INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE PUBLISHING Online publishing is continuously attracting both commercial and corporate publishers through new interactive technologies because application of these technologies captures the imagination of both content provider and the public. Earlier, business was not much benefited by online publishing; the reasons being online publishers were not experienced with selling and understanding of business to them was also very poor. Businesses were attracting towards web but failed to define even business purposes driving their online presence. Then publishers realized that mere presence on the web cannot cann ot guar guarantee antee success. Exci Exciting ting technology technology with without out relev relevant ant cont content ent cann cannot ot driv drivee profi profits ts or capture maret share. !ore attention is needed towards tricy delivering of content for successful online publishing. Business Busi ness org organiz anizatio ations ns are now inve investin sting g huge amo amount unt in peo people, ple, e"ui e"uipmen pment, t, mar maretin eting, g, brand building, and contents to find the best way to capture the consumers# attention and in search of business model that could mae these firms profitable sooner than later but have not been able to figure out which business model wors best for money maing. $owever, new models are being developed by online publishers to convince customers for %ustified charges of uni"ue and valuable information,, programme, and services offered to them. information
&s more and more firms begin to offer online content, these are forced to ad%ust to new customer attitudes regarding pricing. 'n the offline business, publishers charge large advertising fees from the firms by offering mass marets for delivering message. (ews, information, and entertainment are expected to be almost free for general public and that advertisers will pay the bill. This concept is not practical in online online maretplace maretplace where instead instead of mass mareting, mareting, one)to)one mareting is is considered. *ustomers select their information and delivery methods methods but are not eager to pay online content. The size of customers and their habits are nearly impossible to figure out. Even new advertising models can not be claimed to draw profits on the internet. +hile ad revenues are not coming close to covering expenses, now they could grow substantially in coming years as the traffic increases and brand names become established. Brand developme development nt is important because every time a user sits in front of a web browser needs to mae decision about where to go. The better the brand, more liely it is to popup in the consumer#s mind. One more important aspect in online publishing relates to digital copyrights. The internet maes it extremely easy to copy, retransmit, and alter wors without the permission of the copyright holder. !oreover, the digital world has no internal boundaries, and policing is impossible since the levels of protections and sanctions against infringemen infringementt vary widely in countries across the globe, which maes the ris even greater. *learly, without effective protection, publishers are not willing to ris their investment and hard wor. The Products of Online Publishing
The web has suffered from the same drawbacs, which beset multimedia multimedia publishing in its infancy a lac of business direction and the hi)%acing of operations by technologies without any business nowledge. 't is important that publishers identify the product they are selling and its suitability for on)line on)l ine deli delivery very.. Elec Electron tronic ic good goodss cons consist ist of elec electroni tronicc %our %ournals nals,, mag magazine aziness and news newspaper papers, s, electronic boos, multimedia *-)O!, software, computer games, music, and online databases. -igital goods and services are those whose purchase and delivery can only be conducted via electr ele ctroni onicc cha chann nnels els.. Thu Thus, s, ele electr ctroni onicc pub publis lishin hing g pro produ ducts cts are wel welll sui suited ted to th this is me mediu dium m of production and delivery. The products most suited to electronic commerce are on)line databases and
electronic %ournals, magazines and newspapers as these can be accessed, paid for and delivered directly to the user#s /*. Resons for Online Publishing &t this moment, it is also necessary to debate on what exactly is meant by online publishing. 't is an act of disseminating information. Online publishing can also be viewed as the activity of publishing for sale. /ublishers pacage their product as a bundled commodity rather than dis%ointed information in order to realize revenue from their information. 'n the late 0123s the concept of online publishing evolved out of public funding associated with the aerospace and medical research programmes. !any of the publishers switched from manual typesetting and printing to computer)assisted photo composition and developed their databases. Earlier photo compositions were very expensive and not able to offer much variety but enabled the creation of a central database from which a series of online services could be provided. 