General Questions
Technical Questions
Promotional Questions
Q: what does 'd.m.l.r.' mean?
A: 'd.m.l.r.' is standing for 'direct marketing linked resources' (DMLR).
Q: how much space is taking up DMLR?
A: the website's size is over 4 Mb.
Q: what is the direct marketing?
A: 'direct marketing' is an interactive strategy to build/maintain long-term relationship with individual customers.
Q: what is DMLR*News?
A: DMLR*News is a critique review of articles on the Internet as a marketing medium; it's available on this web site. The first issue of DMLR*News was released 1997! in Italian only; later DMLR*News became a two-language edition (EN, IT). The recent GOLD series has been published as bimonthly or quarterly issue for 10 years (2000-10) and 51 issues as a whole.
Q: what is the mission of DMLR web site?
A: DMLR mission is to provide useful information to the knowledge and practice of direct marketing and Internet marketing.
Q: which means are used for?
A: DMLR means are text, graphics, design associated to its own site or showed through other online resources.
Q: which support does DMLR web site supply?
A: DMLR is supplying Internet-based tools (web document, e-mail, search engine) to Net users for personal or professional purposes.
Q: what is the purpose of DMLR?
A: DMLR purpose is to set up tracks, articles, services promoting the spread of marketing oriented web sites.
Q: how many documents are building up on DMLR?
A: until mid December 06 the contents of www.dmlr.org as a whole were:
- 528 pages (HTML and PDF files), 498 of which are indexed;
- 639,335 words;
- 6,698,833 bytes;
- about 250 files as GIF/JPG (logo, banner, charts, etc.) and 1 file as AUDIO (QuickTime).
Q: what do 'html', 'pdf' and 'gif' mean?
A: 'html' is standing for HyperText Markup Language, a language used in writing Web document; 'pdf' is Portable Document Format, the famous format of documents readable by the Acrobat(tm) Reader --freeware by www.adobe.com; 'gif' means Graphic Interchange Format, a graphic file format visible through a visualization program.
Q: how is a html page built?
A: it's a three steps plan:
- the page project --what is to be written and how to present graphically the content;
- the instructions writing (tag) needed to generate the planned layout's effects;
- the check test reading the page by a simple browser, to watch the result and bring off necessary changes.
Q: how are the graphics on DMLR set up?
A: the images are designed by not professional graphic programs, saved in .pict format and afterward converted into .gif by means of GraphicConverter --www.lemkesoft.de.
Q: how is the web site image coordinated?
A: the project consists of a name -DMLR- distinguishing the web site. A DMLR logo placed on the main pages introducing the contents. Other banners are used in presenting the main documents of the site. The banner is a web promotion tool linking a web page to (click through) another associated page. Any single document has its own length according to its contents, and therefore the whole page may have a mainly textual, hypertextual or graphical character.
Q: how are the texts being conceived?
A: texts are contents created by the author and monthly updated; each page is pursuing its own informative goal and text is being updated to offer continuity to the project crept into each service.
Q: which source are texts coming from?
A: texts are coming from their function on the page, it means that text could be of
- presenting, i.e. open and fixed text, ever the same any time;
- explaining, i.e. contents renewable during time. Some texts are substituted but available in archive to be read after replacing;
- servicing, i.e. close and support text, which 'sign' the site publishing -- copyright, date, technical info, author.
Q: how to insert a text into html documents?
A: texts are typed by a word processing program. Then text is placed into instructions (tags) useful for visualizing the page, with respect to forms and rules of the html language.
Q: how are texts displayed?
A: text is in Italian because the main audience is composed of national web surfers. Since 1999 the text is translated into Engligh which is the first language of most Internet users. All translations made by the author himself.
Q: which kind of computer is used by DMLR ?
A: this site is conceived as do-it-yourself job and a Macintosh Notebook G3 Series is being used. All the prgrams needed to access the Internet, to create text or images, to transfer files to the Web server are installed as the basic software.
Q: how is a web site maintained on the Internet?
A: DMLR is taking up a web space available on a computer steadily connected to the Internet by an Italian ISP which is providing an ftp_account to transfer, into the DMLR assigned space, the files used by a visualization program to browse the site as you're doing now.
Q: what does 'ftp' mean?
A: 'ftp' is standing for File Transfer Protocol, a program putting up data from a home computer to a host computer; in this case, data files are being put from the home Mac up to the Internet service provider web host.
Q: what is the web address of DMLR?
A: DMLR web site may be reached at the location (URL)
http://www.dmlr.org/index.html (main page in English). A graphical map outlines the site structure.
Q: what does 'URL' mean?
