EpikLabs

Internship Positions Available for Summer '09

2009-04-16T11:36:00.003-04:00

Are you looking for an internship? Do you have the skills that it takes to be a part of the EpikLabs team? EpikLabs is the internship division of the Google Enterprise Partner, EpikOne. There are four internship positions currently available for the summer: Internet Marketing Intern, Web Development Intern, Sales Intern, and Web/Graphic Design Intern.
EpikOne is a great place to intern for a variety of reasons. It is located within walking distance of Champlain College, is a Google Enterprise Partner and is a well-established and respected company in the web analytics field. Not only would an internship at EpikLabs look great on your resume but the experiences you gain will propel your career in the right direction.
To see how an internship with EpikLabs can turn you into a success story, check out the EpikLabs Blog or see what the interns do on a regular basis by following @EpikLabs on Twitter!

Warning: EpikLabs internships are highly sought after, so send an e-mail to Paul Skarvinko ( Paul@epikone.com ) with your resume and cover letter as soon as possible.

From the Classroom to the Workplace

2009-04-09T12:33:00.003-04:00

Transitioning from my classes at Champlain College to EpikLabs was an important step in my professional career. Although the courses I am enrolled in or have already completed helped prepare me for the Internet Marketing & Web Analytics internship position, many of the skills I have acquired where honed by my assignments at EpikLabs.

The major difference between the classroom and the workplace is the level of quality compared to turnaround time on a project. In my marketing classes at Champlain, I would work on a semester long project and present it during finals week. A high level of quality is necessary for a semester long project because the professors expected you to utilize your time wisely and slowly chip away at your deliverables. However, EpikLabs is a completely different scenario.

Since EpikOne is a Google Enterprise Partner, the environment here is professional and fast paced. Deliverables are expected to be completed by their deadline with the highest attention to detail and quality. These deliverables are similar to the ones assigned in my college courses. The main difference is that the time frame allotted to complete your task is much narrower. I would say that this is the biggest step in transitioning from a college course to the cliche "real world"; maintaining a high level of quality while completing your assignments at a faster pace.

Although the EpikLabs interns experience this while accomplishing assignments, the EpikOne Crew is very supportive. Everyone that works at EpikOne is a great resource for the interns; I have utilized their knowledge multiple times to better understand internet marketing and web analytics concepts as well as lessons they've learned throughout their careers.

A professor is knowledgeable in their field of expertise; however, the knowledge contained inside the walls of EpikOne seem almost endless. From the analytics group, to the sales team, to the software developers, EpikLabs is the place to intern if you are looking to jump start a career in one of these fields.

By: Michael Taverna
EpikLabs Internet Marketing & Web Analytics Intern

Reflection on Work Experience at EpikOne

2009-03-25T10:01:00.005-04:00

I started as a freelance web/graphic designer during High School, continuing to run a side business through college. I have always wondered what it would be like to work in an environment other than freelancing. As years went by I started to get sick of the freelance environment. I wanted to be surrounded by something a little more interactive and working with other people. EpikOne solved that problem for me. The internship couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

The first couple of days at EpikOne was very different than what I was use to. The fact that I am around other people who are doing similar jobs and projects that relate to my major makes working that much more interesting.

What really makes EpikOne work for me is the work environment and the people. The first thing I saw and loved about their office is how it is all open with no cubicals. The design of the office really completes the work environment. If EpikOne was set up as a old fashion cubical styled office, I probably would not be interested in interning here. Along with the work environment, the people who work at EpikOne are very friendly and make you feel comfortable working here.

The projects that I have been working on throughout the Spring vary from designing to developing. I have been making ads for Seminars For Success and also ads for their product Analytics View. Creating ads such as the ones I have been working on at EpikOne was new to me, but it is great to get projects that are new to you to get some experience in that field. While designing these ads, I am trying to design them effectively so a prospective client will look at the ad, catch their eye and take them to view more information about that certain product.