'mproved communication networs, availability of low)cost terminals, and remote access and dialup database systems were the other technical developments that put a great impact on online publishing. Online publishing is increasingly popular in wors of fiction as well as with scientific articles. Online publishers are able to provide "uic gratification for late)night readers, boos that customers might not be able to find in standard boo retailers, and boos by new authors that would be unliely to be profitable for traditional publishers. 'nternet and web recently have brought online publishing from a niche target audience to a mass audience. The reasons for the sudden increase in the interest of publishers, advertisers, and content providers in the web include4 0. apid evolution of technology and acceptance of web at large made it possible to meet time) to)maret re"uirements that were even beyond imagination a few years bac. 5. 't is not necessary to invest huge amount in advance for uncertain returns rather much of the investment in infrastructure has been made by others such as 'nternet 6ervice /roviders 7'6/s8, hardware companies, and various software developers. 9. 't allows publishers to interact with large number of customers in a mass maret by exploring new ways of targeting and reaching customers. :. &s compared to conventional media, publishing and advertising involve less of egos and financial interests of powerful multiple)system cable television operators, television networ, and group broadcasters. Issues of Online Publishing The publishing industry lie many other industries has not escaped the impact of information technology in both the production and distribution of the information it creates. rom earliest -T/ techni"ues to the selling of boos over the 'nternet and publishing of electronic %ournals the publishing industry has readily accepted technological innovation. !any publishers are now ready to embrace the potential of the web as a method of publishing and distribution rather than as a purely mareting tool. <hough the number of businesses on the internet has grown, many organizations simply have a web presence and do not mae strategic use of the opportunities the web offers. This lac of progress is probably due to concerns over issues such as security, payment mechanisms, user authorization and misuse of personal data. Technologies concerned with authorization include firewalls, password access, smart cards and biometric fingerprinting. $owever in order to provide secure electronic transactions 76ET8 encryption technologies are used. Encryption technologies, which are supported
by the appropriate legal mechanisms, have the potential to develop electronic commerce globally. These issues have to address not %ust for the development of e)commerce within the publishing industry, but also for the development of global electronic commerce. 'ntellectual property is also a ma%or issue for publishers and authors and in particular copyright. *opyright is initially retained by the author of the wor, however it may be sold or a license granted to enable reproduction of the wor. &ny electronic transaction in the publishing industry must include a mechanism of copyright payment. Electronic commerce allows authors the opportunity to self publishes, however only a small portion of authors especially in the academic sector earns enough from boos sales alone to generate substantial revenue. 't is an area, which is worth some future consideration for commercial publishers as electronic commerce develops. There is another issue of "uality especially if the information chain is redefined. The publishing chain at present incorporates a number of "uality filters such as copy editors and proofreaders, which may be difficult to apply in the electronic environment. On)line publishing must be able to enforce the same "uality control, although referred electronic %ournals do employ strict refereeing controls. The "uestion of information retrieval is important, as users have to be able to find exactly what they are looing for. /erhaps now is the time to create a central (ational 'nternet
&tchers% This category includes large publishing companies that employ scale)sensitive economics. eduction in cost and widening of distribution is the only parameter to view online publishing as a sufficiently attractive channel for them. Testers% These are multi)category and specialty publishers who are competing successfully in traditional marets, who are uncertain who will win in the online maretplace and who neither need nor want to mae a choice now. or them, the online medium appears to be an alternative. They have already in place robust customer franchises and attractive distribution channels. These are the ma%ority of publishers that face either attractiveness and>or sill challenges. ONLINE PUBLISHING !PPRO!CHES ollowing are the four contrasting content publishing approaches4 0. The Online &rchive &pproach 5. The (ew !edium &pproach 9. The /ublishing 'ntermediation &pproach :. The -ynamic and ?ust)in)Time /ublishing &pproach The Online !rchi$e !''roch% This approach includes bibliographic databases and full)text search>retrieval services already existing in digital archive of the corporate publishers, and, to some extent of commercial publishers such as academic or %ournal publishers that is desired by them to be delivered over the web as well as on paper, *-)O!, or other media.