A: 'URL' means Uniform Resource Locator; a DMLR page's URL is composed by
- http:// (identifying a resource -- web site -- as part of WWW)
- www.dmlr.org/ (identifying the server computer or location;
moreover, being a registered web domain since 06.23.2000 by Roberto Dondi, it's identifying one personal Website name)
- FAQs.htm (is the location of the document you are reading just now).
Q: what is a directory?
A: it is a computer area, of assigned and limited space, into which the files may be positioned via ftp. Once the files have been delivered into the directory, they are immediately available online, therefore displayed by browser typing the URL.
Q: what is a server?
A: it is a computer to which you are connected during an Internet session.
Q: which promotional resources is WWW allowing?
A: they are interactive techniques - business to business, manufacturer or dealer to consumer - useful to complete traditional media such as direct marketing.
Q: what is the WWW?
A: 'WWW' is the acronym of "World Wide Web", the net (of computers) available across the world, a new advertising and distributive channel being able to develop a wide number of business transactions, part of which
coming away from the traditional trade systems.
Q: how was DMLR.ORG web site promoted?
A: this site was promoted by means of Web techniques. First: by registering the web address (url) onto directories and search engines. Second: by delivering information on DMLR via email. Third: by contacting web sites of companies, organizations, associations that may be interested in exchanging link or banner with DMLR.
Q: what are the directories?
A: they are web sites set up to supply information on all existing web sites. They are organized by 'categories' and 'sub-categories' related to several topics. The search system is interactive and based on interactive
request/response dialogue with a visitor, who wants to handle with web sites or documents.
Q: what are the search engines?
A: they are indexing, retrieving and updating programs of published web sites. The major engines are being updated continuously; sometimes, a submitted web page is indexed within 48 hours only.
Q: what do you get by searching through directories and engines?
A: you can obtain useful information on any interested topic, published on any web page, or more simply, get the address of a web site (url). Searching is as faster and more effective as more able is the user to put in the request by means of names, keys, phrases, and to manage the online procedure.
Q: how to register a web site address?
A: once you get connected to a search engine or directory, follow the 'Add Url' procedure to register a web site or page address. Sometimes, you are required to send other data, i.e. your email address; the 'category' of topics your site has to be indexed to; the outline of the site contents.
Q: how much cost a web site registration?
A: registering a web site onto search indexes is usually free -see www.addme.com website. Pay indexing systems are also available for registering the site address into several search engines at once.
Q: is it easy to find DMLR by search engines?
A: sure, if you are searching by keys as: direct marketing, web marketing, newsletter, or the acronym DMLR too.
Q: which services are offered by DMLR?
A: at present, this site is supplying free tips and suggestions on how to manage a personal web site to subscribers and/or readers -one time or regular visitors.
Q: how to subscribe the newsletter?
A: the DMLR*Newsletter has been delivering via email. To enter the e-mail list, simply fill in the form here www.dmlr.org/subscribe.htm.
Q: what is the content of DMLR*News?
A: a) articles on marketing and web stuff; b) web sites review; c) list of selected web sites; d) customized replies to questions; e) newsletter online archive; f) direct links to external resources.
All articles are written and edited by the author, see details on copyright.
Q: what is a newsgroup?
A: it's a group of interest, an electronic board or discussion where you can read from or send to messages speaking of a certain topic you are interested in.
Q: what is needed to enter a newsgroup?
A: the service is free. Technically, it's a software or newsgroup reader --a program able to send and get newsgroup messages; usually, the newsgroup reader is included in the Internet software kit or provided by an ISP.
Q: what does 'netiquette' mean?
A: etiquette of the Net, correct rules and behavior to be sticked to deal with newsgroup or email. Among these rules, don't insult (flame) and don't send unsolicited ad messages (spam).
Q: how many links are active to other web sites?
A: external links vary according to actual exchange deals. Other links are active on every new page of DMLR*News and Top4 magazine.
Q: what is a link?
A: two connected documents on the Web are linked pages; usually the link is highlighted by bold or underlined text or associated with an image on the page. Clicking on it you're entering the new document linked to.
Q: how much did DMLR web site cost?
A: this site is developed entirely by my own software. The managing cost during the first year of publishing, was estimated about 4.5-5 millions (old ITL), excluding web space and project/design of the site.
Q: how is the cost of a web site fixed?
A: the single cost items to be considered are (a) web space on server, (b) whole number of pages, (c) graphical images to be created, (d) maintenance.
Q: how to estimate the web site charges?
