A common theme with database-driven websites is
way they produce web page URLs. Typically dynamic URL includes a question mark '?' along with what's referred-to in industry as name-value pairs. These name-value pairs tell website logic to present information to visitor based on information provided by name-value pairs. Here is an example of a dynamic URL:http://www.somesite.com/page.asp?itemid=6
This URL tells website logic to use template for 'page.asp' and use as content for page information stored in database with 'itemid' of number '6'. The information on page can completely change, say, if 'itemid' were changed to another number that references a different 'itemid' in database.
Some URL's are longer, that is they contain more name-value pairs. Additional name-value pairs can tell website logic to display information in even more ways based on user input. Here is an example of a URL that has multiple name-value pairs (note, additional name-value pairs after '?' are separated by an ampersand '&'):
http://www.somesite.com/page.asp?itemid=6&submit=getrecord&recordid=35
For webmasters and IT staff this works very well. There are very few 'real files' to manage as database-driven website produces an unlimited number of pages for website visitors with only a few template files. However, marketers may find this a stumbling block when wanting to promote specific information in website.
Let's say for example a marketer wanted to promote above URL on a postcard. The idea would be to tell a target audience about specific information and track results. If marketer were to simply post URL exactly, a couple of things would happen:
1. The response rate would drop due to fact that URL is cumbersome and may turn potential respondents 'off' by having to type-in and/or remember such a long URL, and 2. The marketer loses ability to identify which portion of 'website traffic' to that URL was a result of website visitors already on site or from postcard campaign.
The solution would be to create simplified URL that 'points' to destination URL. For example, a simplified URL could be something like this:
http://www.somesite.com/promotion
We'll call this an 'eMarketing-Friendly URL'. This article, for example, can be accessed at: http://www.cowellemarketing.com/emarketing-friendly. This eMarketing-Friendly URL is easy to remember and quick to type-in to a web browser. In addition to these benefits, marketer is also able to track 'website traffic' to this URL by using website traffic analysis tools such as WebTrends. For more information on such tools, simply type-in 'website traffic analysis' in your favorite search engine and you should find many options.
How do you implement an eMarketing-Friendly URL?
There are a couple of ways to implement eMarketing-Friendly URL's. Depending on your level of knowledge with web coding and access to your website server, first may or may not be an option for you. The second option is to use an eMarketing-Friendly URL's application that allows a non-technical marketer ability to easily designate eMarketing-Friendly URL's and where they should 'point' to.
