Major VDP Web Upgrades Show Huge Client Benefit

The recent upgrade to our PURL enabled Cross Media Marketing software is helping our reseller clients provide tangible and immediate benefits to their clients.

Rather than splitting our software into two separate platforms as some providers have been forced to do, we’ve been able to keep new innovations under one roof. This means that we don’t have the distraction of supporting and updating separate systems. Likewise, our clients don’t have the headaches of different accounts and pricing models.

We’ve also kept our platform as a true "software as a service," with nothing to install on the desktop. VDP Web works cross-platform with a normal web browser.

In this post, we’ll highlight some of the new features.

A Better White-Label Platform

Our architects have updated the whole system to a modern, clean design that incorporates large, crisp fonts. We’ve eliminated unnecessary content and design elements. The new interface makes a fantastic impression on users and keeps our resellers looking good.

• Easily upload and white label with your logo
• Choose a primary and secondary exact color
• Select between two layout styles
• Select rounded or square corners
• Use a vanity domain for client access

View Screenshots of White Labeling

Easy Enterprise Security that You Can Customize

The other guys just don’t have this. Agency and Reseller accounts can choose their default security settings and also choose custom settings for each client. This keeps resellers from frustrating those that don’t need the extra security while accommodating financial, medical and insurance clients with more exacting requirements.

Protect logins from hacking and unauthorized access:

• Can use traditional, no-hassle email/password login access
• Optionally activate email confirmations for logins from unknown locations
• Optionally protect accounts by restricting login access to known company locations
• White list IP addresses for instant access
• Dual authentication

Automatic security notifications:

• Branded, white-labeled and professional security notifications
• Automatically notify users when an incorrect password is entered
• Automatically protect accounts after 5 failed login attempts
• Notify users when a password, security question or account information is changed

Granular control on individual user permissions:

• Control system access to creative, data and reporting
• Limit specific users to reporting relevant to their role
• Limit sales reps to data only from their region
• Allow managers overview access to see all data and reports

Format PURLs Your Way

Our competitors squawk about whether PURLs with the personalized part in front of the domain name is better than PURLs that come after the domain name. We don’t make you choose. VDP Web let’s you do your PURLs either way. In fact, you can always access a PURL using either method as long as your domain is correctly configured!

Powerful New Content Management Tools

VDP Web is the only system on the market that allows you, the client, to develop and drop in your own custom web and email templates in minutes using standard HTML and CSS.

Three great ways to work with our variable data enabled content:

• Custom web templates
• Content Wizards
• HTML pages

New Web Templates

The power of being able to create web templates that are available to every client account under an agency or reseller cannot be overstated. It allows for tremendous speed and cost reductions in setting up custom designs and launching new clients.

We estimate that this new functionality will cut production costs for our clients by up to 70%.

• Create your own re-usable templates in minutes with standard HTML and CSS
• Perfect for franchise marketing
• Lock down disclaimers, legal language and control assets
• Keep designs fresh and modern across all accounts by making updates in just one location without overwriting customizations that your clients have made
• Make your own designs or choose designs from our well-stocked library
  • Responsive designs
  • HTML5 and CSS3 based designs
  • Traditional old school HTML designs

Unlike with other systems, you can allow your clients to unlock templates for full access. You are never "stuck" in a template! This makes the creative like a fully customizable springboard for quickly launching complex sites across hundreds of accounts.

Every agency or reseller account can create templates that are automatically available to all of their clients. Any changes to the template immediately update the design throughout the system, no matter how many client accounts are using it.

Even our Basic accounts have full access to our new web templates!

Rapidly Deploy Complex Content with Content Wizards

We still offer our Content Wizard tool to rapidly deploy sets of complex content with multiple pages, surveys, opt-in forms, images and CSS. The variable sections that require customization appear on the screen for quick editing that can be done by a non-technical user. Click the build button and a multi-page, full featured website with all of the appropriate cross-linking is deployed in seconds.

Always Open, Full HTML and CSS Access

Our founding premise has always been that normal HTML, CSS, and JavaScript should work perfectly in our system. And it does.

Both Content Wizards and Web Templates can be unlocked for full access editing if desired. Choosing from our great library of templates will never hold you back from customizing the design. Simply unlock the template and you have full access to the HTML and CSS.

Enhanced Image & Asset Management

Quickly upload images, CSS, JavaScript and other assets from your desktop editing environment. Edit files online. Upload files from directly inside the HTML editor. Choose between our traditional HTML editor or our new HTML5 oriented editor, or if you’re a hard core coder, turn off the HTML editors and work directly with code. It’s all become so much easier and faster.

Streamlined, Simpler Navigation

We’ve worked hard to cut back on the number of buttons on the page! The new interface separates less used commands to the footer menu, leaving the primary areas as the main focus.

You won’t need any “university” or group message board to figure out our software. No 3-day training or special employees that have been trained in the system.

VDP Web can be figured out in minutes. Our video tutorials are extremely detailed along with simple and clear online documentation. Our phone-based support is immediate and you’ll know the person who answers the phone.