The D"n#ic nd *ust+in+Ti#e Publishing !''roch% 'n this technological environment, contents can be created in real)time and transmitted to the users# location even in the format according to their tastes and preferences. The elements of these dynamic contents are text, graphics, video, and sound which are stored separately in a database. The content engine recognizes repeat visitors to a site and configures the web pages to match the individual#s nown preferences. /ublishers need not to author and update a large product catalog but create individualized pages for each user browsing the site on internet. -ynamic publishing can also be seen in the form of %ust)in)time publishing. &s and when the consumers need stories, applets etc. into the computer, get the content flow %ust)in)time, and then these dynamic contents self)destruct after usage. One "uestion arises how payments are collected on a product by a business operating in small)amount transaction maret. /ublishers and developers should be thining about micropayments which are essential for this maretplace. or low)value payments to wor, transaction costs must be very small. Benefits nd O''ortunities of Online Publishing Electronic commerce offers benefits to both the publisher and the consumer. /ublishers can develop new and customized products, as well as create new marets. Thus they are able to create new business, reduce costs and increase competition. The consumer benefits from increased choice, ease of access, possible price reductions and a better standard of service. The products identified for successful electronic commerce are %ournals, magazines, newspapers and on)line databases. !ost users subscribe to on)line newspapers and magazines or have them free for charge. 'n the academic environment on)line electronic %ournals are available to users via the library O/&*. Electronic %ournal provision is very costly to academic libraries. <hough this is a service appreciated by students and academics the choice is limited and dependent upon the contract negotiated between the publisher and the library. The %ournal is usually the electronic version of the printed wor; therefore convenience is the only benefit. & solution to this problem would be to establish an electronic commerce networ for academia managed by the university library. The networ could consist of university libraries, publishers and the funding bodies. Asers could pay on a pay)per)use basis and the payments could be collected using electronic commerce technology. The premise being that funding is allocated for this purpose. This process would have to incorporate devices for tracing copyright and usage. !any pureC electronic scholarly %ournals are now available free of charge on the web, however it is not certain how long this situation can last. These %ournals provide an excellent medium of communicating scholarly information. Duality is also of a premium as the %ournals are peer reviewed. -ue to the high costs involved most subscribers to on)line databases are large commercial organizations or reference libraries. This eliminates access to smaller firms and individuals who might only re"uire a one)off %ournal article or report. There are two ways of approaching this problem using electronic commerce technology. irstly database providers allow customers the option of paying for one)off items without incurring subscription and dial)up charges. By allowing access via the internet database providers could allow individuals to purchase an electronic product using credit or debit card technology or by allowing them to set up individual accounts using suitable model. The second method would enable the consumer to go straight to the creator of the product and mae the purchase in the same way. By doing so the storage, delivery and distribution elements of the information chain are eliminated. These processes re"uire an appropriate business model, which can accommodate on)line commerce. !D,ERTISING !ND ONLINE PUBLISHING &dvertising is an attempt to disseminate information in order to effect a buyer)seller transaction and to customers to buy a certain product or service. The traditional advertising was impersonal, one)way
mass communication or mass mareting whereas internet has enabled consumers to interact directly with advertisers and advertisements with a clic of mouse on an ad for more information. The internet has provided the sponsors with two)way communication and e)mail capabilities, as well as allowing the sponsors to target specific groups on which they want to spend money from their advertising budget, which is more accurate than traditional one. One more aspect of internet is that it enables a truly one)to)one advertisement. These prospects of internet advertisements have attracted the magazines, and newspapers, to float their sites on the web. Online periodicals also have shown interest in including traditional advertisements as well as icons, which display an advertiser#s logo and when cliced with a mouse, send a user across the web to the advertiser#s web site. Resons for !d$ertising on Internet There are several reasons why companies spending more on internet advertising. = Ase of internet is growing very rapidly. = &ds can reach very large number of potential buyers globally. = 'nternet ads are cheaper in comparison to television, radio, or newspaper and can be updated any time with a minimal cost. = 'nternet advertising is interactive and targeted to specific groups and>or individuals. = 'ncreasingly valuable information4 +ith more available information about the product description in online advertising, the decision to purchase on the part of consumer is easier. Thus more purchases can occur. = educed access fees4 &dvertisers cover a part of the internet access fees that usually user has to pay. This reduced access fees can attract new internet users. = 'ncreasingly convenient access to information4 +ith the increase in online information, advertisers should get users to their sites "uicly by paying more for placement in online periodicals. = 6horter access times4 $igh bandwidth available to user provides more time on websites than waiting to access them.