Overall, working at EpikOne has been a great experience. It is a great change of pace to the freelance world. Working here showed me that I do like this type of work environment and would love to work at a place similar to this in the future. The office, work, and people make interning at EpikOne an enjoyable learning experience.

Working with the Experts

2009-03-24T16:22:00.002-04:00

Being an intern at EpikOne is a great experience for a variety of reasons; the one that stands out the most is how the company is structured. You would think that a Google Enterprise Partner would have a distinct business hierarchy, where an intern would only report to their manager and there would be limited interaction between the founders and the low-level interns. However, that is the complete opposite of the work environment at EpikOne. The CEO of EpikOne, Dave Winslow, walked by my desk one day. I stopped him for a second and mentioned a comment he posted on Twitter about EpikOne. This led to him giving me the thumbs up to start a Twitter account for EpikLabs (@EpikLabs) where the interns post interesting projects and tasks they are working on. Having the opportunity to directly speak with the CEO is one aspect of EpikOne that makes it such a great place to be an intern.

Another great aspect about being an intern at EpikOne is the possibility to work on a variety of tasks. Although some can be considered more important than others, the opportunities to learn are virtually endless. As I finished up sending e-mails for the Seminars for Success workshop in Philadelphia, I mentioned to my manager (Paul Skarvinko) that I would soon be done and that I’d be looking for more work in the near future. Although he didn’t have anything for me to do, the Co-Founder of EpikOne (Alex Broussard) overheard my request and gave me a small task to complete. Although it wasn’t a groundbreaking assignment, it felt great to know that my work was directly helping out one of the founders. It felt even better when I got an e-mail response from Alex saying he was happy with the work I sent him.

My opinion of the internet marketing and web analytics industry has changed since the first day I started at EpikOne. I came in thinking that I would be able to learn everything in the short four month span of my internship, but was truly put into place upon seeing and hearing the wealth of knowledge that the EpikOne staff possesses. I would suggest to anyone looking for an internship in the web analytics field to apply for an EpikOne internship for a variety of reasons. Working alongside industry experts that you can easily communicate with is the ideal scenario for an intern; which is a unique experience that you can get at EpikOne.

By Michael J. Taverna
Internet Marketing & Web Analyst Intern

Structured to Succeed

2009-03-12T16:08:00.002-04:00

At EpikOne, one day is never similar to another. The time I have spent so far at Epik has been full of an ever changing list of tasks with their own set of requirements and problems. This is where having a flat company structure excels. This creates an ideal atmosphere for learning a wide range of skills. I am mainly a Sales/Marketing intern and work with Jabez Boyd and Marc Bujold. Some of the tasks I have been able to help with range from negotiating with hotels for Seminars For Success and qualifying and contacting leads. I have also been able to worth with Paul Skarvinko. For Paul, I have been able to work with Google Analytics and AdWords for AnalyticsView. I have found this work to be very rewarding. I have been studying Analytics and Adwords and expressed interest in getting my hands dirty to learn more about these products. The open structure of the company has allowed me an opportunity to work on a variety of jobs and projects that I am interested in.

I have also found that the employees at EpikOne are more than willing to take some time out of their day to work with you. Clearly they are willing make sure that myself and the other interns succeed. Not only are we able to achieve a higher quality work, but it allows us to further our industry knowledge and skills. A true win-win situation! What could be better then learning from some of the industry’s best?

The analytic industry is still a relatively new industry and it has been exciting to work with EpikOne. It is great to see the innovation that comes along with companies who are leaders in their field. Software that Epik has developed like SiteScan and AnalyticsView continue to help companies make the most out of Google Analytics everyday. It is amazing to see how fast things move in a rapidly evolving industry.

-Nick Whitbeck

Follow myself and the other interns on Twitter: @EpikLabs

Working with Marketers to Create Effective Ads

2009-03-10T11:29:00.004-04:00

I was assigned a project to create a series of banner ads for EpikOne's product Analytic Views. There were several main points that the marketer (Paul Skarvinko) wanted me to focus on. The focus points were features that their product had to offer to consumers. This type of project was new to me so at first, I found it a bit confusing on what they wanted. As I got going I found it easier and easier. I cleared up most of my confusion with chatting back and fourth with Paul. Getting one template done then replicating them for the rest of the banner sizes.

