinced.
I tend to make up my mind pretty quickly, and tend to write quite concisely -- whether in content or in marketing. (And, certainly, you can't always tell the difference between the two!) Thus, my web site is pretty to the point, but there is usually a link after the short copy that says, "Why *should* I subscribe?" and clicking thru to that page is long copy! And it's written in a pretty entertaining way, if I may say. And I get a "lot" of subscriptions from that page.
Would I have lost those new subscribers without the long copy? Dunno, but my guess is "certainly some of them. Bottom line: let the customer decide how much info they need.
Andy: I have also asked myself your same question on many occasions and have always found it to be the case that longer sales letters are much better at communicating important details about a product's benefits. Having said that, needlessly "padding out" a sales page just to make it longer will not result in more sales.
I've concluded that most people (myself included) tend to quickly skim over a sales page to pick out key benefits and decide whether the particular need they have in their life/business will be addressed by the product or service being described.
WA: What works for you? What tools or techniques do you use when creating these long pages that help your success?
John: Well, we use as many testimonials as we can. I've used highlighted text before but not seen much significant change in response rate. Also I keep my paragraphs short (1-3 sentences) with bolded and centered sub-heads every few paragrahps...and lots of white space between paragraphs (which makes the text easier to read).
Willie: Testimonials do an excellent job for me and I use as many as I can on many of my pages. I gauge how many to use by page size and load speed. To lend credibility to testimonials, I use lots of photos and live links to other web sites. I configure the links to other web sites to open in a new browser window so that I don't lose the visitor.
I [also] have hundreds of autoresponder sequences for fully automated follow-up. Some of my autoresponders have up to 30 messages in the sequence. I have not tried video yet but have seen it used very effectively. Audio and video have to both be used in a way/place where they don't pull the prospect out of the written message.
Paul: B2B products tend to rely more on reviewer testimonials than B2C offers. This is so prevalent that when I asked a few people for critiques of one book, they all responded with testimonials. I had to go back to them and emphasize that I really wanted criticism, and wasn't fishing for testimonial comments.
WA: What sales page techniques have you tried that have bombed for you? What audience would you not recommend long sales copy for?
Paul: Technically-minded folks are much less likely to read MOST long copy, because it contains words and refers to feelings with which they're uncomfortable.
Marketers are often more intolerant of adjective-laden copy, because they think they understand the psychology of selling in print, and they read adjectives as attempts at control. These folks are rarely accomplished at any form of advertising, as folks who know understand that verbs sell far more effectively than adjectives.
Andy: Before I'd learned about the power of sales copy and the right and wrong ways to do them, I put up a series of pages which had far too much information about the product but didn't explain the benefit that those features would have. Benefits sell; features are used to justify the purchase.
John: One thing that once bombed was when I created a sales letter with nothing but a headline and a long page of many testimonials. The headline was something like, "I Can Describe This Product to You but I Thought I'd Let Our Customers Do It For Me..." Then, I listed the long page of testimonials and at the end put an order link.
WA: What advice would you give to a mainstream online business that is interested in improving conversions by testing these kind of long sales pages?
Andy: There are a lot of people getting this process wrong, but I've found (and I believe there are those who agree) that each page should be focused and limited to achieving only the purpose it serves. Diluting your message by doing anything more than pre-selling and/or obtaining subscribers is more than the job of a single page. The more options you give people, the less likely you are that they'll do whatever the primary purpose of your page is.
Paul: If the benefits proffered are enticing, or well presented, they'll read the long copy and not be aware that it's long. Much of what I've written in the past few years has been for info products in the $1,000-$25,000 range. For more expensive items, copy is no more or less important than for lower priced stuff. The credibility of the producer, though, is a MUCH more important factor in cases where the price is significantly above the usual.
Here's a little-mentioned secret to selling more expensive items. It works well for any kind of non- commodity copy, but it's amazing what it does for sales of higher priced items:
**Get the reader's imagination involved.**
Specifically, craft the copy in a way that causes them to create their own scenarios for how they'll use and benefit from the product.
This is how we sold a $1,000 software and audio package with no tech support, no guarantee, minimal documentation, and 30+ products, each of which should have had a sales letter of its own.
No matter how well you know your market, you'll never be able to pinpoint the absolute best and most important use of your product as well as the end user will.
Willie: Long copy can work on mainstream business sites too if the product lends itself to it. The primary reason a lot of copywriters use long copy with lots of bulleted benefits is that you never know which benefit will be the hot button, which triggers the buying decision.
If the page has a lot of white space, easy-to- scan sub-headings, and a logical flow, then long copy will work in any product category. If a person is really interested in a topic they will read a lot.
It is critical that they can find the order link when they are ready and that there is a quick summary somewhere near the bottom of the page for those who just skip to the bottom.
fr.: http://www.webadvantage.net
All About Title Tags
By Jill Whalen - May 03, 2004
The title tag is one of the most important factors in achieving high search engine rankings. A title tag is essentially an HTML code snippet that creates the words that appear in the top bar of your Web browser.
