Archive for the ‘Random’ Category
B2B Marketplaces: A New Breed Takes On an Old Problem
Monday, July 19th, 2010Since the early days of the Internet, b2b purchasing has seemed like an area ripe for the efficiency and transparency improvements the web could bring. The theory has been that b2b buying processes are labor-intensive and inefficient, with heavy reliance on phone calls, emails and even face to face meetings. Large purchases, and often even small ones, involved negotiations conducted with imperfect and limited information, leaving both sides wondering if they really got the best deal. Web-based systems could improve transparency and efficiency, significantly and simultaneously reducing both procurement costs for buyers and selling costs for vendors.
However, problems with this theory quickly became apparent. While online marketplaces worked well for commodity purchases like office and maintenance supplies, they were viewed skeptically by buyers and sellers alike for more strategic purchases. Vendors didn’t want to reveal pricing and specifications to their competitors, and in many cases buyers didn’t want their own competitors to be aware of what they were buying (as it could tip off competitors to new product designs or process improvements) or even the terms they were getting.
As a result, the dramatic forecasts for b2b ecommerce revenue growth from Gartner and other analyst groups never materialized. Some of the market pioneers flamed out: Commerce One, founded in 1994, went public in 1999 and saw it’s stock price soar from $20 to more than $600 per share before the dot-com bust. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2004, and the remains of the company were sold off in 2006. VerticalNet, founded just a year after Commerce One, was another classic dot-com-boom-to-bust story. Though the company was never profitable, revenue grew rapidly and the company’s market cap topped $12 billion in early 2000 on revenues of just over $100 million. The company was acquired by an Italian cement maker in 2007 for $15 million.
Ariba is one of the few b2b ecommerce survivors from the dot-com era. Though the company has fallen a long way from its dot-com era $40 billion market capitalization, it’s still in business, posting respectable revenue and modest profits.
But today, a new breed of vendors is determined to leave behind the hype-to-bust path of early b2b ecommerce and online marketplace trailblazers and improve b2b purchasing practices through social media and other Web 2.0 technologies. Here are five companies that exemplify these new approaches.
TradeKey b2b marketplace: sort of a web-based version of a bazaar or street market, TradeKey is an online, global b2b marketplace which connects traders to wholesalers, buyers, importers & exporters, manufacturers and distributors in over 220 countries. With 27 categories from agricultural to transportation products and nearly 10 12 million visitors per month, TradeKey connects an incredible range of buyers and sellers. Looking to buy commercial carpeting or USB drives? Want to offload some extra fishing lures or folding doors? This is the place to do it. TradeKey is sort of the b2b version of eBay or craigslist, with the closest analogues on the b2b side being sites like Alibaba or VertMarkets. But the site’s busy though highly visual design sets it apart, and TradeKey was the first online b2b marketplace to earn ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 27001 Information Security System certifications.
FYIndOut.com b2b social media hub: billing itself as “the central place to find and promote business information, applications, and services,” FYIndOut.com provides an environment where b2b vendors can list their products and services for free (they pay only for interested leads) and interact with prospects, while buyers can research sellers and post their own reviews. The site covers a broad array of products and services from accounting software to web conferencing services, and was among the first b2b sites to introduce social review elements similar to Angie’s List or Yelp on the consumer side.
ChoiceVendor business-to-business vendor reviews: similar to FYIndOut.com but with a different business model—rather than generating revenue from providers, ChoiceVendor’s revenue plan is to “offer certain features by subscription to users who are seeking vendors.” Both sites enable b2b vendors to register and list their products for free, and buyers to review at least some of this information at no charge. So whether you’re a b2b seller or a buyer researching vendors through social signals, the best site to use between FYIndOut.com and ChoiceVendor is…both!
GetApp.com business software portal: unlike broad-based b2b market sites, GetApp.com is focused on a specific niche—business software, SaaS and cloud-based applications. The company’s goal is to become a global online channel for SaaS and PaaS (platform as a service) b2b application providers. GetApp.com is more like (though more broadly based than) SaleForce.com’s AppXchange or the recently launched Google App Marketplace than a general b2b marketplace. The site got some nice coverage from TechCrunch earlier this year, which stated that buyers can “find, compare and select from a wide range of business applications, organized into categories by IT and business need and by industry. The search functionality is pretty powerful and allows visitors to filter results down to a single vendor or enterprise-grade application. To assist buyers from a neutral point of view, GetApp offers user-generated reviews and a free personalized assessment
tool as well as a number of guides on the subject.”