I am use to doing freelance work and this was a new and great transition where I have someone to talk to and work no this project with. Working with more than one person is much better than being just one freelancer doing all the work. Collaborating made this project fun and a new learning experience.

After collaborating with Paul it became very clear on the key features I was to focus on to attract the users eye to the ad I was was designing. It is important for the user to see the page on a website and instantly get them hooked to click and find out further information regarding the ad.

Once the new banners were completed I started a similar project for another client where they wanted about 7 different versions, all very distinct in their own way for the client could see which variation of banner ads worked best on their website. The client had a list of different phrases they wanted to be displayed on their ads, so I worked with the criteria they provided to create an effective ad for their company.

My Experience at Epiklabs

2009-02-12T13:15:00.003-05:00

For my Advanced Marketing Internship class at Champlain College, I have been working at EpikOne as a Sales/Marketing intern. So far this experience has been great and I have already been immersed in many projects. I have worked closely with many of EpikOne’s experienced staff members such as my manager Paul Skarvinko, Jabez Boyd, and Marc Bujold. Whenever I have a question or run into a problem, they are able to make time and help me learn ways to solve them.

One of the first tasks that I was assigned was to work on Seminars For Success. Seminars For Success allows Google Analytic users of all levels to learn the basics or expand their knowledge from Google Analytic Authorized Consultants. It is a two day in-person series that covers everything from basic setup of Google Analytics to advanced features like visitor segmentation and other new features. I was tasked with finding a venue to hold the seminar in Philadelphia. I needed to research all available hotels in the area and also if there would be any other competing events around that time. I then called the various hotels to gather basic information such as cost, which we used to narrow down the list of hotels. Once the list was narrowed down, I was responsible for getting a quote and contract proposal from the hotels. Finally once the contracts arrived, we were able to make a decision to hold the Seminar For Success at the Hilton Garden Inn on March 23-24 in Philadelphia.

Being able to work on this project was a great learning experience. It allowed me to take a project from the beginning stages all the way to having contracts signed. It also helped me develop critical interpersonal skills that will be extremely valuable in the future. I am now also working on signing up other venues for the Seminars for Success series!

-Nick Whitbeck

Hands on Experience at EpikLabs

2009-02-12T10:25:00.004-05:00

I recently started my experience at EpikLabs as the Web Marketing intern for my Advanced Marketing Internship course at Champlain College. EpikLabs is EpikOne's internship program that is designed to immerse students with the skills and experience they need to excel in the web space, specifically the web analytics industry. With a less than excellent experience at my previous internship, working for EpikOne has been a breath of fresh air. I was immediately immersed into performing professional web marketing tasks that have already expanded my skills and understanding of the industry in just a few weeks!

Despite my job title of "intern", I have been given opportunities to work on exciting projects. One of which involved working with a local (Burlington, VT) company. The client needed a variety of tasks to be completed, and it was a great learning experience. My first task was a Search Engine Optimization project (SEO) which involved writing keyword rich content. Our goal was to make sure that key terms related to the site were listed on the first page on the search results. One tactic to ensure that this happens is to write keyword rich content - this was my task.

After I accomplished that part of the project, my next assignment was to take the copy and apply some basic HTML coding. Although I didn't have the slightest idea how to write code, my manager (Paul Skarvinko) briefly explained the basics of good SEO HTML coding and provided me with some examples of how to construct the HTML. Within a few minutes I was hyper-linking text as well as images. This is something I never thought I would be able to do. If I ran into a problem, EpikOne staffers were extremely helpful with getting me back on the right track. Once I coded all of the optimized pages, my next task was to link them to already established "category" pages on the client's website.