The HTML code for a title tag looks like this:
(HEAD)
(TITLE>XYZ Company Home Page(/TITLE>
(/HEAD>
The title tag belongs in the (HEAD> section of your source code, and is generally followed by your Meta description and Meta keywords tags. The order of these tags is not critical, so don't worry if your HTML editor places them in a different position.
Some Web site design tools and content management systems (CMS) automatically generate the title tag from information you provide. You may have noticed Web pages that are labeled "Page 1," "Page 2," or "Home Page" in the browser title bar. You'll often see titles like these being used by beginning Web site designers who simply don't know how to use their software or their title tag for maximum benefit.
Search Engines and Title Tags
All search engines use title tags to gather information about your Web site. The words in the title tag are what appear in the clickable link on the search engine results page (SERP). What you put in this tag is a key factor in which search queries you will rank highly with in the major search engines. Title tags are definitely one of the "big three" as far as the algorithmic weight given to them; they are equally as important as your visible text copy and the links pointing to your pages.
Do Company Names Belong in the Title Tag?
For years I was adamantly against "wasting" precious title tag space on company names. However, now that I work with many well-known brands, I've altered my thinking on this. I've found that it's fine to place your company name in the title, and *gasp*, even to place it at the beginning of the tag! In fact, if your company is already a well-known brand, I'd say that it's essential. Even if you're not a well-known brand yet, chances are you'd like to eventually be one. The title tag gives you a great opportunity to further this cause.
This doesn't mean that you should put *just* your company name in the title tag. Even the most well-known brands will benefit from a good descriptive phrase or two added to this tag, as it will serve to enhance your brand as well as your search engine rankings. The people who already know your company and seek it out by name will be able to find you in the engines, and so will those who never heard of you, but who seek the products or services you sell.
For example, if your company is "Johnson and Smith Inc." and you are a tax accounting firm in Texas, you shouldn't place only the words "Johnson and Smith Inc." in your title tag, but instead use something like "Johnson and Smith Inc. Tax Accountants in Texas."
Title Tags Should Contain Specific Keyword Phrases
As a Texas tax accountant, you would want your company's site to appear in the search engine results for searches on phrases such as "Texas tax accountants" and "CPAs in Texas." You would need to be even more specific if you prefer to work for people only in the Dallas area. In that case, use keywords such as "Dallas tax accountants" in your site's title tags. This is a key point: If you're only seeking customers or clients in a specific geographical region, your keywords need to reflect that. People looking for a tax accountant in Dallas may begin their search by simply entering "tax accountant" in the search engine. However, once they see that their search is returning accountants from all over the world, they'll narrow the search by adding "Dallas" to their search terms. When they do, you want your site to be right there on the first page of new results.
In our Dallas accountants example, you might create a title tag as follows:
(TITLE>Johnson and Smith Inc. Tax Accountants in Dallas(/TITLE>
or you might try something like this:
(TITLE>Johnson and Smith Inc. Dallas CPAs(/TITLE>
However, there's more than enough space in the title tag to include both of these important keyword phrases. (In fact, search engines will display 60 to 115 characters of your title tag.) Here's an example of an approach I like even better:
(TITLE>Johnson and Smith Inc. - Dallas Tax Accountants - CPAs in Dallas, TX(/TITLE>
Today's search engines are not case-sensitive; therefore I generally use initial caps in this tag because it looks the cleanest. I used to often use ALL CAPS in parts of my title tag because when the engines were case sensitive, it would give me a different variation of my phrase. However, ALL CAPS looks somewhat spammy in the SERPs, so I generally avoid this practice these days.
As for placing the word "Dallas" twice in the title tag, I have found this approach to be both permissible and effective. Just make sure that you don't put the same words right next to each other. For example, a tag that reads "Accountants in Dallas -- Dallas CPAs" may trigger a red flag with the search engines, possibly making that word ignored entirely. (Search engines see hyphens and commas as spaces, which is why they would count that example as the same word next to itself.) In order to play it safe, it's probably a good idea to not use any given word more than two times in the title.
Use Your Visible Text Copy as Your Guide
I personally would not be able to create a title tag for any page until the copy on the page has been written and optimized. I need to see how the copywriter integrated the keyword phrases into the visible text copy to know where to begin. If you've done a good job with your writing (or better yet, hired a professional SEO copywriter), you should find all the information you need right there on your page. Simply choose the most relevant keyword phrases that the copy was based on, and write a compelling title tag accordingly. If you're having trouble with this, and can't seem to get a handle on what the most important phrases are for any given page, you probably need to rewrite the copy.
The optimal approach when writing copy for a Web site is to think of the main phrases that best reflect your business, and then compose the text around them. When you write your title tag, you simply revisit these same phrases, and compose your keyword-rich title accordingly. I recommend that you *don't* take an exact sentence pulled from your copy and use it as your title tag. It's my preference to have a unique sentence or compelling string of words in this tag.
So what if a keyword phrase you want to use doesn't actually appear within your visible copy? Does this mean you shouldn't use this phrase in the title tag?