Resource Nation business resource marketplace: this site connects business buyers with providers of a wide range of common b2b products and services, from email maketing and payroll outsourcing to phone systems, laser printers and steel buildings. Rather than relying on social signals, all vendors are pre-screened by credit reporting agency Experian. The website also includes useful articles and guides for buyers. Approved vendors receive qualified leads for a fee. Resource Nation is somewhat similar to BuyerZone, but with less of a focus on price as the sole purchase criteria. This works well for commodity-type procurement (e.g. CD/DVD duplication or mailing services) but shouldn’t be relied upon as the sole source for more involved, strategic purchases like enterprise software or a PR agency.
Despite the challenges of online b2b commerce (e.g. will customers really share honest opinions in an open forum?) and past failures, a new breed of online b2b marketplace sites is determined to make it work. They bring to the task unique approaches and mindfulness of what worked, and what didn’t, for the groundbreakers in this space. The key will be to provide value to b2b purchasers. Vendors will flock to any site that is embraced by buyers.
Disclosure: I’m an unpaid advisor to FYIndOut.com and a (so far) unpaid affiliate of Resource Nation (just recently signed on). As for the other vendors highlighted here, I just think they are doing very interesting things in this space.
Looking Back at 100: Top 10 Posts on the Webbiquity Blog (So Far)
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010Hard to believe that this blog, officially launched just a few months ago, has already surpassed 100 posts. But here we are! Thank you for reading, and without further ado, below are the 10 most-viewed posts on this blog to date. Some of the entries are surprising, but life can be like that. These are the posts that readers have “voted” as the best by their traffic so far.
10. How to Write an Ad Agency RFP
This one surprised me. Small companies don’t bother with agency RFPs (nor should they) and even mid-sized companies use them less today than in the past. But if your company wants to use an RFP process to help in selecting a marketing agency, this post will help you craft one that meets your needs without driving the responding agencies crazy.
9. Social Media is Simpler Than You Think
A post that explains why “social media marketing is simpler than you’ve probably been led to believe. At its core, social media is not about doing new things, but about doing things you’ve always done as a business person differently.”
8. (Almost) 100 (of the) Best Social Media Marketing Blog Posts and Articles of 2009
A bookmarkable collection of some of the best thinking about social media last year, grouped into specific topic areas such as “Social Media Measurement and ROI,” “Social Media Statistics and Research” and “Social Media Marketing Strategy, Tactics and Best Practices.”
7. What is Webbiquity? How to Be Everywhere Online
The inaugural post on Webbiquity explains the concept of web presence optimization—how websites, blogs, SEM, SEO, interactive PR, content marketing, social networking, reputation management and social media can work together to make a company or individual omnipresent online for their targeted description or value statement.
6. How to Write an Effective Business Blog
A Blogging 101 type article for anyone who wants to get started blogging on the right foot, and avoid the missteps and false starts common in the blogosphere.
5. Five Big Shifts in Social Media Marketing
How social media is a reflection of and response to broader shifts in the market and culture that make it increasingly difficult (and irrelevant) to try to buy attention, but critical to earn it. For example, brands no longer control their messages—their customers do. But social media provides marketers with the tools to monitor, participate in and help shape the conversations.
4. The One Effective Use of Facebook for B2B Marketing
Given the dominance of Facebook on the social media landscape, it’s not surprising that this most is among the four most-read pieces on this blog. It’s a bit surprising however that it didn’t stir up more controversy; maybe I’m right about this?
3. Best Social Media Stats and Market Research of 2009
It’s heartening to know that as a data junky, I’m not alone. Wondering how the demographics of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook users compare? Which social networking site 80% of companies plan to use a primary recruiting tool this year? What percentage of consumers and b2b buyers read blogs? You’ll find those answers and more here.
2. How to Choose a Marketing Agency (Ad Agency)
I’m really surprised by this one. As with the how-to-write-an-RFP post noted earlier, this outlines a solid, traditional process for mid-sized companies but overkill for small firms.