Working on this project was a great learning experience, as I have never performed many of the tasks mentioned prior. Skills like writing copy to optimize a page for organic listings, writing basic HTML text and image linking code, and understanding how to connect landing pages to a website are all important aspects in this profession. I never thought I would learn these tactics in the first few weeks! EpikLabs is a great place to be an intern because the EpikOne staff is extremely knowledgeable and willing to share their knowledge. The environment at EpikLabs fosters learning and I can't wait to see what new skills I will acquire next!

-Michael J. Taverna

Update: What I have been up to this January at Epik

2009-02-04T12:27:00.002-05:00

I am back for another semester at Epik and I will be shifting over into other aspects of the business. Last week I able to get my hands dirty with Google Analytics. Although this is not the first time using this program, it was the first time I was able to look at the numbers and provide suggestions. Epik recently signed a new client, a large consumer packaged goods (CPG) retailer whom specializes in selling products that are hard to find in your local grocery store. Working with Paul, an EpikOne analyst, we were able to provide great insight and recommendations to the client. For example, when I was reviewing the analytics data I was able to see that conversion rates were higher on the weekends. The client can use this information to help tailor their advertising campaigns. Paul broke down one manufacturer that is sold through this company and found that one product was accounting for 82% of the page views within that one manufacturer. We were also able to identify and quantify their key traffic sources (referral, paid traffic, email marketing, etc.). Without analytics this company would be unaware of these of key metrics and the impact it is having on their business. The client was ecstatic when Epik was able to provide such meaningful data to show inquiring and existing manufacturers.

-Tyler

Inside EpikOne

2009-02-04T11:43:00.005-05:00

Some pictures of this 'Epik" workplace:

More Pictures here......
Inside Epik

GA Seminars for Success Atlanta 2/17 + 2/18

2009-01-29T14:37:00.001-05:00

Learn the basics or expand your knowledge of Google Analytics at our acclaimed training series, Google Analytics Seminars for Success. Our in-person Google Analytics training covers everything from basic setup to advanced visitor segmentation to keyword optimization.

Taught by Analytics guru Justin Cutroni, Seminars for Success is taking place February 17th and 18th at Emory University

Like all business owners and marketers, you need to know-how will this benefit me or my bottom line? We appreciate that, so our experts have built these courses around Best Practices for proper installation through tackling advanced technical use. The Seminars for Success Agenda will cover new Google Analytics features.

Complete details are available on the Seminars for Success event page!

Research Project: Ad Networks & Servers

2008-11-03T13:20:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago Paul gave me the task of researching various ad networks and servers. An ad network can be defined as a brokering service used to connect advertisers and publishers. They take a commission of all ad sales. An ad server is simply the software that delivers ads on the site. The purpose of this research project was for myself and others to gain insight on how ad networks and servers work and to research competition. Like the other Google products EpikOne is a expert in, Google Ad Manager is the latest thing Epik has mastered.

The Google Ad Manager is a free ad serving and network platform for web-masters who would like to streamline their advertising operations. Like all of the Google Products, the Ad Manager provides users with a simple, straight forward, easy-to-use interface.

While researching the competition I was looking at each companies unique identifier, target market(sports, fashion, etc..), and who each company partners with. For example EpikOne partners with Google. This project took myself a couple days to complete and was just another feather in my hat to many new things I have learned thus far at Epik.

Intern Opportunities for Fall 2008/Summer 2009:

2008-10-20T09:27:00.003-04:00

Digital Advertising Specialist:

EpikOne is an early adopter of Google’s hosted ad management solution, Ad Manager, that can help publishers sell, schedule, deliver, and measure all of their directly-sold and network-based inventory. With a robust feature set this real-time ad server will help empower small and medium sized publishers maximize their revenue potential. We are looking for a motivated individual who can learn and work independently on the Google Ad Manager. Their responsibilities will include assessing a publishers inventory, trafficking publisher orders, and troubleshooting Ad Manager code implementation and delivery issues. In addition to becoming an expert with this cutting edge technology you will be immersed in a fast growing business and Google Analytics.

