BtoB Media Business - March 2007 - (Page 24)

MB _ 03-12-07 A 24 B2DB 3/2/2007 11:57 AM Page 1 Online Road-ready content NLINE Publishers explore new ways to reach increasing number of mobile tech users BY MARIE GRIFFIN S O everal years ago, handheld wireless devices such as the BlackBerry were used by relatively few businesspeople. Since then, smartphones and cell phones with Internet connections have become more affordable and popular, providing a wider potential audience for b-to-b publishers’ online content. “In my opinion, two of the biggest trends impacting b-to-b media over the next couple of years will be video and mobility,” said Eric Shanfelt, senior VP-e-media at Penton Media. Yet, he cautioned b-to-b publishers against jumping headlong into mobility for its own sake. “First, you need to find out how many of your audience members are using mobile devices, which ones they are using and how they are using them to access your content,” he said. Stephen Wellman, CMP Technology’s editorial director of newsletters, looks at mobility from two perspectives: first, as a provider of content to mobile users, then, as editor in chief of Over the Air, a blog focused on the topic of the mobile enterprise for senior IT executives. Launched in February, the blog itself is designed to be viewed on mobile devices. While mobility is nothing new, Wellman said, “We’ve gotten a lot of feedback telling us that mobilizing the enterprise has become a top priority in IT.” Alec Dann, general manager-magazines online at Hanley Wood Business Media, pointed out that most b-to-b publishers first encounter mobile users as readers of their e-mail newsletters. While offering a simple text version of the newsletter in addition to the standard HTML may seem the solution, it’s really only the beginning. “What happens then is that the mobile user clicks on a story and is taken to a Web site that’s not usable,” Dann asked. “So you launch a mobile edition. Now the mobile user clicks on an ad. Then what happens?” He estimated that advertisers will probably take 18 to 24 months to address the mobile issue, so publishers may have to provide an interim solution, such as a simple landing page for users of mobile devices. For b-to-b publishers exploring mobility, Shanfelt, Wellman and Dann offer the following suggestions: ■ Mobile editions: “Right now, I think you need two different editions of your Web site, for mobile and computer users,” Wellman said. “There is still a lot of balkanization in the mobile world. It will get easier, but it will remain complex for a few more years.” ■ Design: All three executives stressed that e-mail newsletters and mobile Web site editions need to be easy to read and navigate on a variety of mobile platforms. “Try to access your content from a number of the most popular devices—using the default setting,” Shanfelt said. Dann said publishers don’t necessarily have to default to text only. “In many cases, you can use HTML, as long as it’s not too complex and doesn’t have a lot of Java script,” he said. ■ Images: To deal with wireless bandwidth issues and security, certain networks block images. “Whenever you use an image as content, you need to have an alternate piece of text for the image that takes its place, such as a description,” Shanfelt said. ■ Search: Wellman said that mobile search is not dominated by one player, as Internet search is by Google. Because the market is more fragmented, “You have to optimize search for a number of engines right now,” he said. “The search box needs to be very prominent at the top of the page,” Dann added. “Because the smaller screen is more difficult to navigate, mobile users really rely on search.” ■ Advertising: Wellman and Dann both advocate using text-oriented advertising for mobile editions and e-newsletters. “The advertiser’s primary selling proposition certainly shouldn’t be contained in a graphic image,” Dann said. Hanley Wood strengthens link between print and Web H anley Wood is making continual strides as it integrates its formerly separate e-media group with the rest of Hanley Wood Business Media. Andreas Schmidt, a former VP-marketing for AOL, joined Hanley Wood in February as executive director of e-media and will oversee the magazine Web sites, b-to-b online products and e-commerce sites dreamhomesource.com and eplans.com. Alec Dann, general manager-magazines online now reports to Schmidt and is overseeing the b-to-b product search site ebuild.com as well as the magazine sites. Ward Downing, who runs ebuild as director of business media online, is reporting to Dann in an effort to maximize the synergies between ebuild and the magazine sites. In January, ebuild unveiled a redesign that Downing said gives it a fresh look and provides easier navigation. Several new features debuted at that time, with more to be launched by midyear. Based on research with ebuild users, the site has added new-product releases. And, after finding that construction people enjoyed paging through manufacturers’ printed catalogs, “we’ll be gathering them, scanning them and making them keyword searchable,” Downing said. Another big initiative for ebuild is an online directory of products and vendors. The starting point for the directory will be data gathered by Hanley Wood publications for printed annual directories. “It’s much easier to add value to these listings online,” Downing said. “We offered premium listings within ebuild previously, but the new site design and our closer relationship with the magazines will enable us to enhance them much further with product videos, catalogs, new products and more.” Downing added that many smaller companies that previously might not have been able to afford to advertise in Hanley Wood publications will be able to get exposure through enhanced directory listings. —Marie Griffin 24 | Media Business | March 2007 | mediabusinessonline.com http://ebuild.com http://dreamhomesource.com http://eplans.com http://mediabusinessonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BtoB Media Business - March 2007

Contents
Evolution of the Editor
Ancillary Revenue
Circulation Challenges
Sales & Marketing
M&A
On The Go
Online
Events
Production
Capital Improvement
People
Benchmarks
Endnote

BtoB Media Business - March 2007