Well, yes and no. Since the title tag is given a lot of weight in the engines, even if you're not willing to change the text on your page, you may be able to rank highly simply by placing your phrase in this tag. Just note that for any phrase that is even slightly competitive, having it in the title tag and not the copy will generally limit its overall effectiveness. You'd want to be sure to gain lots of keyword-rich links to your site in these cases, which can also work in conjunction with your title.
You'd be better off still if you'd rewrite the text on your page so that it utilizes the phrases that are important to you. This doesn't mean to just stick keywords at the top or bottom of the page. It doesn't mean to hide them in the background. Nor does it mean to put them in a tiny font so that no one will notice them. If certain keyword phrases are important enough that you want your site to be found under them in the search engines, they are certainly important enough to be elegantly incorporated into the body text of your page.
Once you've incorporated your phrases into the text of your site, you'll find that creating brilliant title tags that help with branding as well as with getting found in the search engines is truly a no-brainer!
fr.: http://www.searchengineguide.com/whalen/2004/0503_jw1.html
SearchTHIS: Top 10 Questions
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
By Kevin Ryan, Search Columnist
If there’s one thing I love about traveling, it’s… on second thought, I can’t think of one thing to be happy about when trudging about the world. Smelly cabs, ambiguous union flight attendants, cancelled reservations, lost luggage, and of course, extinct customer service guidelines industry-wide. I guess the only thing worthy of expressing glee about is one’s arrival. For example, my favorite destination of late is lovely and beautiful downtown Long Beach, Calif., aka home.
Speaking of favorite things upon arrival, whenever I attend an online advertising presentation, my weekly anger management lecture or even a fly fishing seminar, the most exciting part of a live audience anything is the interaction between speaker and attendee.
The only real way to find what’s on people’s minds is, of course, to ask them. Well, we have -- all over America. As Grand Exalted Emperor of all things Q&A in the iMediaLearning Search Tour, I bring you the top 10 most frequently asked questions to date. Unedited (who am I kidding?) and in the director’s cut format, because you deserve nothing less.
How can I get higher on natural search rankings?
It’s quite simple actually. Stop smoking that low-ranking shwag. Short answer, take the iMediaLearning search marketing course (please note: I receive no proceeds from said endeavor) and study your site’s needs architecture. Long answer, a volume of information exists on the best practices for search engine rankings. Here are a couple of top thoughts.
Focus on relevant content and text
Follow the rules; cheating gets ousted or parked on page 50,786,234
Pay attention to search dynamics before, after and during site construction
Get spidered and tag each page appropriately
Don’t ignore secondary rank possibilities, i.e. link popularity
Why is performance different with Overture and Google?
This one always has the sponsors cringing. Rumors of one search provider universally dominating another are rubbish. There are, however, certain listings that seem to do better with a longer, more detailed listing. That is to say, Overture has a larger character capacity than Google. For example, if one has an emerging technology product in a competitive category, users find a long description helpful. Conversely, the Google abbreviated listing may bode more favorably when all you need is a short line and a link.
Most often, the problem of one doing better than the other has a cause and effect relationship with a lack of understanding of the unique dynamics of Overture and Google. The two providers have very different systems for listing efficiency. Google is the listing Darwinism provider, because users determine positioning with clicks much more so than Overture. The trick is finding which description works best with your product or service’s landing page -- and remember to treat Overture and Google with unique consideration.
Is it essential to have the No. 1 position in PFP?
Sure -- if you are compensating for inadequacies elsewhere or your helplessly outmatched ego has you bidding through the roof for the sake of being numero uno. The ultimate answer to this question is measure, measure and measure. Measure the effect of being in position one as opposed to positions two through four with multiple listing groups. Measure the effectiveness of position shifts while accommodating target dayparts. Focus on measuring return over the inherent joy of seeing your listing come up No. 1. Often, you can achieve significant savings through optimizing and underbidding ego-driven advertisers for lower positions.
What are sources for keyword development?
Overture, Google and many other providers have keyword-building tools in their respective user areas. Enter a keyword and up pop a few relevant terms -- or not, as the case may be. If one sells Diesel Denim, the keyword suggestion for bidding on Vin Diesel might not be the best way to go.
Golden rule: When in doubt, test the keyword out.
Log files might be the least tapped but best source for keyword development. One non-search advertiser told me recently he passed on paid search for several months until he collected enough keyword usage and behavior information from his log files to give searchers an exact match from term to landing page. If everyone studied log files and path analysis to help optimize search initiatives, the world would be a better place.
How often should I manage my bids?
Don’t you just love it when people answer your question with a question? How competitive is your category? Do you find that each time a valued position is achieved, is it quickly lost to another advertiser? Are you selling high tech wireless phone accessories with fifty other advertisers? Is your product or service set so obscure that very few advertisers contend with you? Do you find that modifying or updating bids on hourly, daily or weekly intervals is either impractical or unnecessary? Is the answer perhaps unique to every advertiser? Can it be that specific keyword groupings directing traffic into the same site might require unique keyword bid management strategies? Are you catching my drift?
