Trends Report: Registration Path Redux
With declines in email open rates, continuing frustrations with the contextual market and dismal banner clicks, driving traffic has been a formidable task for publishers. Advertisers hungry for leads continually seek out new ways to get the lead generation they need for their business model.
Amazingly enough, many advertisers are turning back to the registration path for an avenue of lead generation. Once written off as saturated, inefficient and wrought with fraud, the model has benefited from the failings of other models, continued improvements in technology to serve/post data from the lead paths, and the impressive numbers that some publishers can produce from the paths.
Specifically, the technological improvements have allowed the registration path to live up to its potential of effective lead generation. XML, fttp and even more revolutionary modes of instant communication are allowing advertisers to accept leads at an almost real time pace while rejecting the leads that don’t fit the agreed upon criteria. Most importantly, the registration path model seems to have taken a page from the Google play-book and cutting-edge publishers are offering automation in lead-generating deals.
The numbers supporting registration path leads are impressive. Sites generating high amounts of volume are able to work on cpa’s, which many advertisers in the space prefer. Because of this, the setup benefits both sides of the equation.
2004 is best summed up by the term optimization. Whether in the search realm or in the mass amounts of consolidations occurring in the industry, advertisers and publishers are looking for ways to do business that stresses cost effectiveness. 2004’s biggest surprise may be the return of the registration path model as a top producer of leads for advertisers and revenue for publishers.
Sam Harrelson is the Co-Editor of the Digital Moses Confidential. He can be reached at [email protected]