Drumroll please…#1 with nearly 3X as many visits as #10 above is…
1. 11 Myths of Social Media Marketing
Social media is only for the young, it’s free, we can hire an intern to do it, and eight other myths destroyed. Well, at least some were destroyed; others sparked disagreement in the comments.
Now on the next 100 posts!
How Consultants Who Aren’t “Natural Born Sellers” Can Still Sell Successfully
Friday, June 25th, 2010Guest post from the editors of RainToday.com.
Oily. Smarmy. Phony. Mendacious. Two-Faced…
Right or wrong, these words are often associated with salespeople. They are also the first words that come to mind for many consultants (along with images of the overly aggressive, overly slick, walking sales cliché) when they are told they need to sell.
While being salesy is ill-advised for almost any sales rep, it is particularly bad for consultants.
Buyers of products often say, “I don’t like the sales rep, but I can tune her out for the next few minutes and simply evaluate her product against the competition.”
Buyers of consulting evaluate the sellers. Why? The seller is often the service provider. The relationship does not end when the sale is completed – it is just beginning. Thus, the foundation of trust set up between the buyer and seller in the sales process is of paramount importance.
There is Nothing Wrong with Selling
Quite the contrary, the act of selling, when done well, adds a significant amount of value. A well-planned sales conversation can help even sophisticated buyers make smarter decisions.
And, you can be effective without sounding like a used car salesman. You can and should sell with high integrity, and high success, and do it without snake oil tactics.
In fact, we’re going to let you in on a little secret: you can apply the same skills that make you a great consultant to help you succeed in selling—all you need to do is sharpen them to apply them effectively.
As a Consultant You Already Have Many Skills You Need to Be Great at Sales
Here are four ways you can apply consulting skills to your selling process:
1. Sell as You Serve: Many consultants who have never sold think the purpose of selling is to part someone from their money at any cost. They believe that to be successful at selling, consultants must leave their values and everyday personalities at the door and adopt a sleazy persona and voice, one that would naturally say something like, “What’s it gonna take to get you into this shiny, red, pre-owned sports car today, ma’am?”
Nothing is further from the truth. The best rainmakers bring in new clients because they are no different when they sell their services than when they deliver their services.
Great consultants create better futures for their clients that the clients didn’t know were possible.
The best rainmakers meet mutually-set expectations over and over again, building trust, relationships, and confidence. The best rainmakers are ethical at all times.
The skills that make you a great consultant can make you a great rainmaker. Sales is about helping clients and prospects find solutions that solve their problems and help them succeed.
2. Sell to Need: Great consultants are masters at uncovering clients’ goals and challenges and helping them to make the changes necessary for success.
Great rainmakers are no different. However, many consultants feel uncomfortable making connections, uncovering needs, and working closely with people they don’t yet know well. Too often the first conversations go awry when they don’t need to.
The same skills you use to get to the root of your clients’ problems and develop solutions to help them meet their goals are the ones you can use to uncover prospects’ needs and propose winning solutions. You just need to recognize what you need to do and bring these skills out at the right time and in the right way.
3. Communicate the Value: Great consultants understand the value they provide to clients. They craft compelling solutions based on their clients’ unique needs, and communicate that value to clients clearly and articulately.
Selling is no different. You must learn to lead discussions that influence direction and outcomes, and you must advocate your services and communicate your value. Just like when you advocate new ideas to your clients when you work with them, you must be persuasive, confidence inspiring, and empathetic all at the same time when you sell to them.
4. Plan for Success: It’s been said that if you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will get you there.
Great consultants have a clear process that they follow. Each project has a specific objective, timeframe, budget, and resource allocation. Rainmaking is no different. Like consulting, selling is a process, and it’s waiting for you to master it.
Make the Transition from Consultant to Rainmaker
To help you figure out what that selling process should look like and to make the transition from consultant to rainmaker, we’ve written a free 27-page report, Selling Consulting Services: Forget Everything You Know About Sales and Begin to Sell Without Selling.
This report will give you a proven process you can use to start bringing in more new business now. Plus, you’ll learn:
- • How to avoid being “salesy” (which will actually lead to more sales)
- • A proven process that will get you started bringing in more new business today
- • How to uncover the full set of your clients’ needs (most sales advice only gives you half the story)
- • Whether or not cold calling is dead
- • The best kept secret in leading successful sales conversations
Download the Selling Consulting Services free report now.