Is it enough to just buy Google and Overture?
Another sponsor favorite. Well, not exactly. Google and Overture can rarely be overlooked for the sheer reach and frequency they represent. Of course, another way to take this question might be: is it enough to partake only in paid search? Probably not, but I am more concerned with firms that offer "full-service search engine marketing," which consists of one or two paid search offerings.
A March Jupiter Research study concluded that only 25 percent of search marketers measured either online or offline leads. These are the people you are bidding against, folks. They aren’t all that bright, but neither are most people on California freeways, yet we have to live with them both. I suspect a large portion of the non-measuring paid search populace is responsible for driving click costs way up beyond the realm of any return.
When click costs are knocked out of the park by SEM nudniks, look for a buying efficiency off-ramp in tier two search providers like Enhance, Business.Com and Kanoodle. Beyond the cost advantages, paid search providers other than Google and Overture can source the kind of extreme innovation, which sends the industry leaping forward. Just look at Industry Brains.
How can I find cheap keywords?
At the keyword flea market (rimshot). This question is a lot easier to answer than you might think. There’s the tier two search option, of course, but as you're digging through those log files, take a look at three- and four-keyword phrases people use to get to your site. Although longer keyword phrases receive much less traffic, they are inherently more targeted and tend to be cheaper as well.
If I get high natural placement, why do I need paid search?
Clearly, if one stayed away from the commonly found street search and moved into the genetically-enhanced listings, one would not need to evaluate the natural search high euphoria. The fact is, organically optimized listings are at best, unpredictable. Google dances, and listing descriptions take the term "benign" to a whole new level of boredom in natural or organic search.
Even if you are happy with those, uh, natural high rankings take a look at last year’s comScore/IAB study in which paid listings were proven to achieve a much higher conversion or desired action rate. Why do they convert better? One of the best answers is the timeliness of messaging which paid search affords an advertiser.
Brands often ask this question when noticing great brand-based keyword rankings. My answer to them? Look up. See who else is bidding on your brand’s keywords. Legal discussions aside, like it or not, a big chunk of your would-have-been traffic is headed to your competitors.
Which budget should search come from?
Everything except online advertising. This one still kills me. The average online budget is 5 percent of an overall spend, but for some reason a few advertisers are yanking budget from other online initiatives and dropping said funds into search. Why? There are plenty of other resources to pull from.
Look at the thick areas, and start peeling and integrating. How much did you spend on focus groups last year? Do you really need to go back to Punxsutawney to get the local perspective on rodent clairvoyant capabilities? Peel. Is there any fluff in your IT budget? Maybe search should be part of it. Integrate.
I have an idea. How about you give me 5 percent of the $20 million you paid to put your brand’s name on that stock car in order to reach the all-too-critical trailer park demographic. The whine: we don’t have any money. The truth: yes, you do.
Is it better to manage search engine marketing in-house?
Try it and see. Hundreds, maybe thousands of keywords organized into distinct groups across dozens of paid search engines. Countless product or descriptive destination pages that need to be optimized in natural listings. Numerous inclusion feeds that demand tweaking in order to achieve effectiveness.
One of two things happens when a firm attempts to manage search in-house. Said firm begins the endeavor with the best of intentions (the road to where is paved with what?) and later realizes how much work is involved and either commits the resources required or decides to hire out.
Strike that. One of three things can happen. Said firm may also run into an increasingly mind-boggling scenario I’ve noticed of late, in which the interactive agency is taking care of the full-service search (buying Overture and Google) and the tech shop or in-house site builders take a stab at optimization. Have you ever heard anyone say, "Let me take a stab at it," and experienced a good result? I think not. If you are going to do it in-house, outsourced or some unholy combination of the two, do it right. Make sure your experts are on top of their game and leave the stabbing to Marcus Junius Brutus.
iMedia search columnist Kevin Ryan’s current and former client roster reads like a "who’s who" in big brands: Rolex Watch, USA, State Farm Insurance, Farmers Insurance, Minolta Corporation, Samsung Electronics America, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Panasonic Services and the Hilton Hotels brands, to name a few. Ryan believes in sound guidance, creative thought, accountable actions and collaborative execution as applied to search, or any form of marketing. His principled approach and staunch commitment to the industry have made him one of the most sought after personalities in online marketing. Ryan volunteers his time with the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization and several regional non-profit organizations.
