OnDialog Quick Start Guide
Five simple rules to follow that will result in success.
Build a Form
A Form is a web page object consisting of selections/entries that allow a Visitor to provide information about themselves. For a complete definition of a template, see the Glossary.
Build a Template
With respect to Landing Pages and Microsites, a Template is a base page definition that serves as a general pattern for many web pages. For a complete definition of a template, see the Glossary.
Build a Page
A page contains your content and forms, making them accessible to your costumers. Using OnDialog's simple editing features creating your pages is a breeze. For a complete definition of a page, see the Glossary.
Build a Microsite
In its most simplified form a Microsite is a collection of Landing Pages to collectively convey either a promotional concept. For a complete definition of a template, see the Glossary.
Create a Target Market
A target market is a specific subset of potential site visitors defined by a rule based on PURL Data fields and values. For a complete definition of a template, see the Glossary.
Create Targeted Content
Targeted content is web page content to be displayed whenever a site visitor's PURL Data matches a corresponding target market. For a complete definition of a template, see the Glossary.
Glossary
Backdrop - An image or “texture” applied in a Template to provide a visually appropriate or appealing Look and Feel behind Landing Page content that enhances that content.
Content - Any visual or audible objects, including text, images, videos, sounds/music, buttons, hyperlinks, etc. included on a Landing Page. Content may be applied to both Templates and Landing Pages. Content applied to a Template will be included in every Landing Page based on that Template, where as content applied to a page will only be included on that particular page (and potentially only if that content is relevant to the page visitor – see Targeted Content).
Content Area - An editable area of a Landing Page that is created on the page’s Template specifically to allow customization of content that is unique to that page.
CRM - Acronym for “Customer Relationship Management”. A CRM (system) is essentially a database and set of utilities designed to contain, manipulate and server customer data with an emphasis on using that customer data to enable marketing and sales of products or services.
CSV File - Comma Separate Value file. A CSV File contains columns and rows like a spreadsheet, but the column boundaries are defined by commas between the field values. CSV Files can be imported and exported by any row-column type application including databases and spreadsheets (e.g., Microsoft Excel).
DIV - A DIV is a rectangular area on a web page. A DIV may constrain the absolute or relative location of web page Content as well as the visibility of that content (via scrolling or clipping of content larger than the dimensions of the DIV). Absolutely positioned DIVs make content placement on a web page easy and reliable – even allowing content overlap, which cannot be done with traditional table-based web page designs.
Field - In reference to Landing Pages, PURLs and CRM a Field represents an attribute about a person (i.e., prospect, customer, partner, etc.), group, company or other market entity that will be the target of a campaign or promotion or relationship. In general, a Field is represented by a column in a database or spreadsheet.
Form - A Form is a web page object consisting of selections/entries (e.g., a text box for “Last Name” or a drop-down for selecting “Country”) that allow a Visitor to provide information about themselves and their interests and to “Submit” that information back to the originator (e.g., organization who created the Landing Page on which the Form resides).
HTML - HTML is the “code” used to create any/all web pages, including ultimately Landing Pages and Microsite pages. In order to create a unique view-time experience for page visitors, the HTML for an OnDialog LP Landing Page or Microsite is generated in real time when the visitor enters the URL or PURL in their browser.
Javascript - Javascript is the most popular web page scripting language. Javascript may be used in a Template, Landing Page or Microsite to create interactive behaviors for the visitor (e.g., roll-over buttons, audible feedback) or processing functions for other features of the page (e.g., pop-up windows).
Landing Page - A web (HTML) page designed specifically to “close the loop” on campaign-oriented activity. A Landing Page may be used to support marketing, sales or brand community communications, and it can contain branding, messaging, data gathering or all of the above. The goal of a landing page is to be focused and relevant, so the most powerful landing pages use micro-targeting to create the most relevant experience for the visitor. OnDialog LP supports these objectives with PURLs that allow landing pages to uniquely match each visitor’s preferences and interests.
Media - Media generally refers to resources that are specifically for visitor consumption (e.g., images, videos, sounds, music).
Microsite - In its most simplified form a Microsite is a collection of Landing Pages to collectively convey either a promotional concept (e.g., “See our new Fall line-up of hybrid vehicles”) or a relationship communication (e.g., “This month’s newsletter”). In OnDialog LP, the Microsite concept is enhanced dramatically through the use of PURLs and internal “smart linking” (page-to-page linking carries the PURL data with it so that the visitor experience is customized accordingly on all pages of the Microsite).
PURL - PURL is an acronym for “Personal URL”. Unlike a URL that provides a World Wide Web address for the same Resource for everyone, a PURL provides a World Wide Web address for one or a few individuals such that the Resources/Content available at that address are unique to the visitor. PURLs enable a single “web page” to convey many specific “messages” such that Content of a PURL page can “micro-target” individual interests and preferences.
PURL Data - PURL Data is “web page visitor” data – often a subset of “customer” data loaded from a CRM system. PURL Data can be used to recognize individual visitors to a web site and also to create a unique presentation of Content for each visitor via Target Markets and Targeted Content.
Resource - Resources are web page components that may be applied as content (e.g., images, flash video) or some other aspect of a Template, Landing Page or Microsite (e.g., Javascript actions, file download).
Template - With respect to Landing Pages and Microsites, a Template is a base page definition that serves as a general pattern for many web pages. A Template will generally define the most common aspects of a series of Landing Pages including dimensions, general content layout, key branding and overall look & feel (color palette, text styles).
Target Market - A Target Market is a specific subset of potential site visitors defined by a rule based on PURL Data fields and values (e.g., a Target Market named “California Residents” could be defined simply as “If State = California or State = CA”). In OnDialog LP, Target Markets are defined by Boolean rules that define the criteria for matching based on Fields (e.g., “Wine Preference”) and values (e.g., “Shiraz”).
Targeted Content - Targeted Content is web page content to be displayed whenever a site visitor’s PURL Data matches a corresponding Target Market. Targeted Content creates a dynamic Landing Page such that the most relevant content is rendered at view time to uniquely match the preferences and interests of the page visitor.
URL - An acronym for “Uniform Resource Locator”. A URL is the global address (e.g., http://www.doman.com/page.html) of a web page, document or other Resource on the World Wide Web.
View - A View is a page “hit” – when a Visitor reaches (i.e., sees) a web page rendered in their browser. OnDialog LP records page and Form views to help the customer analyze the effectiveness of their Landing Pages and Microsites.
Visitor - A visitor is a person who views a web page (Landing Page or Microsite page).