Disclosure: As a consultant whose expertise is in helping clients with online marketing, social media and SEO — not selling — I know how difficult this can be for service providers. While RainToday.com has offered to pay me a small commission for anyone who signs up for their training program, I wouldn’t have published this post if I didn’t believe that this is an excellent program for talented but sales-challenged consultants.
What’s So Funny About Social Media and Online Marketing?
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010What has 28 links and will make you laugh? This blog post! From social media cartoons and contextual advertising gone wrong to dysfunctional agency-client relationships and the best (and worst) online ads, here are some of the most amusing, creative and remarkable blog posts and videos of 2009.
Some of this content may not be suitable for most office environments, elderly relatives, children, pets, potted plants or those who simply lack any sense of humor.
Amusing, Creative and/or Just Plain Odd Blog Posts
Social Media
Top 30 Social Media Jokes, Clips and Cartoons! Episode 4 by Thoughtpick
An outstanding collection of social media-themed cartoons and videos. Mostly safe for work.
The Twitter Avatar Roast: 10 Types of Profile Images by Tremendous News
An inspired taxonomy of Twitter avatar types, from “The People Who Think We’re So Interested In Them We Need To See Their Childhood Photos” to “The Nothing-Is-More-Natural-Than-Me-Just-Kinda-Laughing-Not-Noticing-You’re-Taking-A-Picture-Of-Me Guys.”
Ten Reasons NOT to Use Social Media by Sanera People Development Company
Exhausted from trying to explain the benefits to social media to clueless executives, Alicia Arenas switches gears here and delightfully makes the case for “why you should avoid social media like the plague,” with reasons such as “Because what your customers say about you and your company is irrelevant” and “Because participating in the world’s fastest growing communication tool is not a good use of your time.”
How social media is like the seventh grade by Training Marketer
How automated social media responses make online introductions as awkward as junior high.
SEO, SEM and Web Design
You might be a redneck SEO if… by David Leonhardt’s SEO and Social Media Marketing
David Leonhardt takes on Jeff Foxworthy with his own list of 50 signs you may be a redneck SEO, including “If your other Mac is a truck, you might be a redneck SEO.”
The 100 most funny and unusual 404 error pages by Blog of Francesco Mugnai
Who says 404 error pages have to be boring? Check out this outstanding collection of amusing, creative and occasionally bizarre examples of what you may see when clicking on an outdated link or mistyping a URL.
10 unbelievably cute 404 page illustrations by Limeshot Design
If your taste in custom 404 error pages runs more toward sweet than strange, then check out this collection of plump cartoon animals and other frilly stuff.
20 Funny, Clueless, Weird, And Existential Google Keyword Searches by MediaPost Search Insider
Wondering if anyone has ever entered “where did I put my keys” into a Google search box, Rob Garner discovers an array of loopy searches, from “Why am I hot” (9,900 searches per month) to “Why am I so broke (16 searches per month – comforting to know that narcissism is so much more common than destitution, I guess) to “What is the number for 911″ (yes, these people can vote too).
Contextual Advertising Gone Wild – 20 Examples by Pedro Laboy
***** 5 Stars
As anyone involved in online advertising knows, contextual advertising attempts to match ads with the surrounding text, so that, for example, if you’re reading an article about European sports cars, you’ll see an ad from Porsche or BMW. Sometimes, however, this can go horribly wrong–as the examples in this post demonstrate. A Bank of America ad showing up next to a news story on mortgage fraud; an ad for cheap life insurance next to a story about the untimely death of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin; an ad for Kaplan University with the headline “Jobs become obsolete; talent doesn’t” next to a report about Steve Jobs taking a medical leave of absence from Apple. Ouch! Some of these will make you laugh, others will make you cringe.
How a Web Design Goes Straight to Hell by The Oatmeal
Anyone involved in design will relate to this; the decline of a design from the “everything is cool…the client communicates their needs and you set expectations” stage through “minor changes” and the everyone-gets-a-say stage through the final abomination of the original, georgeous design.
Advertising & PR
The LOL Cats Take On The World Of Freelancing by Hi, I’m Grace Smith
Grace Smith imagines the LOL Cats from I Can Has Cheezeburger taking on various types of challenging clients in the world of freelancing.