fr.: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/3330.asp
Google上市之路的堅持與妥協
CNET新聞專區：Stefanie Olsen 04/05/2004
通常矽谷公司首次公開發行股票（IPO）籌資，總得向華爾街低頭，但Google兩位創辦人堅持有所為有所不為的理念，卻未稍減市場的投資熱情，何以致之？
隨著Google轉型成上市公司，該公司破除傳統的領導者能否繼續堅持原有的理念，尚待觀察。但以目前觀之，單憑Google的商業實力，就是足以讓創投公司讓步的強有力談判籌碼。
這家當紅搜尋引擎公司2002年的營收比2001年成長300%，2004年營收又可望比2003年成長176%。單是去年，Google就淨賺1億560萬美元，營收高達9億6,190萬美元。若未扣除股票選擇權和稅金等支出，Google去年的營運利潤達62%，或5億7,180萬美元。
創投公司Hummer Winblad合夥人Hank Barry說：「他們的財務狀況出奇的強。」他預期，Google的IPO計畫是矽谷的異數，與雅虎、甲骨文和Siebel的IPO大異其趣。
獨樹一格
大多數科技公司及其創辦人都寧願選一條阻力較小的上市之路來走，於是屈服於創投公司和銀行要求選擇致富途徑的壓力。會像Google這般，以七頁長的篇幅洋洋灑灑敘述公司長期經營理念，並要求投資人謹慎以對的公司，可謂絕無僅有。
從採取IPO競標認購方式，到創辦人Larry Page與Sergey Brin計劃藉A股和B股雙重股票結構保留逾50%的股票表決權，都顯示Google選擇不同的上市路途，期能在華爾街的壓力下儘可能保留自主權，減少受股東利益至上的擺佈。
對照下，以往科技公司和金主迭有衝突。百年前，紐約金融家J.P. Morgan強迫愛迪生（ Thomas Edison）接受屈辱條件以成立General Electric公司。蘋果電腦創辦人Steve Jobs在1990年代曾因大股東不同意他對公司的願景，一度被迫捲鋪蓋走人。就連創業之初文化與Google近似的雅虎，在達康泡沫期間也不得不修正當初隨興、散漫的校園風格，引進前Warner Bros.主管Terry Semel掌舵後，轉向更嚴謹的商業作風。
借用許多技巧
不過，Google在贏得搜尋引擎市場霸主地位的過程中，也借用前人的許多寶貴經驗。
例如，Google依循前史丹福大學校友雅虎和Altavista創業的足跡，Google的基本技術，稱為PageRank的專利系統，也授權自該校。
Google也師法付費搜尋先驅Overture Services的成功模式，藉拍賣與關鍵字搜尋有關的贊助文字廣告賺錢，但Google更發揚光大，把它打造成規模更大、更賺錢的廣告網路。
目前Google有95%的營收靠廣告進帳。
Google最堅定不移的信念是：提供網路使用者簡單、快速的搜尋結果。Google去蕪存菁的網站極為素淨，和雅虎、微軟MSN等令人眼花瞭亂的入口網站大異其趣。
該公司也始終堅持非傳統式的管理風格。例如，共同創辦人Page和Brin曾有兩年的時間並肩經營Google，不設執行長職位，即使後來從Novell把Eric Schmidt挖角過來擔任執行長，兩人依然不改實質掌控該公司的作風，持續每周與部署開會，形成三人共治的特殊管理結構。
Google的產品發展策略也突破傳統，由三、四位工程師組成的團隊共同發展新專案，稱之為「Googlettes」。
儘管財力雄厚，上市後可能變成鉅富，Google兩位創辦人一直希望保持隱私，避免受制於華爾街，這與一般科技公司迎合市場的IPO之路背道而馳。但消息來源透露，到頭來，連Page和Brin也不得不尊重員工和投資人的財務利益，而在2003年醞釀上市計畫。
Google的IPO公開聲明書反映創辦人與矽谷創投公司的妥協。
Moreover Technologies執行長Jim Pitkow說：「他們所做的，是不顧投資人和競爭者的壓力，挺身而出捍衛自己的信念，他們在技術上最大的成功奠基於此。」Pitkow之前的公司，Outride Technologies，已被Google收購。
但Google作為上市公司，仍面臨諸多挑戰，包括決策制定、領導作風、管理階級結構，以及通常隨著公開上市而丕變的溝通方式等。任何潛在的問題，包括Overture因付費搜尋方式而提出的訴訟，都可能影響Google的管理作風和財力。（唐慧文）
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/special/0,2000064597,20089263,00.htm
國內業者推出內容傳送服務
CNET編輯部報導 04/05/2004
前身為代理RealNetworks RealOne服務的亞特列士媒體部門的國內業者亞捷數位科技，推出內容傳送ASP服務。而以電視購物崛起的東森購物，重新打造電子商務網站上線。
．Brocade博科通訊與宏碁全球OEM經銷合作簽約記者會 （5/3）
博科通訊Brocade與宏碁簽訂全球OEM經銷合作協定，強化經銷網路的佈局，進攻中小企業儲存市場。
． BenQ推出推出筆記型電腦39分鐘快速維修服務（5/4）
BenQ搶攻筆記型電腦市場，推出宣稱全球最快的39分鐘快速維修服務。
