Tom O’Keefe

Is there a more difficult and competitive industry on the internet to optimize for? I’ve optimized websites in a number of industries but have found the mortgage industry to be the most difficult one to get any traction with.

Whether you’re a mortgage company or a mortgage broker the key is to go local.

The national search for generic terms like mortgage, mortgage company, etc. is controlled by major players like Countrywide. The key is to break it down to your region such as “mortgage company in Boston.” However major cities like Boston, New York, LA, Seattle, all of Florida, Chicago are so oversaturated with mortgage websites that it’s tough to break through here too. The second tier towns are much easier to get good SERP placement however the traffic is obviously much lighter – but targeted which is nice.

Found an interesting application called VozMe which converts a block of text into a computerized/British sounding MP3 file. VozMe is at the very least fun to play with but can also be embeded into a website to vocalize your content and possible attract your visitor’s attention.

TOKiBiz has recently finished the design of its corporate site and we are continuing to develop the Web 2.0 Application called Bizak. For additional information about TOKiBiz’s Web 2.0 development and the Web 2.0 Application Bizak please visit the link below:

Web 2.0 Development & Applications

It appears that recent mortgage failures have forced the “best mortgage website” to not only layoff over 400 (out of 900) employees but also terminate it’s Comission Junction hosted affiliate program.

According to an email deliverd today to Eloan affiliates “E-LOAN will begin scaling back some operations/programs to reduce its cost structure and unfortunately removing our affiliate program is one of them.”

Jim Goldman of CNBC is reporting that Yahoo Merchant Soltions customers are experiencing significant technical problems on this Cyber Monday. Yahoo Merchant Solutions hosts e-commerce shopping carts for roughly 3 million customers. According to Goldman the Yahoo technical problems are due to “excessive holiday traffic” but other then that Yahoo isn’t saying much else other then they are investigating the problem.

For additional information visit Goldman’s Tech Check
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15837640/site/14081545/

The first Monday after Thanksgiving is now referred to as Cyber Monday. Since the brick and mortar retailers have black Friday the online stores needed their day and that is today! According to comScore this Cyber Monday could be the biggest ever topping over $700 mllion in sales.

comScore bases this estimate on a 17% online rise in spending for the month of November with a 22% increase on the day after Thanksgiving – compared to 2006. comScore estimates $531 Billion was spent online the day after Thanksgiving.

The Apple iPhone, Google Earth and GPS phones have helped Web 2.0 take a major step towards integrating Mobile 3.0 into their online applications. Web 3.0 integrates the user generated content (UGC) of Web 2.0 with the location based services & GPS capabilities of mobile phones that can access online user generated content of Web 2.0 applications.

Some sites that integrate mobile with their Web 2.0 application are:

There are a lot of great new social networking sites out there and lately I’ve been playing around with a new one called Gypsii.com! I’m currently testing their viewing place tool that integrates Google Maps with personal, entertainment and/or business locations. They have a nice embed feature that unfortunately I can’t place on WordPress but a screen shot is below with a link to my Brookline Village location.

TOKiBiz in Brookline Village, MA on Gypsii
http://www.gypsii.com/place.cgi?op=view&id=46588

Not until today did I realize how accustomed I’ve become to the technology behind iPhone’s touch screen interface. While using a building’s directory I immediately found myself trying to scroll through the computer listings with my fingertips. To my surprise I automatically discredited the computer as outdated since I was unable to scroll like my iPhone allows me to. Spoiled a bit yes, but with that I realized that the touch screen of the iPod and iPod touch is just the beginning of this technology. Though it would be fun to finger scroll through my 20″ iTunes interface I’m not sure if I would do so for every application due to the computer’s angle.  Any iMac Touch or iBook Touch would require the retention of the keyboard and mouse with the tactile ability to control some of its applications.  Obviously iTunes on your iMac Touch would be perfect for this.  Whatever form it takes the new touch screen interface of the iPhone will transform into another new product from Apple!

With today’s 20th anniversary reissue of The Joshua Tree U2 fans can finally view the video for Red Hill Mining Town. It was always known this video was produced however it never saw the light of day (and released as a single) because Bono could not sing the song live. Now fans can finally see the video to arguable the best song on one of the greatest albums ever! You can also see how young (in their mid 20s in 1987 when Joshua Tree was released) the band looks. The Edge has hair and Bono is fit. Larry looks the same.

U2′s Red Hill Mining Town Video

Purple Violets, an Edward Burns’ Film, premieres exclusively on iTunes today. Purple Violets marks the first film to bypass the movie theaters to go directly to digital. Though it has received critical claim, and won a best narrative film feature award, Edward Burns knew it would still be limited to small independent theaters in major cities like New York. In order to get the widest audience possible he decided to skip the movie theater and go digital via iTunes.

iTunes and the internet has become a more suitable medium for small independent film makers to attract the largest audience possible at the lowest cost. Hopefully, like the music business including Radiohead’s In Rainbows, this move by Edward Burns will help get more independents a larger audience – independents who otherwise would never be allowed to premier a film in a movie house.

Visit the official Purple Violets website with the iTunes link at:
http://www.purplevioletsmovie.com

Is it just me or does the new Verizon Voyager commercial appear to have similar coloring and sound effects to Apple’s legendary 1984 commercial? Is Verizon trying to make a comparison and say this is the doomsday for the iPhone?  Now that’s funny!  - Written by Tom @ TOKiBiz.net

Verizon Voyager Commercial

Apple 1984 Macintosh Commercial

On November 21, 2007 Verizon will be releasing the Voyager (manufactured by LG) which appears to be Verizon’s (and LG’s) first attempt to compete with Apple’s iPhone (on the AT&T network). At first glance it appears similar to the iPhone, especially with the high resolution touch screen that the iPhone uses. From image reviews that appears to be where the comparison ends. Like other LG phones the Voyager will have a flip up QWERTY keyboard and multimedia functions such as the navigator and music player however it doesn’t have the wow factor of the iPod.

The iPhone revolutionized the cell phone and as a result will change all phones manufactured from here on out. The Voyager appears to be the first phone wanting to compete with the iPhone but Apple is in an entirely different league. The one thing that the Voyager does have going for it is the Verizon network!

Verizon Voyager

Apple iPhone

Since I don’t have cable and my iMac has a much nicer screen then my circa 1987 television I’m always looking around for TV online. Since I love “How I Met Your Mother” I find myself watching it on CBS innertube more then a few times per episode. NBC also has a very good viewer to watch 30 Rock and The Office.

In addition to watching directly via the networks there is Joost! If you want to find out what song just played on CSI then Tune Find is the site for you. If you’re looking to download videos from YouTube to your iPod then check out ConvertTube.

This weekend we will FINALLY be giving TOKiBiz a website – well one that is nice to look at. Over the weekend we will be launching the new website for TOKiBiz designed by Fortunate 13 of Arlington, MA. TOKiBiz is based in Brookline Village, just steps away from Boston.

TOKiBiz: www.TOKiBiz.net