The Publicity Stunt Hall Of Fame by Taylor Herring Public Relations
A collection of funny, clever and inspiring PR stunts from around the world; you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll pick some trivia for the next happy hour, you’ll maybe even be inspired in these vignettes about the origins of the Tour de France and Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to the “Barbie Street,” how Liz Hurley became famous, and much more.
Six Business Lessons from the North Pole by The Communicator
Highly creative take on Santa’s marketing and business brilliance, from branding (the red suit is instantlyrecognizable) to human resources (who’s ever heard of an unhappy elf?).
Hard to Categorize
32 Absurd Action Figures by TrendHunter
A bizarre collection of action figures the world probably doesn’t really need, but some people will buy regardless, such as the cast of the “Twilight” movies, political action figures (including Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber and BHO), the Katy Perry doll, and the “Jesus Action Figure and Cleaning Kit.” Really.
Won Park – The Master of Origami Paper Folding by The Design Inspiration
“Bending, twisting, and folding, Won Park creates life-like shapes inspired by objects living and not– both in stunning detail.” An amazing collection of Origami art using $1 bills.
Review of webmarketcentral.blogspot.com by Global Business Blog Reviews
This showed up in my Google Alerts one day; a two-paragraph review of my old blog. Who knew a marketing blog could be “visually restorative” and “enchanting”? Well I thought it was funny anyway.
Funny, Clever or Otherwise Remarkable Videos
Billy Mays’ Resurrectifier Commercial – YouTube
Jimmy Kimmel explains how late pitchman Billy Mays is able to keep selling products even after his untimely passing. Tasteless, but funny.
Why Print isn’t going anywhere for a long, long time… by Junta42
Remarkably creative spoof commercial for “The UK’s best handheld for 40 years” – the Sun newspaper.
The Vendor Client relationship – in real world situations by Erin Blaskie
If you’ve ever worked in a marketing agency, you’ll find this video hilariously familiar. In you work on the client side, hopefully you won’t and you can just laugh at the inconsideration of others.
Top 5 Media Industry Parody Videos – a Little Too Close for Comfort? by iMedia Connection
***** 5 Stars
Matthew DiPietro collects some of the funniest agency-related videos of last year. The language gets a bit rough in spots though, so wear your headphones or earbuds if watching at work.
Resco Packer-Viking Week – YouTube
Mail fulfillment house Resco created this video to some publicity in the Minnesota-Wisconsin region by capitalizing on the passionate Vikings-Packers rivalry-which was intensified last year by the defection of Packers legend Brett Favre signing on with Minnesota. But this destined-to-be-a-classic video really speaks to the primal emotions of fandom anywhere, in any sport. And it’s very funny.
Meet The Fune, Microsoft’s New Smart Phone (It’s Really Hot) by TechCrunch
“It’s a phone that runs Windows Vista, and it connects to the Internet through America Online.” Get a sneak peek at Microsoft’s answer to the Android and iPhone.
VerticalResponse – Nuthin’ But an App Thang – YouTube
An email service provider rap video. `Nuff said.
Comic Relief – The Process by Web Marketing Therapy
What stop signs would look like if they were designed by clients and advertising agencies. It’s not pretty, but it is funny.
14 hilariously effective online campaigns by iMedia Connection
From rapping preppies and a disturbing Australian Flash Dance take-off to John McCain and Paris Hilton, Jim Nichols reviews a slew of the most entertaining viral video ads of last year.
Evian Roller Babies international version – YouTube
The gold standard of viral videos. With almost 24 million views, yeah, chances are you’ve seen this, but it’s still absolutely amazing.
Top 10 Shockingly Bad Tech Ads by Listverse
Some are more tragic than funny, but these can be the results when bad video happens to good people. The vintage clips at the end promoting Windows 1.0 and Windows 386 are priceless.
2009 The Year in Social Media by The Group News Blog
A nine-minute wrapup of the social media “highlights” of 2009.
Best Random but Interesting Posts, Articles and Resources of 2009
Thursday, May 20th, 2010There’s no magic to linking to a YouTube video, but want to know how to link to a specific point, by minute and second, in a video? How can you make the most of those last few minutes before delivering an online presentation? What exactly is “Web 3.0?” Beyond standard content like case studies and white papers, what other information formats work best for b2b lead generation and nurturing? You may think of multitasking as easy or difficult—but is it unethical? Where can you find the best online tools for competitive intelligence?