．東森網路商城ETMall上線（5/5）
東森購物利用微軟電子商務解決方案打造「東森網路商城」上線，宣示「五年創造百億商機、改寫網路產業經營史、成為台灣網站成功典範」之願景。
． CCDN推出數位容傳送服務(CDN)（5/6）
前身為亞特列士網路多媒體部門的CCDN (亞捷數位科技) ，推出數位容傳送服務(CDN)的 ASP服務，並且是全球串流媒體巨擘—RealNetworks 台灣地區的總代理。
． Sony 全新Handycam、Cyber-shot新品系列上市（5/7）
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/hardware/0,2000064553,20089237,00.htm
Gmail信箱現身拍賣網站
CNET新聞專區：Dawn Kawamoto 04/05/2004
Google歡迎Gamil測試人員將邀請函提供給他人使用，但許多人則將邀請函拿至eBay拍賣網站出售。
「Gmail還屬於測試階段，所以Google會嚴格限制使用人數，」一位eBay賣主如此寫到，「現在是您親自嘗試這套全新email服務的好機會。」
目前有42個測試人員在eBay上出售邀請函，其中一位還以199美元直購價出售額外的邀請函。
Google是在上個月宣布開始測試全新的email系統，並邀請1000位人員進行測試。Gmail提供1GB儲存空間，並提供新聞整合頁面與群組討論介面，並允許使用者搜尋email。這項服務跟Google近期的上市新聞一樣都引起業界莫大轟動。(陳奭璁)
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/ce/0,2000062982,20089266,00.htm
Google IPO要杜絕投機客
CNET新聞專區：Dawn Kawamoto 30/04/2004
搜尋巨人Google的IPO(首度公開上市)在人們的千呼萬喚中終於以「公開拍賣」的形式揭開了序幕，不過有興趣的投資者還得先過三關才行。
Google在4月29日向美國證券交易委員會（SEC）提出申請上市，針對投資者如何參加IPO過程進行了詳細說明，並且為避免投資者失去資格提出了注意事項。由於市場需求強勁，這些建議將成為投資者遵循的「金科玉律」。
Google對投機者提出強烈警告，不要打算利用IPO來狠撈一筆，也因此Google還特地設限不讓這種投機情況出現。
公司在提交給SEC的文件中陳述道：「我們希望獲得一個正常的市場價格，也希望IPO後股價能保持穩定，好讓IPO買賣主都能獲得一個公平的價格。」
那麼，有意投資者究竟該如何才能買到Google股票呢？
首先，有意向的投資者需要和向兩家股票承銷商--摩根士丹利（Morgan Stanley）或瑞士信貸第一波士頓(CSFB)--提交認股意向書，並說明想要認購的股數和支付價格。
Google的投資銀行將彙整這些投標資料，輸入程式中，送交公司和承銷商共同審核。如果投標總額大得異乎尋常，或者競標價格遠遠超出價格範圍，那麼該投標者將被認定為投機者而遭剔除。
在摩根士丹利和瑞士信貸通知競標者投標結束後，公司和承銷商將進行評標。出價者最高者將依序獲得IPO股數分配。
例如，如果Google想以每股26至28美元的價格發售1億股股票，市場上有3位投資者分別願意以26美元，27美元和28美元的價格購買5000萬股股票，出價最高的前兩位投資者將被邀請以每股27美元的「結算價」購買股票，而出價26美元的那位投資者將出局。
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/software/0,2000064574,20089224,00.htm
揭開Google神祕的面紗
CNET新聞專區：Richard Shim 30/04/2004
從Google首次公開發行股票（IPO）的申請書，外界對這家長久來行事隱密的公司終於能窺知一二，如主要商場敵手有哪些？董事會成員是誰？這個搜尋引擎巨人究竟有多賺錢？
在29日呈交證管會的文件中，Google聲稱，截至3月31日止，已積攢總計4億5,490萬美元的現金及短期投資。該公司已經在賺錢，元月到3月一季的純益達6,400萬美元，或每一基本股獲利42美分，營收達到3億8,960萬美元。
其他引人矚目的資訊包括：
‧Google全職員工人數近兩年來翻了好幾番，從2001年的284人激增至今年的1,907人。
‧ 這家總部在加州山景城的公司認為，需要網羅眾多人才，以迎戰兩大強敵：微軟和雅虎（Yahoo）。
「本公司預期，微軟會加緊運用財力和工程資源與我們競爭。雅虎也是愈來愈明顯的競爭對手，尤其在收購Overture、Inktomi、AltaVista和AlltheWeb這些搜尋引擎之後。微軟和雅虎的員工都比我們多（以微軟來說，目前人數是我們的20倍）。微軟的現金資源也遠比我們雄厚。」
Google也把其他網際網路公司、網頁搜尋服務供應商、網際網路廣告與終點網站，乃至於傳統媒體公司視為競爭對手。
‧ Google預料，隨著廣告營收結構的調整、競爭加劇和包括產品發展與行銷方面的各種支出增加，該公司未來的營收成長可能趨緩，營運利潤也會縮小。
‧ 目前Google大多數的營收得自於AdWords服務，但該公司不倚靠任何單一的廣告主。