Web Developer:

We are looking for a detail oriented, thorough, motivated web developer to help us manage our web properties and work on our web-based software products. The ideal candidate would have experience with Javascript, CSS, PHP, Ajax and MySQL. Ruby knowledge a plus.

Web Marketer:

Our ideal candidate will be creative, innovative, adventurous, and comfortable voicing their opinions to their coworkers and team members. In addition to working with Google Analytics and AdWords, web marketing interns are encouraged to diversify their skill sets into other areas of online marketing such as design & development. Having working knowledge of HTML/CSS is a major plus.

Designer:

The ideal design intern is creative but willing to put function before form. The design intern will work with interns & other employees to design marketing materials, website test variations & more. Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator (CS2+) is essential. HTML/CSS knowledge ideal.

What I have been working on at Epik so far?

2008-10-15T18:02:00.002-04:00

For my first month and a half I have been working on 3 projects; SEO, link building, and ad manager research. The SEO has been for 2 clients; Fresh Coffee Now and Blue Buffalo. This project included; writing SEO copy, re-arraigning the site layout, picking and using keywords, and preparing a client deliverable suggestions document.

I have also worked on link building for Blue Buffalo. This entails looking for sites relevant to Blue Buffalo's target market(pet food & care) and exchanging or placing links on that particular site. The goal of this is to increase your ranking in search engines.

The other project I have been working on has been researching ad servers and ad networks for Epik’s new business venture. EpikOne is going to become an authority on Google Ad Manager and follow a similar model to their analytics consulting and implementation.

-Tyler

What it's like working at EpikOne

2008-10-15T16:39:00.004-04:00

I have worked at EpikOne for a month and half and my experience thus far has been great. I was shocked as to how fast buy-in and trust occurred in my work. From day one Paul has had me working on client deliverable items. Out of the many jobs I have had in the past, Epik is most the laid back working environment. Feel free to take off your shoes(as long as your feet don’t stink) and listen to your favorite tunes while working on your Mac(Epik is a Mac only environment). Even though I am the low man on the totem pole, the people at Epik take what I say seriously or listen if I have a suggestion.

If you want to just get coffee and donuts, make copies, and take it easy, Epik is not the place for you. There is always work to be done and you need to able multi-task and be able to change what you are working in a moments notice. Don’t let this intimidate you, just bring a open, creative mind and a strong work ethic and you will do fine.

-Tyler

Fall '08 Epiklabs Internship Opportunity

2008-08-21T10:15:00.002-04:00

This fall Epik will be taking on one intern. Here are the qualifications and typical tasks:

Web Developer

If you are:
- Detail oriented
- Thorough
- Dedicated
- Knowledgeable in JavaScript, CSS, PHP, Ajax, MySQL
- Ruby knowledge a plus

You will learn to:
- Develop websites and web applications
- Become familiar with the evolving web development environment
- Learn how Web 2.0 is affecting measurement and web analytics

For more information visit www.epiklabs.com

My Last Day

2008-07-31T14:21:00.003-04:00

Hello Everyone!

Sadly, this is my last post on the EpikLabs blog (sad face). But, I did have a great experience this summer and I really enjoyed my time here at Epik. I got to meet some really cool people, and I learned a lot. I am glad that I got to opportunity to work for Epik as an intern, I have heard a lot of people talk about their internships and how they were disappointed, I don't feel like that, I feel like my internship was really sweet. I do not know what exactly I see myself doing when I graduate, but whatever it is, I know that I will be able to use some of the things I learned here at Epik in the future.
It will feel strange next week when I don't have to get up in the morning and come to Epik. I will definitely miss it here. Today I am doing my final presentation and I hope it goes well. This Summer went by so fast, I can't believe it is already almost coming to an end. Although, I had a very busy summer, I am proud of myself for the things I accomplished and all the work I did here at Epik.
I feel like it is crazy how fast everything is going, I still can't believe I am going to be a senior at Champlain. I feel like I moved into the dorms yesterday. But when I really think about it, I realize that I have done a lot in these past three years and things are only going to start moving faster. However, as much as I enjoy the present, I am very much so looking forward to the future!
I will miss everyone here but I am sure I will get to see you all around town or somewhere in the future. I wish everyone the best of luck and thank you all for this wonderful opportunity! You guys rock! Keep in touch!