A: the web services related to the site building are being provided by Internet Service Providers (ISP), web designers and consultants, who have to provide to clients a price-list based estimating for 1) web site hosting, 2) html pages writing, 3) graphics and images processing, 4) other required services (such as maintenance, web promotion, form programming, web site statistics, site visitors reporting etc.).
Q: do DMLR supply web-design services?
A: this site is a real example of web site designing. To catch DMLR web designer contact DonRo.
Q: how many surfers are visiting DMLR?
A: since September'97 umpteen visitors have been joining the website. I estimated 6,000 to 12,000 people yearly.
Q: how to measure exactly the number of visits to a web site?
A: by means of a "web-audit" software, which can gather and count statistically the visitors to a site. The gathering involves to all basic elements of a web ("hit") and, by further analysis steps, provide several informative
sources interesting for a web site owner.
Q: what is a hit?
A: the "hit" is a file. Each web page contains a number of hits obtained from adding the graphical components (images, icons, banners, buttons). For example, the main page [square1.htm] counts 7-8 hits, 6-7 of which are images (banner, botton, flag) and one is the Html document itself.
Q: what is a visit?
A: the interaction between a person and a web site. A visit will be distinguished from the next one by a time period ("time-out") conventionally defined as long as 30 minutes. If during a "time-out" the user doesn't interact the web site, then his next interaction will represent a new visit.
Q: who is a visitor?
A: any individual visiting a web site. Each visitor could be distinctively recognized only by means of registering form or identifying system.
Q: what is the relationship between "hits" and visitors?
A: it depends on the number of files (hits) required by any visitor clicking on. Number is varying from each other page.
Q: how to measure then the number of visitors to a web site?
A: a measurement key is the ability of an audit software to identify all the requests from the same visitor. The program stores up all this information without damaging the web server software or the html documents.
Q: what is useful to know from statistics on web site traffic?
A: detailed information about organizations the visitors are being connected from (domain, size, country, etc.) or about visiting time passed on a page, number of visited pages each session, browsing tracked path and so on.
Q: what type of information could I collect on DMLR readers?
A: surely not the tombstone data (i.e. name or e-mail). You can collect information such as when they did subscribe the newsletter, or how they know about the website and so on. For example: ONE QUESTION FOR EVERYONE VISITING DMLR.ORG!
Q: how can I stay informed on the new contents?
A: the best system is to become a subscriber of DMLR*News. Every month you will receive the news about the DMLR web site; or you can bookmark and visit the most frequently updated pages, that are as follows
- www.dmlr.org/square1.htm, the place to enter DMLR.ORG sections in English
- /newsgold.htm, the newsletter Gold edition as online version
- /top4.htm, the magazine made by web sites review
- /guide.htm, the list of useful marketing resources
Furthermore all the articles issued since 1999 are filed online.
Q: how many languages does DMLR 'speak'?
A: All pages are written in Italian language and translated into English. Since November 2000 the résumé page is available in two added languages: German and Spanish.
D: how to search a document or topic of interest?
R: a) enter the advanced search support page at www.dmlr.org/come/2001.htm; b) fill out the online form; c) select the topic to search (one word, two words, a whole phrase); d) start the searching; e) the search engine powered by Atomz will select for you all the DMLR pages containing the key word(s).
D: how to download the Direct Marketing glossary?
R: As other special reports, the 3-part DIRECT MARKETING Glossary is available in PDF format only!
D: what are the elements identifying DMLR first?
R: a) a web domain registered at IANA; b) a logo you may see on the so called front page www.dmlr.org; c) the icon "dmlr-dot-org" you may visualize by registering www.dmlr.org among your preferred sites on the browser; d) ad banners displayed on external sites that are promoting DMLR as useful center of resources for marketing.
D: how many articles does DMLR publish?
R: until 2006 they were published six bi-monthly issues of DMLR*News GOLD series (v.Ita/Eng) and other six issues as Top4 magazine, now all indexed on www.dmlr.org. Later and until 2010 newsletter and magazine have been reunited onto the same GOLD series, including four issues every year.
D: what is the DMLR Club?
R: DMLR Club is a professional online store featuring Amazon.com products, built in minutes with no programming skills thanks to the newest product aStore by Amazon. It introduces a wide book selection basically direct marketing-oriented. Everyone can visit and consult it at DMLR Club open 24-7!
Q: did you know...
A: a) the first non-Italian subscriber of DMLR*News has been a man from India; b) DMLR website is often ranked within the 15th displayed Url by search engines (eg. AltaVista, Google) --as resulted by typing the key words 'dmlr' or 'direct+marketing'; c) the subscribers of DMLR*News overcame 640 during the last year of its delivering via email.
| ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
©1997::2017 Roberto Dondi, dmlr.org (sm).