「本公司2003年約95%的淨銷售額由廣告主提供。我們的廣告客戶通常能隨時與我們終止合約。無一廣告主占我們淨銷售額的比率超過3%。我們預期，在可見的未來，廣告客戶基礎和Google網路會員仍會是廣大而分散的。」
‧ 目前為止，美國仍是就地理區而言Google最大的市場，占營收七成以上。但Google正積極進軍國際市場。
「本公司努力提供國際使用者搜尋結果，並為外國廣告主刊登更多的廣告，已導致國際淨銷售額成長。」
‧ Google日後不打算分配股利。
「本公司從未宣告或支付任何現金股利。我們目前打算保留未來的任何盈餘，無意在可見的未來配發任何股利。」
‧ 董事會成員包括：John Doerr，Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers合夥人；John Hennessy，史丹福大學校長；Art Levinson，Genentech執行長；Michael Moritz，Sequoia Capital合夥人；Paul S. Otellini，英特爾公司總裁；以及K. Ram Shriram (Sherpalo)。
‧ Google執行長Eric Schmidt年薪25萬美元，共同創辦人Brin和Page各領15萬美元。根據Schmidt的聘雇合約，他獲贈一筆認股選擇權，有權以每股30美分的價位認購逾1,400萬股的B級普通股，且獲准以每股2.3425美元的價格認購逾42.6萬股的C系列優先股。
Brin和Page各握有逾3,800萬股的Google股票，Doerr和Moritz透過各自的創投公司，分別持有將近2,400萬股。
‧ Google已獲史丹福大學網頁搜尋結果排序法「PageRank」的永久授權許可，但獨家使用期限到2011年期滿。因此，七年後，史丹福便可把「PageRank」的基本技術或衍生的技術授權其他公司使用。
‧ Google在報告中透露搜尋設備的定價。Google的提供的搜尋設備讓企業在自家的網路上執行Google似的搜尋功能。三種款式的搜尋設備定價分別為3.2萬美元、23萬美元和60萬美元。（唐慧文）
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/software/0,2000064574,20089230,00.htm
國家學術研究網格啟用
記者鍾翠玲／台北報導 30/04/2004
以網格聯結國內外產學研究據點的國家級「台灣高品質學術研究網路」今（30）日正式啟用。
台灣高品質學術研究網路（Taiwan Advanced Research and Education Network, TWAREN）將在中華電信、東森電信提供的光纖網路之上，連結國內四大研究節點、11所大學、以及國外研究社群，作為國家產學研究及全球研究分享的基礎架構。
網格（Grid）是一個由IBM、昇陽等推動的概念，目的在利用網路將散佈各地的伺服器集結起來，以「螞蟻雄兵」的方式，將眾多低階伺服器連結成一個虛擬的超級電腦，以執行繁複的計算工作。目前在國際上，網格已被用於學術研究，例如基因分析、尋找外星人等等。
為了趕上全球的研究水準，政府在六年國發計畫中「全球學術網路──亞太中樞計畫」研擬建置TWAREN。這個計畫由國家高速網路與計算中心（簡稱國網中心）主導，分2002到2007年建構研究型網格，總投入經費為二十億元。
這項計畫去年啟動，在結合中華、東森電信的島內光纖網路、思科路由器、IBM的導入服務後建置完成，由麟瑞科技與宏碁分別提供維運服務及網管服務。
前年國網中心也和台灣IBM合作「Tiger」計畫，利用IBM的硬體及服務，作局部網格的建置。
TWAREN將以國內三大（新竹、台中與台南）園區，以及北部的資策會作為四大節點，連結中研院及清、交、成功、中正等11所大專院校，作為產學研究的基礎架構。其中新竹節點作為計算資源中心，台中與台南則作為維運中心及異地備援。
在TWAREN光纖上，島內點對點具有20Gbps的傳輸速度，而對外也有2.5Gbps，國網中心表示，在網路基礎建設上已具有國際水準。
不過更重要的是上面的應用。國網中心網路技術與應用代組長陳敏指出，國網中心還有一項名為「知識創新國家網格」（Knowledge Innovation National Grid, KING）的計畫同時進行，即是負責TWAREN上研究網格的軟體開發。KING是從2003到2006年、耗資十億元的計畫，規劃包含視訊、生物、氣喘、防洪減災、奈米、生態、遠距及數位學習網格等。國網中心表示，這些計畫目前尚在測試當中。
因此陳敏也指出，在實際應用上，網格除了可提供計算資源調度的基礎，也可用作遠端監測，例如氣象、防災等。
而TWAREN也引進光網技術，以聯結國際研究資源。陳敏指出，目前和加拿大CA*net及愛爾蘭HEANet直接介接，和其他地區則可透過美國及日本，和全球其他地區聯結起來。
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/hardware/0,2000064553,20089234,00.htm
上市募資27億美元 Google出奇招
CNET新聞專區： Stefanie Olsen and Dawn Kawamoto 30/04/2004