-Megan

Chuck, The SEO Rapper is AWESOME!

2008-07-23T10:13:00.003-04:00

hey guys,

Check out these totally sweet videos of the SEO rapper. that's right, he is actually rapping about social media, web design, link building, and SEO, what more do you need to know. I love it and I think this guy is awesome.

This one is about link building

And this one is my favorite, its called Paid Search 101 Rap

Hope you guys enjoy Chuck the SEO rapper.

-Megan

The Big Move

2008-07-01T10:44:00.010-04:00

Today is my first day coming to work at Epik's brand new office! On my way to work, I was a little worried that I would not be able to find it that easily. But, to my surprise it was very conveniently located and easy to spot, its right on the corner of Kilburn and PIne Street. I parked my car in the lot after the building which i found out later is not where you are supposed to park. Instead you park across the street from the building or on the street somewhere. When I first got here, I was still a little confused about how to get inside and I thought the door was locked. But luckily, as I was standing outside, Greg came and showed me how to get inside (you have to pull the door, not push it...) once inside there are two doors to get into the office. Phil said that we would most likely be using the one to the left when you walk in.

Phil gave Matt and me a tour when we got settled in. He showed us all around and we got to see all of the different little office and hangout areas for working, thinking, taking a break, or hiding. Phil mentioned that a lot of people have been riding their bikes to work now that the location is better, and if you get to exhausted riding your bike to work in the morning, one of the three bathrooms has a shower in it. the other bathroom Phil described as the most boring bathroom in the world. He was right, its pretty boring but once they get some stuff up on the walls it won't be so bad.

The hang-out area for the new office is still getting set up. The new space looks really cool though. Also, they are adding in a work out room with a new rowing machine and other gym equipment so we can all get really buff! Hooray! Overall, the new place rules. The new office is definitely going to take some getting used to for everyone, but I think its really awesome!

I hope everyone likes the new place as much as I do!
-Megan

Bootcamp: Paul talks about adwords

2008-06-26T13:06:00.002-04:00

Last week I was lucky enough the attend Online Marketing Bootcamp at Champlain College. I attended on Tuesday and Thursday, it was pretty sweet. Tuesday was cool because i got to hear Avinash speak and he was very interesting. the second day i attended, I watched Paul Skarvinko speak. I enjoyed his presentation a lot it was very informative yet fun and enjoyable. Paul was speaking that day about Google adwords. he covered a lot of different areas and key points about Google Adwords which helped me out a lot with things i was confused about. overall, I learned a lot from watching Paul. Paul began his presentation by comparing Google Adwords to fishing.
Paul said that everyone with an Adwords account should spend at least 15 minutes a day in it. then, he started talking about Quality score, which compares your keyword, ad and landing page to the search query and sees how compatible they are. in order to have a higher quality score, it is important to make sure that your keywords and ad match your site and landing page content. Paul gave a very thorough explanation of Quality and covered the facts and misconceptions.
next Paul Covered Adwords targeting. he covered the different ways that Adwords technology targets users. then, he talked about something that i though was very interesting. this was how to use Adwords to target the people you want the see your ad. he said you can target by country, language, regions, and many other ways.
Soon, Paul began talking about some really interesting things - how to use Adwords to create text ads, image ads, mobile ads, and click -to-play video ads. he also told us how you can create audio/radio ads, television ads, and print ads from the computer...i thought that this was very cool.
Paul then walked through the process of using adwords step by step. he actually logged into the OM Bootcamp adwords account and showed people how to use it. Paul covered each of the topics he had just described like custom targeting. Paul explained to everyone how you can optimize your text ads by altering the way they look and what they contain.
Paul's talked about Bidding strategy, he said that the ideal place to be is in 3rd-7th position, this way you are still on the first page and it costs less than premium spots.
The final part of the presentation was my favorite. this is when Paul talked about setting up Adword radio and print ads. this is something that i had not known about prior to attending Bootcamp but I think it is really cool. Paul walked the audience through the process of setting up a radio ad and he gave some helpful advice like:

-Use a unique 800 number (Adwords provides the technology to take any 800 number and forward it to your real phone number)
-Mention the call to action 3 times
- Use interesting sound (it is audio)
- bid low

Paul then explained how to track the radio ads then he explained how to set up print ads in Adwords. he showed us how to elect different newspapers and date ranges. then he offered some helpful tips about print ads like:

- Larger ads and texts have more stopping power
- use color
-white space
-images
-product showcase
-prices

Overall, i had a great time watching Paul speak at Bootcamp. I learned a lot and I think that everyone else there did as well.

-Megan

OM Boot Camp Success!

2008-06-24T12:15:00.006-04:00

This past week, June 17th-20th, Epik held its annual Online Marketing Boot Camp here in Burlington, VT. OM Boot Camp featured a number of industry experts, including Google employees, popular industry bloggers, and Epik employees. The goal of the training was to provide business people with the skills and knowledge required to establish, manage, and expand their business on the web. The training was hosted by Champlain College in order to take advantage of their state of the art computing facilities.
Presenters included Avinash Kaushik, Kristoffer Ewald, Alex Ortiz, and Epik CEO Dave Winslow. The presentation topics included “New Outlooks in Online Marketing,” Optimizing your Online Marketing Media,” “Be Massively Successful at Web Analytics 2.0,” “Growing in a Recession with Measurable Marketing,” and many more.
Over 180 attendees came for Day 1, which featured the main keynote speakers such as Avinash, and Alec Newcomb of My Web Grocer. The remainder of the days had roughly 70 attendees who learned the ins and outs of online technology. Businesses in attendance included SkiRack, The Burlington Free Press, Seventh Generation, The Emily Post Institute, IBEX Outdoor Clothing, and Comcast Cable Spotlight to name a few.
I had a chance to attend seminars on Google Analytics, Adwords, Website Optimization, and a few of the social events at the end of the night. The sesssions were really great, they had both a beginner and advanced groups to cater to each persons skill level. I attended the beginner sessions and learned a lot of new things including how to set up analytics, establish goals and performance tracking metrics, and set up a new Adwords campaign. Epiks own Miami Vice extra, Paul Skarvinko, taught me the finer points of Adwords bidding and budgeting. Overall the seminars were extremely helpful and entertaining.
For more information about OM Boot Camp visit the web site, http://www.ombootcamp.com/.

Epik in the Burlington Free Press

2008-06-17T14:05:00.006-04:00

On Monday, June 16th Epik was featured by the Burlington Free Press in the Business Monday section. The article, titled "Epik makes its move," outlined Epiks changing and growing business as well as their big move to downtown Burlington in July. Click here to check it out!

Link Tagging

2008-06-11T20:06:00.004-04:00

In order to track the results of our campaigns, Epik uses something called link tagging. The attributes (values/variables) generated in a query string are what will ultimately tell us about how well (or awful) our campaign did. There are four variables in a query string; source, medium, campaign and content. Source, medium and campaign should always be used in order to gather the greatest amount of information from the campaign through Google Analytics.

Utm_source is the highest-level variable in link tagging. The source tag indicates where your traffic is coming from. For e-mails it is generally "newsletter", if you were running CPC or banner ads on Google it would be "Google" or the name of the venue or website where your ad was being displayed.

