Jan 30, 2009RFID Journal announced today that it has relaunched its Web site with a new, wider format and enhanced tools for advertisers and readers. The redesigned site, a year in development, is easier to navigate, enabling visitors to locate the content that most interests them, and allowing advertisers to get their solutions in front of targeted end users more effectively.
"We're very excited about the new site, and think it will serve our readers and our advertisers well," says Mark Roberti, founder and editor of the company's Web site and magazine. " RFID Journal has been the leading media company covering the RFID industry for more than six years now, but we found that readers were having trouble finding some of the great content on our site. Therefore, we've improved the search functionalities, and now more of the content is visible on the homepage, making it easier for visitors to locate the articles of most interest to them."
The updated site boasts new context-sensitive features. When a user is browsing the site's health-care section, for instance, the left-hand navigation bar will display links to news, case studies and other articles related to that particular field, as well as links to all of the site's other content. Readers also have greater control of their preferences thanks to a new "My RFID Journal" section enabling them to customize their site preferences. For example, they can more easily change which newsletters they would like to receive.
Additional customization options and features will be added in the coming months, Roberti says. "We have plans for a video library and an 'Ask the Expert' feature," he notes, "as well as the ability to create communities, receive news in a format suitable for a phone or other mobile device, and much more."
New Browser Toolbar
In addition, RFIDJournal.com now offers a new toolbar that users can download and add to any standard browser. The toolbar enables visitors to type in a term and immediately search the Web site for relevant articles. It also has pull-down menus allowing readers to quickly jump to different areas of the site—such as Expert View articles—as well as sections devoted to the use of RFID in specific vertical industries, such as logistics or packaging, or to such topics as asset tracking, the environment or security.
New Features for Advertisers
RFIDJournal.com now accommodates larger-format advertisements commonly found on many business-to-consumer Web sites, as well as the ability to target advertising more precisely to those interested in specific topics. For instance, a company can choose to display ads only in the site's manufacturing section, or only in the automotive section.
Keyword Advertising
What's more, the site now offers a unique keyword targeting option. Using this feature, an advertiser can choose, for example, to promote its products or services only alongside articles containing a specific keyword, such as "hospital" or "Wal-Mart."
"We think this is the most powerful marketing tool available to RFID companies," Roberti states. "If you are an advertiser, you can now use your budget more efficiently and effectively by advertising to people whom you know are interested in your solution. This is, without a doubt, one of the most effective and targeted ways to spend marketing dollars."
Keyword advertising can be combined with the Web site's previously existing ability to target readers in a particular country or state. So, for instance, if a small company in Germany or the state of Texas has a limited budget and wants to reach only cattle ranchers in its specific area, it can do so cost-effectively: By using the keyword option, the company can instruct RFID Journal to deliver ads only to visitors in Germany or Texas who read about tagging cattle.
"This new precise targeting capability means advertisers with as a little as $2,000 can now use their limited budget to reach only the segment of our large readership that they want to reach," Roberti explains. "We believe this capability, and the other features built into the new site, will serve our readers and advertisers well—and we look forward to hearing their feedback."