網路搜尋領導商Google週四正式申請上市，打算以另類拍賣形式募資27億美元，此舉將有利於創辦人大權獨攬公司。
Google雖然向美國證管會(SEC)提出上市申請，但沒有透露預計發行股數，也沒有提供任何售價範圍。也因此公司潛在市值必需等到Google再次提出增補文件後才會揭曉。
截至3/31日，Google總共雇用了1907位員工，是三年前的六倍。
比較奇特的是，Google的股票將有兩種類別，各有不同的投票權利，這是為了保障創始人Larry Page與Sergey Brin能保有公司決策權。這種發行模式在科技公司裡很少見，但諸如紐約時報這類媒體公司採用這種模式卻相當有利。
提出申請後，Google終於首度揭開財務結構的神秘面紗，一解市場對於Google獲利情況的好奇心。該公司在2003年會計年度總共賺取9.619億美元營收；淨獲利為1.056億美元，這已是該公司連續三年獲利，在最近3/31截止的一季中，Google營收為3.896億美元，獲利6400萬美元。
Google上市之所以轟動在於市場咸認為這是矽谷歷經三年慘淡經營後的復甦徵兆。
創始人Brin與Page在申請書中還公開跟投資人喊話，表示Google上市後將不會遵循前人走過的既定道路。
「上市公司的外在壓力經常導致企業犧牲長期機會以符合每一季的市場期望；有時後這種壓力甚至會導致企業操縱財務結果以期通過每一季的考驗...我們未來將會不刻意美化財報，若我們看到的數字很爛，那你們看到的一樣會很爛。」
兩位創始人也極力希望保有公司的控制權，即使公司在2000年已經聘請了執行長Eric Schimdt。根據申請文件，Page與Brin將以「三巨頭」(triumvirate)模式來經營公司。
根據SEC申報書上，Google目前手上握有的現金庫存為4.549億美元，未來足以與Yahoo與微軟在市場上一較高下。
雖然Google也聘請兩家承銷商，但IPO(首次發行股票)卻是採拍賣方式。
「我們希望這次首度公開募資能對大小投資人一視同仁，同時也能對Google本身與現有投資人都有好的交代。」申報書上寫著。「也因此我們決定採用拍賣模式的IPO。」
根據申請文件，Google有95%營收來自廣告，廣告主購買關鍵字，每次網友輸入某一關鍵字後，純文字的廣告則會開在搜尋結果右邊。只有網友點選廣告後，廣告主才需繳付他們所購買的關鍵字。
雖然Google已經建立了一個強勢的搜尋品牌，但競爭者也早已虎視眈眈，看準這塊獲利豐厚的網路搜尋市場。
Yahoo在過去18個月就投資了20億美元在搜尋技術上，陸續買下Inktomi、Overture與Kelkoo。今年更是正面宣戰，不在續用Google當作自家的搜尋字數。現在雙方競相比賽縮及的資料量與工具，好讓使用者可輕鬆找到想要的資訊。
微軟也對搜尋市場虎視眈眈，該公司在Web搜尋與作業系統資料查詢上投入了不下5000萬美元，雖然目前尚未公布任何搜尋工具，僅向Yahoo授權搜尋技術，但微軟已表明會在年底推出第一版產品，大幅改善Web搜尋方式。
「現在上市對Google是個好的時機點，Google必需力爭消費者的心與消費者口袋中的錢。」Forrester研究公司分析師Charlene Li表示。(陳奭璁)
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/software/0,2000064574,20089226,00.htm
Google IPO要杜絕投機客
CNET新聞專區：Dawn Kawamoto 30/04/2004
搜尋巨人Google的IPO(首度公開上市)在人們的千呼萬喚中終於以「公開拍賣」的形式揭開了序幕，不過有興趣的投資者還得先過三關才行。
Google在4月29日向美國證券交易委員會（SEC）提出申請上市，針對投資者如何參加IPO過程進行了詳細說明，並且為避免投資者失去資格提出了注意事項。由於市場需求強勁，這些建議將成為投資者遵循的「金科玉律」。
Google對投機者提出強烈警告，不要打算利用IPO來狠撈一筆，也因此Google還特地設限不讓這種投機情況出現。
公司在提交給SEC的文件中陳述道：「我們希望獲得一個正常的市場價格，也希望IPO後股價能保持穩定，好讓IPO買賣主都能獲得一個公平的價格。」
那麼，有意投資者究竟該如何才能買到Google股票呢？
首先，有意向的投資者需要和向兩家股票承銷商--摩根士丹利（Morgan Stanley）或瑞士信貸第一波士頓(CSFB)--提交認股意向書，並說明想要認購的股數和支付價格。
Google的投資銀行將彙整這些投標資料，輸入程式中，送交公司和承銷商共同審核。如果投標總額大得異乎尋常，或者競標價格遠遠超出價格範圍，那麼該投標者將被認定為投機者而遭剔除。
在摩根士丹利和瑞士信貸通知競標者投標結束後，公司和承銷商將進行評標。出價者最高者將依序獲得IPO股數分配。
例如，如果Google想以每股26至28美元的價格發售1億股股票，市場上有3位投資者分別願意以26美元，27美元和28美元的價格購買5000萬股股票，出價最高的前兩位投資者將被邀請以每股27美元的「結算價」購買股票，而出價26美元的那位投資者將出局。
fr.: http://taiwan.cnet.com/news/software/0,2000064574,20089224,00.htm