Try VDP Web Anytime

If you’re looking for a better provider, come and see what we have to offer. We’ve always had clear, transparent pricing posted online at www.vdpweb.com/pricing with a no-risk 14 day free trial.

If you’re already offering PURLs and cross media services or if you’re looking to start, we invite you to speak with us!

• No license fees
• Month-to-month
• No long term commitments
• Transparent pricing
• Cancel anytime
• The best support in the industry

Impossible Expectations: Why no one marketing channel is King of the Jungle

No one marketing channel is now, or ever will be king of the jungle.  One method may be better than others in any given circumstance, but no one channel will ever be best.  A report that recently went viral on the internet (so it must be true, right?) claimed that email was “king” in a sample of 35,000 prospects.  The data and response rates as referenced in the article follow:

Here are the issues:

1. No mention is made is made of the size of the data set that the 35,000 records were drawn from.  To get a 25% response rate, the respondents were cherry picked from a much larger pool.  How do I know?  Given one client’s data of 650,000 prospects with detailed sales and contact history we can universally pick a slice and get a fantastic response with targeted offers and specific channels.  With realistic constraints (such as not giving each respondent $100 gift card for simply visiting a link) the same cannot be said for 35,000 cold records.  Channel your inner Kirk here:  Not, going, to………
happen!

2. How did the firm in question get that many opted-in email leads?  Email is the end game of marketing efforts.  It is almost impossible to exponentially grow an email list from an email campaign, regardless how good the referral spiff is.  For email to be King, something else, such as social media, direct mail, experiential events, paid search, point of sale, or a mix of many methods is required, and usually at substantial cost. Speaking of which…

3. For the ROI calculations in the article to be of any use, the cost of gathering the email opt-ins must be calculated.  Of course, the cost of direct mail is exponentially higher than email as a cost per piece.  To compare the two at face value is pointless.  The recipient of the sales lead, in this case email, must absorb a portion of the cost in generating the address as part of the return on investment calculation.  Throw those figures into the mix, and what happens to that massive ROI advantage claimed by email?

Marketing is a spider web, not a pyramid.  No one channel or strategy will ever be sufficient.  Like your portfolio, a diversified strategy will always be necessary.

Full disclosure: 

James Michelson is Founder of VDP Web^® Cross Media Marketing which offers email marketing as part of a well-balanced marketing diet.  The entire article just lambasted can be found here.

New Cross Media Marketing Training Videos for the Holidays

Video training on holiday cross media marketing from JFM Concepts, part of the 2012 VDP Web Webinar Series, has been published.  Join John Fager, Co-Founder and CTO, in a short overview of how you can turn a common branding activity into a powerful lead generation tool by creating customer engagement and a two-way conversation.  Discover proven, practical techniques, tips and advice on how to create campaigns that highlight your firm’s expertise and drive customer engagement to new levels, turning a push communication into a growth opportunity.

View Part 1 here.  View Part 2 here.

To explore the entire VDP Web video series, visit our YouTube channel.

Webinar: More Effective Self Promos Offered This Week

VPD Web will be offering a free webinar to clients and newcomers alike this week on Tuesday, July 17 at 1:00 PM EST and on Thursday, the 19th at 4:00 PM EST.  The webinar will address creating effective self-promotions.

Attendees will benefit from learning simple, straight-forward techniques that have successfully generated business growth for our clients and our own organization.

Our valued clients have had great success with creating self-promos and marketing cross media services. Check out the do's and don’ts, and learn why self-promotion is the way into your client's budgets.

When: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 1:00 PM EST and Thursday, July 19, 2012 4:00 PM EST

Presenter: John Fager, Principal of JFM Concepts, makers of VDP Web Cross Media Marketing Software.

Please signup online as attendance is limited.

http://webinar.vdpweb.com/

PSDA's 2012 Print Solutions Conference & Expo Registration Now Open

Registration is now live for the 2012 Print Solutions Conference & Expo taking place June 4 - 6 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Attend and benefit from PSDA's powerful community of distributors,
trade printers and suppliers. You'll leave the conference better informed of emerging trends and with new connections among suppliers, partners and peers.

James Michelson, author of Cross Media Marketing 101: The concise guide to surviving in the C-suite, will be presenting on cross media marketing and the staff from VDP Web will be on hand.

James Michelson on PIASC Choose Print Video Segment

JFM Concepts, the maker of VDP Web, is proud to announce that James Michelson has been featured in a video interview during the PODI AppForum by ChoosePrint.org a project of the Printing Industries Association, Inc. of Southern California (PIASC).   The featured segment is entitled “Print is…A Team Player” and can be seen in its entirety here.

 

More information of the topic can be found in James’s book, Cross Media Marketing 101: The concise guide to surviving in the C-suite published this year by Schooner Press. It is available online at amazon.com and other retailers or at https://www.createspace.com/3537914.

JFM Concepts is a full service cross media marketing technology firm featuring the VDP Complete® marketing system and VDP Web® Online software as a service. JFM specializes in creating variable data cross media marketing technologies with Personalized URLs, Email, SMS Text, QR Codes, Phone Tracking, Video, QR Codes, and more for commercial printers, agencies, and marketing departments of all sizes. The firm knows that technology development and marketing should come together to document both improved response rates and improved return on investment (ROI).