Discover the answers to these questions and many more here in the best miscellaneous marketing articles, lists and blog posts of the past year.
A Top 25 List of Social Media, Web 2.0 & Marketing ‘Best-Of-Lists!’ by Futurelab
Gary Hayes muses about the value of “top” lists, and the motivations of those who create them, then provides his own semi-scientific list of the best best-of lists from sources like Ad Age, Junta 42, Evan Carmichael and Mashable.
The top 24 facts for selling more in B2B by LEADSExplorer
A collection of two dozen observations, insights and pearls of wisdom for b2b sales success, such as “It is not the increased efforts for getting more contacts, but the effort of getting the best contacts that will increase your sales,” and “Having a lot of contacts, telephone calls, email exchanges and meetings with potential customers is not the best approach. It is better to have a real conversation, being able to question and to listen to your potential customer using the previously gathered information.”
Link to a specific part of a YouTube video by Matt Cutts
A short but helpful post on how to deep link to a specific point in any YouTube video by minute and second.
A Big List of Sites That Teach You How To Do Stuff by ReadWriteWeb
Josh Catone offers his list of “a large number of very helpful sites that teach you how to do things.” These do-it-yourself sites provide online instruction in everything from arts & crafts and cooking to technology and woodworking.
Webinar Marketing Tip – Use Those Precious Last Few Minutes Before The Webinar by Nurture
A helpful reminder about the importance of reminders. For webinar presenters, sending periodic follow-up messages throughout the weeks and even minutes leading up to the webinar is critical for maximizing attendance.
25 Free Social Media Marketing & SEO Ebooks, White Papers + Other Downloads by SEOptimise
***** 5 Stars
Tad Chef supplies an outstanding list of ebooks and white papers related to social media in general, blogging, social media marketing and SEO.
Web 3.0 Concepts Explained in Plain English (Presentations) by Digital Inspiration
Amit Agarwal showcases six online presentations explaining the distinctions between Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.
100+ Alternative Search Engines You Should Know by Hongkiat
Google may be fine for regular web searches, and even for some more specific purposes like image or blog search, but in this impressive list of special-purpose search engines you’ll find sources for targeted searches for PDFs and eBooks, product catalogs, books, comics, music, sound effects and more.
Need Content? 20 Formats to Consider by Savvy B2B Marketing
***** 5 Stars
B2B companies often use white papers, webinars, case studies and newsletters to promote their products and services, but Michele Linn provides a fantastic list of additional content formats to consider, including specialized glossaries, research reports, buying guides, articles, video and interactive applications.
Your guide to creating an eye-popping agency website by iMedia Connection
Though Lisa Schiavello’s advice here is ostensibly focused on website design for agencies, most of the recommendations (e.g. use white papers and case studies, incorporate social media, and analyze traffic data) are broadly applicable to a wide variety of firms.
SpotMixer and Google Pair to Offer Self-Serve Online Video Ads by ClickZ
Fred Aun explains how SpotMixer‘s do-it-yourself online video ad technology can now be used to make videos that can run over the Google Content Network or on YouTube, making video advertising affordable for small businesses.
The Ethics of Multitasking by Bloomberg Businessweek
Reporting that “a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that people who fired off e-mails while talking on the phone and watching YouTube videos did each activity less well than those who focused on one thing at a time,” Bruce Weinstein makes the case that multitasking is not only unproductive and stress-inducing, but unethical as well.
The 3 Most Common Mistakes of Web Presentations by iMedia Connection
Zack Grossbart advices presenters to avoid these mistakes when presenting online. He warns that your audience “will multi-task and you can’t stop them,” but supplies tips on how to “burst” your content to “pull people back into your presentation and make them pay attention.”
Ultimate List of Top 29 Tools for Competitive Intelligence by Lakeshore Branding
***** 5 Stars
Chris Campbell provides an outstanding list of tools for gathering insights and information about your competition, including SpyFu (finds competitors’ AdWords keywords), Compete PRO Search Analytics (see what keywords drive traffic to a given site) and Google Trends for Websites (traffic data and geographic visitation patterns of your competitors–pretty cool, though it works only for relatively large, high-traffic sites).