come from which ads. &s a matter of fact, advertisers can continue tracing the users as some of them change from site tourists into paying customers. Only loyal users have lasting value for the site. !easurement of online advertising effectiveness is presently at a fairly immature state. -etermining the ob%ectivity of amount spent on a specific ad in traditional advertising is very difficult in terms of the sales of products or services and profits generated by it. 'nternet technology maes it easier to %ustify the cost of advertising as advertisers can get information in the form of electronic trail about where the uses came from, what they did at a site and whether they purchased a product from the website. This electronic trail may enable advertisers to identify and correct problems with their advertising. +eb advertising should be valued in terms of the value of the business it creates from the new users it attracts to the site. This value is usually very small, which is why web advertising wors poorly and 7while not completely useless8 will be one of the smallest contributors to the future of the +eb. 'n theory, the main benefit of the web as an advertising medium is its measurability. Anlie a billboard, it is possible to measure when someone has seen an ad. Anlie television, it is possible to tell when someone has bought a product as a result of seeing the ad. eal life is harder than theory. 't is not easy to measure web advertising and there is no single solution to the problem. Each step of the web advertising process re"uires different measurement tools and techni"ues and there are challenges at every step. 6ampling tools can report on measures of branding, such as unduplicated reach and fre"uency of exposure. 6urvey)based planning tools can also report on users# sub%ective experience of the campaign, measuring recall and brand attitudes. There is a longstanding religious debate about the importance of branding vs. direct mareting in web advertising. +hile branding is part of the goal of web advertising, direct mareting is a larger part. +eb mareters want to increase and improve customers# perception of their company, but most mareters evaluate web advertising by its effectiveness at driving traffic and generating customers. c&d networs provide post)clic tracing services which let an advertiser see whether a customer has cliced through from an ad and then whether that customer has bought or registered. These services typically use single)pixel F's that report bac to the ad server when a customer clics through to a site, when they reach ey pages, and when they have completed a purchase. 'nformation about the purchase is passed bac through the A< of the buy)page. Asing cooies, these systems can even tell when the same visitor has returned to the site several days later to buy. The reports from these networ)based systems allow advertisers to compare results for different pieces of a campaign ) by ad, or by site, or by target audience. &dvertisers can assess performance by a variety of measures, including impressions, clicthroughs, and registration or sales conversions. +hen cost information is plugged in, the system can calculate the O' for an advertising campaign. eporting systems provided by advertising networs have an important advantage that they give advertisers pinpoint control over the ad. &n advertiser can loo at a campaign report, see that a particular banner or site is performing miserably, and change the ad or the allocation. $owever, this approach also has weanesses. Because these reporting systems often are not tied directly into the siteGs commerce server, they are limited in the amount of information they can gather about the transaction. or example, they might pic up the amount of the sale, but not the number of products purchased, or the type of products. &lso, without taling to the siteGs registration system, it is harder for a networ)based system to trac uni"ue visitors when they return to a site. !oreover, reporting systems that are based on an advertising server only trac the effectiveness of ads, they don#t pic up referrals from affiliate programs, eyword searches, partner site referrals, and other parts of an interactive mareting strategy. The same limitation is true of affiliate reporting services.
!easurement systems based at a web site, on the other hand, are able to trac customers# entry to the site from many sources4 advertisements and affiliates, search terms and partner lins. +eb site)based measurement systems are able to tie into the siteGs commerce server and report directly on the amounts and types of products purchased. 6ite)based tools can tie into the siteGs user)tracing and registration database, reporting when a customer buys days or wees after visiting the first time. 6ite) based tools can provide customer segmentation capability, enabling mareters to evaluate the results of ads based on criteria that are meaningful to the site. inally, and most important in the long run, site)based mareting data can be analyzed along with offline mareting and cost data within the company to provide a picture of the lifetime value of the customer. Altimately, this is the critical calculation that tells the business whether the customer has been ac"uired profitably. The chief drawbac of site)based measurement systems is that they donGt give advertisers a chance to ad%ust campaigns in real time. )ethods of )esuring !d ,isitors There are many ways that ad traffic, effectiveness and exposure are calculated. $ere are some of the most popular methods. Clic-+through rte4 The percentage of viewers who cliced on a particular ad versus the total number of viewers who were exposed to that ad. 't measures the amount of immediate responses generated by an ad. Con$ersion rte% The percentage of viewers who tae a desired action, including service subscriptions, downloads, registrations or sales. 't entails any action other than browsing. Hits4 Total number of re"uests for delivery of a file on a server. 't is an unreliable way to measure ad) generated traffic. +hen a user re"uests a page, that web page along with any graphic or textual elements are each counted as a hit. I#'ression4 The number of times a specific ad is downloaded, and therefore the number of exposures. The impression count does not count a userGs repeat visits during the same session. Pge ,ie(4 & record of each time a page is re"uested by a viewer. 't is similar to a hit, but additional elements of a page are not counted separately. & high page view rate is good for +eb sites that rely on advertising as a ma%or source of revenue. Uni.ue ,isitors4 the number of separate individuals who visit a site within a specific time period, regardless of repeat visitors. This rate is usually calculated over a 93)day span. Ani"ue visitors are determined by the userGs '/ address and cooies.