JFM Concepts and VDP Web support Great Lakes Graphics Association in Cross Media Marketing effort

The marketing technology experts at JFM Concepts are proud to announce they have partnered with the Great Lakes Graphics Association, part of the Print Industries Association of America, to provide cross media marketing services.

JFM Concepts has used its industry leading VDP Web® cross media marketing platform to support the Great Lakes Graphics Association in membership development and retention efforts.  The campaign included a multi-channel distribution effort to current and former association members to conduct a highly complex and detailed survey.  The questions were designed to gather detailed feedback from the membership in order to improve services to boost both relevancy and values in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Since 1886, the Great Lakes Graphics Association has represented the printing industry and its allied partners.  The GLGA is a professional trade association representing members in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin that helps businesses achieve powerful results.  JFM Concepts and VDP Web are proud to assist the Association in developing industry leading cross media marketing tools and systems to accomplish their mission.

JFM Concepts is a full service cross media marketing technology firm featuring the VDP Complete® marketing system and VDP Web® Online software as a service. JFM specializes in creating variable data cross media marketing technologies with Personalized URLs, Email, SMS Text, QR Codes, Phone Tracking, Video, QR Codes, and more for commercial printers, agencies, and marketing departments of all sizes. The firm knows that technology development and marketing should come together to document both improved response rates and improved return on investment (ROI).

Special thanks to Steve Anzalone, COO of the Harding Poorman Group for his efforts in this project.

 

2012 Cross Media Marketing Webinar Series

Join JFM Concepts and VDP Web for the 2012 Webinar Series "Tools for Successful Cross Media Marketing."

In its 5th year, the popular JFM Cross Media Marketing Webinar Series is the industry standard in bleeding edge information and business strategies that can be practically implemented to show immediate results for service providers and practitioners. Discover the best professional training available anywhere, for free, all with no travel required. Register here.

Sessions

2012 Cross Media Marketing Outlook

Join James Michelson and John Fager of JFM Concepts on this comprehensive analysis of the 2012 Cross Media Marketing Outlook for both marketing service providers and internal marketers. Discover lessons learned in 2011, the trends for the upcoming year, and benchmarks you can use to develop your own strategies for 2012.

January 17, 2012 1:00 Eastern & January 19, 2012 4:00 Eastern

Cross Media Marketing 101 for 2012

Learn the ropes of cross media with this informative webinar that details what cross media marketing is and ways you can enhance current efforts without breaking the bank.

March 6, 2012 1:00 Eastern & March 8, 2012 4:00 Eastern

How To Bid Cross Media & Effective Sales Strategies

Join James Michelson, Principal of VDP Web to discuss effective pricing strategies for cross media. Learn how to up-charge and price jobs without the dreaded "scope creep" and maintain a positive cash flow while showing value to your clients.

May 8, 2012 4:00 Eastern & May 10, 2012 1:00 Eastern

More Effective Self Promo's

Our valued clients have had great success with creating self-promos and marketing cross media services. Check out the do's and dont's with James and learn why self-promotion is the way into your client's budgets.

July 17, 2012 1:00 Eastern & July 19, 2012 4:00 Eastern

Cross Media Holiday Marketing 2012

Now is the time to think seriously about holiday marketing! Join JFM Concepts to discover how holiday cross media marketing can provide sales leads and good will even without an offer or sales call to action. Learn how cross channel communications with mail, email, social media, and landing pages can turn an expense into a revenue generating activity. Your customers, clients, and prospects will love it!

October 2, 2012 1:00 Eastern & October 9, 2012 1:00 Eastern

2013 Cross Media Marketing Outlook

Join James Michelson and John Fager of JFM Concepts on this comprehensive analysis of the 2013 Cross Media Marketing Outlook for both marketing service providers and internal marketers. Discover lessons learned in 2012, the trends for the upcoming year, and benchmarks you can use to develop your own strategies for 2013.

December 18, 2012 1:00 Eastern & January 8, 2013 4:00 Eastern & January 10, 2013 1:00 Eastern

Register here.

2011 Connections Presentation

JFM Concepts, the makers of VDP Web, is proud to announce that principal and founder James Michelson will be speaking at the Exact Target 2011 Connections conference in Indianapolis.  The session is titled “Email + Direct Mail: Response Rates on Steroids?”  Reports of "direct mail deaths" have been greatly exaggerated.  In fact, when used in combination with email, direct mail can lift response to new heights.

Connections 2011 is the world’s largest interactive marketing conference with more than 3,000 global marketers attending the three-day event Sept. 13-15. Connections ’11 follows ExactTarget Connections ‘10, which welcomed more than 2,000 marketers to Indianapolis and featured a lineup of industry titans including Virgin Group Founder and Chairman Sir Richard Branson, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and a private concert from Grammy Award-winning band Train.

If you cannot make the event, please contact us to obtain a copy.

 

To obtain a copy, contact us!

 

Cross Media Marketing 101 Book Video

 

Order now at: https://www.createspace.com/3537914 or amazon.com!