SwiftVets.com

mikeFlynn · Seaman Recruit Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 11

The commercial playing automatically is the biggest help in raising money.

But the day after swiftvets.com raised $300,000 they changed the site so that people have to click to view the commercial.

Bandwith problems have nothing to do with it. You can always buy more bandwith.

They changed it because they got some complaints from people with slow dial up.

You are going to get complaints no matter what method you use.

Many people are going to skip the ad and go straight to boards, which aren't all that interesting for non vets. What causes people to open there wallets is emotional connection, which only the ad evokes.

If swiftvets.com goes back to the old method of having the commercial load automatically I am 100% sure their donations will rise dramatically.

For what it is worth, I am an expert on internet traffic.

Son Of The Godfather · Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 9:09 am Post subject:

mikeFlynn · Seaman Recruit Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 11

The proof that having to click to view the is hindering fund raising, is that

swiftvets.com is now getting 10x more traffic then they did on Aug 20th.

anyone can check this out at www.Alexa.com on aug 20th their alexa rank was 33,126 which means they were the 33,126th most visited website.

Today the alex ranking is 3,273.

I have never heard of a site getting 10x as much traffic but less donations.

Since the only thing that was changed about the site was that the commercial no longer plays automatically, one can be 100% sure that this change is the cause.

I hope swiftvets.com wakes up soon.

Son Of The Godfather · Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 9:22 am Post subject:

Mike,

Where did you hear donations went DOWN? I don't believe that is accurate.

SOTG
_________________
"Which candidate would enemies of the United States prefer to see in the White House?"

mikeFlynn · Seaman Recruit Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 11

Aug 20th was their best day, with $300,000

Aug 21 they changed the site so that you have to click to view the commercial.

Since aug 20th their traffic has increased at least 10 fold . See Alexa.com

This undenialble proof.

Once again, I am an expert on internet traffic and having to click will approximatley half the amount of people who watch the commercial.

Me#1You#10 · Site Admin Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 6503

But you don't answer the question. What donation data do you have besides thursday's reported?

hanna · Rear Admiral Joined: 07 Aug 2004 Posts: 701

Just a sticky at the top of the board would be great. People do not want to have to download anything. That scares a lot of people half to death and they will be gone, without even having gotten any information.

Also, a lot of the time, the movie doesn't work, so now you have scarred, uninformed and pissed off people. If people want to see the movie, make it available. Pushy advertising is not something people appreciate. That is why all 300 of the people I deliver mail to have a trash can right next to their mail box.

mikeFlynn · Seaman Recruit Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 11

Hanna you are right, people don't like to download, that is why the commercial should play automatically.

AOL, Hotmail and everyone else are loading commercials automatically.

LeastofThese · Seaman Recruit Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 20

Is there any indication that the largest percentage of the hits are NEW visitors, or are they return visitors that come back repeatedly specifically for the news page or the message boards? I log in here several times a day just to read the latest news and posts. I alone probably account for a good percentage of those hits (way more than my share, I bet)!

BTW... I've chosen to donate by check which I'm sure hasn't been received yet. The day money is received is not necessarily the day people were moved to give.

Lastly, for people with dial up, why not just save the forum in your favorites, rather than the home page? I like to go back and watch the commercial from time to time, but on most of my visits here, I come straight to the boards, skipping the home page altogether. To me, the commercial was what piqued my interest, but it's the news, opinions and especially the involvement of our honored Veterans that keep bringing me back.

Rachel in Atlanta

Son Of The Godfather · Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 9:56 am Post subject:

Son Of The Godfather · Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 10:02 am Post subject:

mikeFlynn · Seaman Recruit Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 11

Repeat visits to the boards can not account for a 10 fold increase in traffic over a period of a few days.

The vast majority of those visits were form first timers. And swiftvets lost its chance to convert about half of them.

The swifties have it wrong. No matter why the traffic increased between august 20th and now is not at issue.

If you have 10 times as much traffic, you should have a signigicant increase in donations.

It is the people who don't want to watch the ad who need to see it the most.

There is no point in preaching to the choir.

Son Of The Godfather · Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 10:10 am Post subject:

mikeFlynn · Seaman Recruit Joined: 21 Aug 2004 Posts: 11

You can get very detailed stat info at Alexa.com

I happened to check the alexa rank on aug 19th and it was 33,126

Today it is 3273, which represents a huge increase in traffic.

Once you are in to the top 10,000 sites it takes a huge amount of traffic to move up.

So the question remains, why was august 20th such a blockbuster day for donations.

Answer, even though the site was getting less traffic, more people were viewing the ad. People have to be moved emotionally to open their wallets. Only the commercial can do that.

GenrXr · Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 10:39 am Post subject: