Business Rankings

Central Penn Business Journal - Exemplary Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:32:00 +0000

Central Penn Business Journal has been conducting book of lists e-commerce online for years and years. It is one of DataJoe's oldest clients. I'd consider them an "old faithful" case when it comes to basic, solid practices for interactive online publishing and data e-commerce using the DataJoe platform.

View Central Penn Business Journal's Online Storefront >>

Here are a few reasons why I consider CPBJ to be exemplary in their execution of data e-commerce.

CPBJ has a dedicated, full time researcher who cares about the data, and has taken responsibility for doing it well.
The online store has explicit textual instructions for its proper usage.
They have a mind-blowing number of lists, available in print and online.
Nearly all lists are available for viewing in HTML format (free) and download-able in *.PDF and *.XLS formats (pay-per-download).
CPBJ sells an Premium Product, the Annual ListCentral Subscription, which sports unlimited view and download access for a premium price-point.
The Online Data Store is just plain useful. Visitors can view data for any list for free, obtaining instant, valuable business insight into the Central Pennsylvania market, in a variety of industries.
Many of the HTML views of lists feature interactive Google mapping.

Crain's Chicago Business - New Online Storefront

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:09:00 +0000

*BR Alert*

Crain's Chicago Business, a well-established business journal serving the business community of Chicago, has unveiled a redesigned online storefront for its Book of List data. Crain's Chicago has always been an innovative and effective player in the realm of data e-commerce and Book of Lists marketing, promoting their ranked lists aggressively with online house ads, e-news alerts, twitter, and a variety of other channels. This is the second time I've witnessed them redesign their online storefront interface in the last few years.

View the New CCB Online Storefront >>

The newest iteration showcases a sleek new design that has been compacted to limit the need for vertical scrolling. Nearly every ranking sports multiple avenues for interacting with the data, including (1.) A Top 5 Preview, (2.) PDF Download (Pay-Per-Download,) and (3.) XLS Download (Pay-Per-Download.)

The most notable change is the addition of a completely new product -- the Crain's Unlimited Research Package. This one-year subscription provides access to all lists in Excel, PDF, or HTML format, with access to updated versions of the lists as they come available throughout the editorial cycle. The Unlimited Research Package also includes a few side benefits, namely unlimited online access to the weekly edition of Crain's Chicago Business, and a one-year print subscription. The cost is $599 - a bold move, as this surpasses the pricing for any other Book of Lists product they sell by a margin of $200 or more.

Again, Crain's Chicago tends to be an innovator, as far as pushing the boundaries of Book of Lists marketing and e-commerce; so I would not be surprised if you see other regional business publishers follow suit, at least in principle, by selling a premium product of similar dimensions, with added perks bundled in. Some publications predated Crain's Chicago in selling an "unlimited access" premium product; and my bet is that there are more to come.

When a List Gets Chopped, People Notice - And React

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:21:00 +0000

*BR Alert*

I have a pack of electric hounds. Every day I set them loose on the Internet to sniff out content relevant to Book of Lists, business journal ranked lists, and other topics related to the business publishing / data publishing niche.

This morning, my hounds dragged home fresh meat and dumped it on my porch step, just like I taught them.

I won't say much to preface, except that the article below continues to confirm the significance of the business journal ranked list in any given market. The business community is watching. And when something happens, like a list gets canceled, the business community notices and responds. Sometimes violently.

The following article is an intense critique levied towards a local business journal. The trigger event for this critique was, according to the article, the fact that the business journal canceled its Web Development category of ranked lists from its Book of Lists. I found this to be an interesting and rare glimpse into the complex dynamic of business journals, their products, and their relationship with the local business community. Obviously this article showcases only one side of the issue, so keep that in mind.

Click here to read the article for yourself.

Online Survey Software (Automated Survey Blasting)

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:18:00 +0000

Online Survey Software - Considerations
You're probably familiar with Survey Monkey and Zoomerang. These guys are great for quick polls, or for one-off projects where you need to get fast feedback from companies, and collate results into an Excel file. But what if you are building a comprehensive, ever-growing database of company records, which feeds into multiple products? A one-off solution won't cut it. In cases like these, using an online survey system that is not tied into a rich, sustainable database can be the recipe for a nightmare. Here's the old pattern -- survey, export, import, format, publish. And do it all over again.

Online Survey Software - DataJoe Components
DataJoe is a software system engineered for business publishers who produce ongoing interactive ranked lists, editorial directories, and other rich data sets. The DataJoe system contains a flexible database engineered for data management, tied to a suite of survey tools for data acquisition. Your database, your surveys, print publishing, online publishing, and data e-commerce are all integrated into a single system. Think about that for a second.

Data Management System. Search and group companies and send blasts to particular industry sectors. Once you've isolated the right group, blast all contacts within that group.
Custom Surveys. Create and save your own customized surveys, built right into the database so all data collected flows to the right place.
Online Survey Blaster. Send out individual or batch blasts in a few clicks. Send e-mails, digital faxes, or HTML attachments directly to contacts in your database.
Online Submission. For email surveys, recipients will be directed to their own, unique, survey form (pre-populated with their data from previous years, at your discretion.) No log in or password necessary - just a direct link to a secure environment where they can input and update information for their company. This is incredibly convenient -- and optimizes response rates.
Survey Logs. Track successes and failures, and narrow down your follow up opportunities.
Track opens, bounces, and submissions.
Holding Area. Maintain strict editorial control. All submissions flow to a "holding area," pending approval. You will be able to view the survey, with any conflicts with existing data highlighted (so you can spot red flags.) Once you approve -- and only when you approve -- the survey updates the live database. This instantly updates the applicable online products using the data.

Taken together, this process eliminates unnecessary manual entry. It also eliminates steps between getting data from your survey utility into your database utility -- DataJoe bridges the gap by becoming both at once.

With DataJoe it's not: "survey - verify - export - import - format - publish."

It's: "survey - verify - publish."

BizTimes Online Directory Using DataJoe Platform

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:56:00 +0000

BizTimes, a business publication serving the business community in the Milwaukee, WI, region, produces a series of directories using the DataJoe platform. In producing the directory, BizTimes utilizes DataJoe's Online Survey Blasting technology, Custom Online Display, and DataJoe E-commerce (the "out-of-the-box" Online Data Storefront).

What's unique, here, is that there are multiple revenue streams. The directories are printed products, which can generate ad and enhanced listings sales. The directories are also online products, which can generate online enhancement sales. And finally, they are data products, which can be purchased on a "pay-per-download" basis by those who want to purchase the data for sales leads, job leads, and analysis.

Use the following links to view public aspects of the BizTimes online directories:

All Directories Splash Page (all directories listed)
Individual Directory Splash Page (Access to Capital Directory)
Example of Individual Directory (Access to Capital Directory)
Data Submission Page (online forms for data collection)
Products Page (purchase and download Excel files of directory data)

Data E-Commerce

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:58:00 +0000

Business publishers utilize a variety of methods for publishing data online. Generally, they are publishing data from ranked lists or directories. They sell access to the data using a variety of models, including "pay-per-download," database subscriptions, and custom search and download.

DataJoe E-Commerce
A large contingent of business publishers use DataJoe as the standard, dedicated solution for data e-commerce. DataJoe is a software system engineered for business publishers who produce interactive ranked lists, editorial directories, and other rich data sets. The DataJoe system contains modules for research, print-publishing, and online publishing of rich data products.

DataJoe provides business publishers with two methods of generating revenue from their rankings and directory data:

Local Data E-Commerce
National Data E-Commerce

Local Data E-Commerce
DataJoe E-Commerce is a specialized toolset for generating revenue from company data. The toolset comprises an easy "out-of-the-box" Online Store and Online Shopping Cart. DataJoe also provides custom Online Data Storefronts. Revenue models include "pay-per-download," database subscriptions, and search & download (custom download) models. For examples of the DataJoe Online Storefront, follow the links below:

National Data E-Commerce
DataJoe provides business publishers with a venue for selling data collaboratively. The DataJoe National Marketplace is a clearing house for deep company data contributed by business and trade publishers across the nation. Visit the DataJoe National Marketplace at www.datajoe.com.

Online Data Publishing - Interactive Lists & Directories

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:38:00 +0000

DataJoe is a provider of software services for business and trade publishers. DataJoe's core software system contains modules for data management, online surveying, print publishing (*.XLS, *.PDF, Quark Tags, InDesign Tags), online publishing (interactive ranked lists / databases & directories), and e-commerce.

Examples of Interactive Lists Published using the DataJoe Platform:

Examples of Databases & Directories Published using the DataJoe Platform:

Examples of DataJoe E-Commerce:

Data Publishing - DataJoe Utilities

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:48:00 +0000

A series of articles addressing the practical aspects of publishing data online, with descriptions of available DataJoe utilities for publishers.

Data E-Commerce

Online Data Publishing - Interactive Lists & Directories

Data Management Software

Database-to-Print Utilities (Export)

Online Survey Software (Automated Survey Blasting)

Central Penn Business Journal - Exemplary Rankings

Crain's Chicago Business - New Online Storefront

BizTimes Online Directory Using DataJoe Platform

Data Management Software

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:10:00 +0000

DataJoe is a software system engineered for business publishers who produce interactive ranked lists, editorial directories, and other rich data sets. The DataJoe system contains modules for research, print-publishing, and online publishing of rich data products. DataJoe reports an average time-savings for users as 340 hours per year, per FTE staff member.

Data Management Software
The DataJoe database is tuned specifically for searching, adding, editing, and maintaining company and person records, as well as "thing" records like deals, transactions, and other record types. A lot of the functionality is what you'd expect from any database. However, there are a few exceptions that make DataJoe the best fit for business publishers who create business rankings and editorial directories.

Online Access. DataJoe is a hosted solution, so admins can access the database securely wherever they have Internet access. Comes in handy if someone gets snowed in, but still needs to meet a deadline.
Assigned Privileges. The chief administrator can discreetly assign privileges to other users. Let's say you have a new intern with an itchy trigger finger for clicking "delete ..." you can take away his delete privileges, neutralizing the problem.
Field Level Logging. A historical record is kept of EACH CHANGE to EVERY RECORD in the database. This includes details about when it was changed, who changed it, and what is was changed from. A life save when you have a lot of "cooks in the kitchen."
Customized Search Interfaces. You can actually customize search interfaces to search across the fields that make sense. The options here are nearly unlimited.
Automated Survey. Send discreet survey blasts directly from the database, to contacts at companies within the applicable group. For example, it's that time of year to get in touch with all the Accounting Firms for your annual ranking ... Blast them all in a matter of moments with a professional e-mail that enables the recipients to securely update existing data or provide new data. MORE>>
Flexible Form Creation. Create your own data forms and surveys with an easy-to-use manager. You don't need to be a database administrator or a techie to use this -- it's easy.
Complex Queries (Saved Custom Queries). Build and save your own complex custom queries -- searches that you use all the time. Again, this is not rocket science for techies. DataJoe is for everyone.
BlueLines. With a click of a button, you can see how a list or directory is stacking up, based on the data you have currently received. Make a change, and the list will auto-update, re-ranking and re-sorting based on the criteria you have set!
Export for Print. See Database-to-Print Utilities
Publish Online. See Online Data Publishing
E-commerce. See Data E-commerce

Database-to-Print Utilities (Export)

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:50:00 +0000

DataJoe is a software system engineered for business publishers who produce interactive ranked lists, editorial directories, and other rich data sets. The DataJoe system contains modules for db storage, research, print-publishing, and online publishing of rich data products.

Exporting Data for Print Products
When your data is hosted in the DataJoe database, you can export in several formats that help quicken the process of getting data into print. These formats can be customized to eliminate hours of manual formatting, while matching your publication's design guidelines.

*.PDF
Quark Tags
Indesign Tags
X-Tags
*.XLS / CSV
*.DOC

*.PDF style is typically used for printed rankings. Export full-color, customized tables and charts as production quality *.PDF files. If a change is required, just log back into DataJoe, make the change in the database, and re-export. This eliminates the need for changes to be made on the final layout -- since changes made directly to the static layout generally don't make it back to the database -- which leads to version control errors and degradation of the data.

Quark Tags, InDesign Tags, and X-Tags are used for complex print directories. It's a beautiful thing when you're able to flow your directory straight from the database into InDesign-compatible tagged-text, with all style attributes correctly applied. This can eliminate tons of hours devoted to manual formatting.

*.XLS / CSV. For en export of the raw data (mailings / analysis), or for die hard designers who want the data in it's most primal form so they can work their magic, there's always the *.XLS / CSV route. You can search the database and export the precise cuts of data you need.

*.DOC format is seldom used, with the advent of Tags. However, some clients have found efficiencies in using this format to export their directories.

BR Alert: Capital Markets Lists - Intriguing Financial Data

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:33:00 +0000

I found several compelling financial rankings within the SourceMedia "Capital Markets" Group.

This group, which comprises such brands as The Bond Buyer, Mergers and Acquisitions, Investment Dealer's Daily, and Bank Loan Report, describes its niche and focus as the following:

Every day, we deliver a wealth of information covering the capital and municipal bond sectors of the financial services marketplace. Our reach extends to an exclusive, global readership of top-level decision makers and senior corporate officials. (see: http://capitalmarkets.sourcemedia.com/)

And with this highly targeted mission to offer premium content to this industry sector, you will find a wealth of raw data, and cultivated data assets that will confound any data hound. I found the following lists:

The Bond Buyer (www.bondbuyer.com)

Top 500 Largest Municipal Portfolios at U.S. Banks
The 100 Largest Institutional Holders of Municipal Bonds
Also see www.bondbuyer.com/marketstatistics/#QuarterlyTables for links to all their data, including daily charts, weekly charts, monthly charts, quarterly charts, and semi-annual and annual charts. Much of this data is behind a pay wall, which is further evidence that Data is The Basis for Excellent Paid Content Models.

Currently you'll note these lists are available as *.PDF downloads. However, I can see great potential for more power. The limitation of the *.PDF download is that the data is locked. With a *.PDF, the reader effectively has no tools to rearrange the data to create true, original, creative, and actionable intelligence. I will argue that this is one of the great pursuits of mankind -- the pursuit of meaning. Providing a static page with data is one step, for it presents an aggregated view of data "in line." However, providing a flexible database and tools for deep interaction fulfills a much deeper and greater need, for professionals in any industry.

[Soapbox Moment]
"Just ... let me get my hands on it!" is a feeling I can identify with as a sales professional in the software industry. Give me the raw data, give me tools to sort, compare, analyze. Let me take that big mound of data clay and make my own sculpture, that fits my own purposes, that no one else can fully know. Let me create! I hear this cry echoing in the hearts of this civilization, expecting and demanding free information, only willing to pay for absolute essentials - real diamonds. Publishers: Satisfy this cry! However you can, and with whatever deep insight is at your disposal, satisfy this cry! And you will gain the indispensible adoration of those who were born to reach towards new and ever-grander conclusions.

BR About Alerts: Alerts are quick flashes about topics related to business rankings, book of lists, and business journal data in general. If you would like to report any news that might be of interest to others in these alerts, please send an email to businessrankings@gmail.com.

BR Alert: Source Media Publication Launches New Online Ranking

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:50:00 +0000

Source Media's Information Management Magazine has launched a new industry ranking of the Top Information Management Companies, called the Information Management 50 (IM 50). This ranking has released as both an IM 50 Interactive Chart and a Click-Through Slide Show. The chart provides an eagle-eye view of all fifty companies that made the list, with ability to sort by multiple criteria (by clicking the headers), and even compare up to 4 companies side by side.

Companies that made the list included recognizable types like HP (#1), IBM (#2), Microsoft (#3) and Google (#4).

As traditional publishers begin to explore non-traditional ways to attract more eyes and collect more dollars, Interactive Data Publishing has emerged as a pioneering method to achieve these goals. Interactive Data Publishing is simply the art of quickly deploying new data sets online, in rich interactive formats, providing important business intelligence and Web-based tools that enable audiences to "play with" the raw data and create actionable meaning for themselves.

About BR Alerts:
BR Alerts are quick flashes about topics related to business rankings, book of lists, and business journal data in general. If you would like to report any news that might be of interest to others in these alerts,especially NEW INTERACTIVE BUSINESS RANKINGS, please send an email to businessrankings@gmail.com.

Alerts: Business North Carolina (NC) Joins National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Business North Carolina, a statewide monthly business magazine, has joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace. The publication has contributed 6 digital products to be sold in the Marketplace, including the BNC Sourcebook ($190). The Sourcebook is in the "compilations" section of the Marketplace. You can link directly to the product description at http://www.datajoe.com/?product=15082 . The BNC Sourcebook is currently ranked 64th in popularity on the Marketplace site.

About Alerts:

Alerts are quick flashes about topics related to business rankings, book of lists, and business journal data in general. If you would like to report any news that might be of interest to others in these alerts, please send an email to businessrankings@gmail.com.

Alerts: Crain's Detroit Business (MI) Joins National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Crain's Detroit Business has joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace. The publication has contributed 52 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including Book of Lists ($320). Their Book of Lists is on the front page of the Marketplace, at http://www.datajoe.com. The Crain's Detroit 2010 Book of Lists is currently ranked 5th in popularity on the Marketplace site.

About Alerts:

Breaking Alert: Wyoming Business Report (WY) and Boulder County Business Report (CO) Join National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:38:00 +0000

Wyoming Business Report (WBR) and Boulder County Business Report (BCBR), both part of the Brown Publishing Co. group of publications, have just joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace.

WBR has contributed 38 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including the WBR Book of Lists ($210). The WBR 2010 Book of Lists is currently ranked 59th in popularity on the Marketplace site.

BCBR has contributed 65 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including the BCBR Book of Lists ($320). The BCBR 2010 Book of Lists is currently ranked 31st in popularity on the Marketplace site.

Find these Book of Lists at the DataJoe Marketplace, at http://www.datajoe.com. Search by publication name to find the book of lists or individual list of your choice.

About Alerts:

Breaking Alert: Long Island Business News (NY) Joins National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:42:00 +0000

Long Island Business News (LIBN), part of the Dolan Media group of publications, just joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace today. The publication has contributed 44 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including Book of Lists ($270). Their Book of Lists is on the front page of the Marketplace, at http://www.datajoe.com. The LIBN 2010 Book of Lists is currently ranked 9th in popularity on the Marketplace site.

About Alerts:

Alerts: Crain's Chicago Business (IL) Joins National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:05:00 +0000

Crain's Chicago Business has joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace. The publication has contributed 86 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including Book of Lists ($430). Their Book of Lists is on the front page of the Marketplace, at http://www.datajoe.com. The Crain's Chicago 2010 Book of Lists is currently ranked 1st in popularity on the Marketplace site.

About Alerts:

Alerts: Crain's New York Business (NY) Joins National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:06:00 +0000

Crain's New York Business has joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace. The publication has contributed 47 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including Book of Lists ($535). Their Book of Lists is on the front page of the Marketplace, at http://www.datajoe.com. The Book of Lists is currently ranked 2nd in popularity on the Marketplace site.

About Alerts:

Alerts: Orange County Business Journal (CA) Joins National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Orange County Business Journal has joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace. The publication has contributed 75 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including Book of Lists ($270). Their Book of Lists is on the front page of the Marketplace, at http://www.datajoe.com. The Book of Lists is currently ranked 3rd in popularity on the Marketplace site.

About Alerts:

Alerts: San Diego Business Journal (CA) Joins National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:35:00 +0000

San Diego Business Journal has joined the DataJoe National List Marketplace. SDBJ has contributed 110 products to be sold in the Marketplace, including Book of Lists 2010. See their Book of Lists on the front page of the Marketplace, at http://www.datajoe.com.

About Alerts:

Definitions: DataJoe National List Marketplace

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

DataJoe has launched a national list marketplace. Simply put, this new Web site offers a unique venue for publishers to pool their business rankings and books of lists in one place, and sell them to an audience of national marketers, job seekers, and data hounds.

What this means for Business Journal; Business Magazine Publishers.
There are several hundred business journal/business magazine publishers across the United States. Most business journals and business magazines produce regional rankings across industries, such as Top Accounting Firms, Advertising Agencies, Law Firms, Architectural Firms, Banks, and etc. Many business publishers produce between 30 and 120 lists per year, and compile these lists into an annual compilation of Book of Lists. Often, the digital (Excel) version of these lists and compilations can be sold for a premium to industry marketers, sales professionals, etc. The national list marketplace means that any local publisher can now market this data nationally on top of their local marketing initiative for list data, generating a new revenue stream from something they already have lying around.

What this means for Trade Publishers.
There are thousands of trade publishers. Many of these publishers produce similar rankings to the business journals, although they tend to produce between one and a handful each year - much fewer than the business journals. I have noticed that most trade publishers do not sell digital versions of their business rankings. Part of the reason for this might be that they compile so little data compared to the business journals, it is not worth the effort to develop the faculties for selling this data online. The National List Marketplace unlocks the potential for this data by providing a "no effort" venue for selling lists online. The trade publisher provides the lists to DataJoe, and DataJoe takes care of the classification, marketing, and e-commerce faculties. This means there is now a "home" for lists, directories, and book of lists across industry segments.

What this means for Sales Professionals.
The age of the Internet has opened up a whole world of lead generation sources. From Dunn and Bradstreet to Jigsaw to SalesFuel, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of companies dedicated to providing sales leads for b-to-b marketers. Sales professionals need the right leads for their specific job functions. Business ranking/book of lists data isn't for everyone, but for some, this data is the holy grail. Book of Lists data is (typically) intensely local, "opt-in," editorially verified, continually updated, and unconventionally deep. In addition, it provides insight into privately owned businesses that you just can't find anywhere else. It works well for intensely local campaigns focused on the top businesses in a region, but I have also discovered that it is a great supplement, adding depth and local intelligence to one's pre-existing database of contacts.

Eye On Data: E-Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:31:00 +0000

I received an interesting e-newsletter today. I have seen many publishers include links to their online store in their news alerts, and I think this is an excellent practice.

An additional practice that I have noticed more infrequently is an entire newsletter dedicated to the lists. In cases like this, the entire content of the newsletter is focused on raising awareness of the lists and highlighting their value. Here's an example:

The goal behind this type of newsletter blast is to increase traffic flow directly to the online store, thereby increasing the chance of conversions.

About Business-Rankings.com:

The goal of Business-Rankings.com is to equip publishers to engage in effective e-commerce or business rankings, book of lists, business directories, public records, nominations data, and other data sets. By effective, I mean profitable. My hope is that you are able to take the content of these pages, implement new concepts, and make more money from the data you have created. If you have any ideas or best practices you'd like to share with other publishers, please send an email to with a description, screen shots, and results to businessranking@gmail.com.

Book of Lists Still Valuable in the Age of Jigsaw, Zoominfo and InsideView?

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Book of Lists Still Valuable in the Age of Jigsaw, Zoominfo and InsideView?

Calling all publishers! The book of lists must continue to evolve, and this article will give you some reasons why.

Definitions: Business Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:43:00 +0000

What are business rankings, and how are they used?

Business journal rankings make excellent leads for industry sales professionals, job seekers, and market researchers. The business ranking is a unique snapshot of the best businesses in a given region.

The business journal ranking's strength is its currency (updated at least once a year), depth (includes contact information and deep data like verified no. employees and revenue figures), and accuracy (data comes straight from a qualified respondent at the actual business).
The business ranking's weakness is that it only covers the very elite. It is not full-coverage, nor is it intended to be. For full coverage, one would need to license access to an additional database that focuses more on breadth (Dunn and Bradstreet, InfoUSA, SalesFuel, etc.)

Business rankings are effective leads if a consumer:

Wants access to information and data about the top businesses ONLY.
Wants to supplement an existing database with current, deep, and accurate business ranking data.
Does not have the money to license a national database on an ongoing basis, and can only afford a “by-the-slice” download of business journal data.

Business rankings are ineffective, by themselves, if a consumer:

Wants access to all of the companies in a given region or industry, not just the best.

As a provider of business ranking and book of lists software for publishers, DataJoe has considered partnering with a third party national database service. Partnering with a national database service could benefit publishers, because it would turn their data storefronts into one-stop-shops for all of their consumers’ potential data needs. Partnering with a national database service could benefit DataJoe because it would provide in-fill for the National Marketplace, such that the National Marketplace would become a one-stop-shop for many book of lists data and national data.

A special report on managing information: Data, data everywhere | The Economist

noreply@blogger.com (Johnny Levy) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:34:00 +0000

Great article (A special report on managing information: Data, data everywhere | The Economist), re: the super-proliferation of data in the modern day, versus the ever growing need for those who can make sense of this mountain. On a microcosmic scale, this is the same challenge that faces business publishers with their Book of Lists, business rankings, and business directories ... not only providing the raw business data that consumers crave, but also creating tools and models for making sense of the data; producing actionable meaning, converting rough diamonds into exquisite jewels of even greater price.

This was my favorite quote from the article:

"Chief information officers (CIOs) have become somewhat more prominent in the executive suite, and a new kind of professional has emerged, the data scientist, who combines the skills of software programmer, statistician and storyteller/artist to extract the nuggets of gold hidden under mountains of data. Hal Varian, Google’s chief economist, predicts that the job of statistician will become the “sexiest” around. Data, he explains, are widely available; what is scarce is the ability to extract wisdom from them."

Read the Article:

A special report on managing information: Data, data everywhere | The Economist