hows this for an online marketing website?

[theinternetalphabet]

The Internet Alphabet has launched an exciting new online advertising concept. It's a basic principle but it hasn’t been used in this way before. The concept is to create a huge internet based auction for advertising space using the format of the alphabet. Any company is invited to bid on the first letter of their name.

Why is this worthwhile advertising you ask? Well while a company holds the "highest bidder" position for a letter, their company logo and link is displayed on the homepage. When the "highest bidder" is replaced, their logo is replaced by the competitor, thus creating a bidding war on each letter - a war that will be fun and fascinating to millions of viewers thus creating an enormous audience. As we all know, these kinds of websites are extremely popular with an internet culture that is increasingly looking to user-generated, live content in order to produce something exciting and new. The website will undoubtedly attract millions of visitors between now and 08.08.08 when the auction closes and the winning logos will be set in stone to create the ultimate “Internet Alphabet.”

The designer of this website has understood the appeal of this concept all too well and simultaneously launched a Facebook group to showcase the level of interest that the project is creating. The Facebook Group is available to the general public and provides fans with first hand information on the number of hits that The Internet Alphabet.Com is receiving. This, coupled with a frequently updated blog is all creating a small underground following that could easily hit the big time if it were to reach mainstream audience.
The Internet Alphabet certainly has all the ingredients for the kind of idea that could just take off." (press release, January 08)

[fisicx]

Built using Microsoft FrontPage 4.0!

[underpressure]

Hi,

Sounds good, if it takes off.

Look like a very expensive form of advertising/marketing.
Would just be good for the large companies.

The last thing the smaller companies want to do s get into a price war but I can definately see how it could be very successful for business if it is as popular as you say it will be.

[theinternetalphabet]

Originally Posted by fisicx

Built using Microsoft FrontPage 4.0!

yes thats right. Its a simple concept and all the site needs to do is present a clean advertising space. no flashing nick-nacks necessary and nothing to detract from the purpose of the site.

[fisicx]

And that's the rub. You need something special if you want to go viral, there will be some initial interest but it will soon wane unless you can make it interesting. And there is nothing special about the concept. Ok so you have A to Z but that's less interesting than any of the million pixel sites.

The fact that you are using an external form makes it look like a homemade site won't help your credibility (coupled with the incredibly slow redirect).

If it works then all kudos to your concept but the site needs a lot of work to make it attractive to high bidders.

And the poor frontpage coding won't help your visibility on the search engines. This is vital if you accept the principle that people will only bid if they expect a return on their investment, and that is only possible if the site is highly visible in the serps.

[LeelaCosgrove]

"a war that will be fun and fascinating to millions of viewers thus creating an enormous audience"

LOL!

You're kidding, right ...

How will it be fun and fascinating to me? I can't see the bidding. I can just see a bunch of company logos ...

Why on earth would I even go and look at it? I did, FYI, but I'll be one of those in your stats who were there for 0-30secs ...

This is such a blatant money-making exercise, aimed at clueless business people who are desperate to establish a strong online presence but who have no idea how to go about it ...

You're telling these people there will be millions of viewers. Based on what? What proof are you offering? What are you offering people to look at? Why would anyone be interested in this site?

You say that you'll be listing the hit count on your facebook page - will you also be pasting the time stats? Because I'd love to know how many of these supposed millions of people stay longer than 30seconds.

Frankly, I'm appalled.

I think this is highly unethical.

You're taking people's money under false pretenses.

[theinternetalphabet]

Frankly, im appalled that you have the time to come on here and slag it off just cause youre blatently out of touch. No one has the right to come on here and insult someone elses work... so dont lecture me on what is ethical and not when your conduct is way below par!

[LeelaCosgrove]

I notice that instead of answering my points, you choose to attack me.

So here are 10 questions ... if you can answer them satisfactorily I will not only withdraw my comments - I will also apologise profusely. Actually, not only that - if you can answer these satisfactorily I will go and JOIN your website.

1. On what basis do you claim that there will be millions of viewers of this site? What research have you done? What tests?

2. What kind of guarantee are you offering people if the numbers don't come anywhere near what you are claiming? Will you refund people's money if there are under, say, 10,000 hits on the website?

3. What are you doing to promote this site? What kind of press coverage has it had so far? What are your marketing plans now / in the future?

4. I looked at your facebook page where you said people would be kept up to date with hits and the last post seems to have been about a week ago. What are the numbers now?

5. What are the stats on how long people stay on your site? Is the main percentage in the 0-30sec mark, or longer?

6. How much money have you made so far?

7. What are you doing to keep viewers around? What are you offering them that will make them want to visit your site more than once? What are your opt in strategies to ensure you are capturing details?

8. What are you offering bidders in terms of recommendations of strategies for getting people to click on their links? How are you assisting them to ensure they reach ROI?

9. What kind of internet / marketing qualifications / experience do you have?

10. What is your outcome for this website? Why did you build it? What are you trying to achieve?

If you're really NOT ripping people off, you should have no problems answering these questions.

I urge ANYONE considering this (or similar campaigns) not to participate until you have satisfactory answers to these perfectly reasonable questions. These are the kinds of questions everyone should ask before they get involved in any kind of deal ...

[theinternetalphabet]

I have no inclination to answer your questions, I do not have to justify myself to you. I find you highly patronising and the fact that you have spent so long creating a complete interrogation of me is quite telling of your character. All I will say is that some people like the concept and others dont. Thats nothing new. Im not going to spend all day trying to get one person on side.

[LeelaCosgrove]

I am a potential client.

If you aren't going to justify yourself to me, who are you going to justify yourself to?

No one, of course.

Because you don't have answers to any of these questions. If you did, you would have no problems answering them and you wouldn't be taking them personally.

I didn't spend long on it at all - these are the questions I would ask anyone who I was intending to purchase advertising from. It's not an interrogation, it's the kind of questions that a prospect / client asks a prospective supplier.

If you take these questions as a personal attack, that says a great deal about your experience (or lack there of) within the business community.

The fact that you refuse to answer these questions is quite telling of your character.

Like I said - I don't have a problem with the concept. I have a problem with your sweeping statements that are clearly fictitious since you refuse to back them up or answer them ...