Utm_medium is the type of media where your tracked link is embedded, such as e-mail, CPC (Cost per Click/Google Adwords), banner ads, TV, radio, etc. Sometimes, you might have links that have the same source but different media. For example, if you were running banner ads as well as CPC ads on Google, you would use the medium tag to enable Google Analytics to differentiate which media your Google traffic is coming from. Yet this would still enable you to see total Google traffic using the “source” attribute.

Utm_campaign is the name of your campaign. When creating campaigns, I personally usually use the date as the campaign name and attach additional information for a/b tests or text versions of html mailers. An example of a campaign tag for a monthly newsletter would be something like “MN_5-23-2008”. Every month your source would be “newsletter” and your medium would be “email”, but your campaign tag would change to reflect the date of each individual newsletter. This would allow you to view compiled data for all e-mail and newsletter traffic and the ability to drill down to the campaign level.

Utm_content is the most specific variable tag because it is unique to each link. The content tag is used to differentiate links within the same campaign, medium, and source. It can help you determine which link or call to action within your campaign performs best.

If you already have experience with link tagging, there are a couple of “best practices” you may want to add to your skill set such as using lowercase letters and using underscores and hyphens to avoid spaces when naming attributes. As you may know, attributes are case sensitive and will show up as different attributes in Google Analytics if the case is not uniform across all links. If you are unsure of what source/medium to use, look to Google Analytics for existing sources and mediums and choose one that best suits the link you’re tagging.

-Aba

"White Labeling" Social Networks

2008-06-11T19:44:00.011-04:00

Social networking is not just for teenagers and college kids anymore. The idea of “white labeling” a social network is to make the platform provider almost invisible to the user. To white label your own social network is to create the look, feel, function, etc. you would like your network to display. Essentially, the idea is to brand your own social network.

“Nine Ways to Build Your Own Social Network” from TechCruch gives great insight into the world of white label social networking. Giving a brief overview of nine different white label social networks, the article discusses the three types of companies that have emerged in space

of the growing trend; do-it-yourself solutions, social networking software and need-based. Do-it-yourself solutions are the “point and click” answer to customers social networking needs. This type of solution focuses on building tools that will help the customer learn and understand, literally, how to do it themselves. Social networking software can be downloaded and installed onto your computer, allowing you to interact and share with other users. Need-based social networking companies work with clients to tailor their network to their specific needs and functionality.

Nicely stated in the article, author Mark Hendrickson communicates-
"Customers have lost trust in traditional sales, marketing and service (the three areas commonly referred to as ‘CRM,’ or Customer Relationship Management). According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, ‘the most credible source of information about a company is now a person like me, which has risen dramatically to surpass doctors and academic experts for the first time.’ The survey relates that in the U.S., trust in a person like me increased from 20% in 2003 to 68% today.
The connections enabled by social networks are the glue that put the humanity back into business to solve the trust problem. In other words, the organizations that will win are the ones that most easily enable individuals to build relationships and communities with people they trust."
Hendrickson hit the nail on the head. Through allowing people to make their own decisions on the web (rather than being bombarded with pop-ups and banner ads), social networks allow people to create their own communities. Communities tailored to a specific audience, common purpose, practice or brand name.

The flexibility social networking provides is once again allowing web users a freedom of choice in their online experience.

-Aba

Epik Privacy Policy

2008-05-29T16:12:00.001-04:00

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Also, we include an unsubscribe link in every email we send, so you can leave our list any time that suits you.

Welcome to the EpikLabs Blog

2008-05-28T11:18:00.006-04:00

The EpikLabs blog is a place where the interns of EpikLabs can post descriptions of, and links to interesting and helpful information related to their work. By reading and compiling information from a variety of sources the interns are not only learning, but also creating a database of information for others to utilize.

The first article featured on the EpikLabs blog comes from the Google Analytics team and is titled "Which button would you click? A lesson on website optimization." The post provides a great introduction to the world of website optimization. For those of us who are new to analytics the authors start out by outlining basic definitions and descriptions; from there they move on to discuss a few of the tools available for more advanced analysis. The information is very helpful, definitely check it out if you are interested in learning more about analytics!