Is the Long-Tail Theory Dead? Absolutely Not!

Many business executives and marketers have heard of this phenomena known as the Long-Tail coined by Chris Anderson in the middle of this century. For those that aren’t familiar with this concept, the Long-Tail speaks in regards to statistical distribution of an initial high-volume population, followed by a low-volume distribution of the population in which the trend creates a “Long-Tail” over time. Below is an example of a graph featuring the Long-Tail in a given product cycle.

The Long-Tail

Credit Wikipedia.com for the image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Tail

The Long-Tail has been challenged time and time again, but the basis on which these claims are made should not be applied to this theory. Many think that the Long-Tail doesn’t exist with items in popular culture, but the products that serve the targeted demographic aren’t meant to stand the test of time. The products are meant to be sold now because users are interested in it ‘for now’. The products are meant to hit a certain generation and with a new generation, comes new products. Ask any fan that had He-Man toys or Transformers what he/she thought of the Power Rangers.

I recently found an article on SEOmoz regarding the evolution of the Long-Tail and how it affects search and it inspired me to write this post. Now I think everyone can agree that the Long-Tail concept is far from dying in the search engines. The author of the post on SEOmoz did some research and noted some interesting statistics such as Google’s VP of engineering noting that 20-25% of the searches they see today are ones that they have not seen before. The article also notes that in a certain study of 100 keywords and keyword phrases lasting three months only generated 5.7% of the traffic for that time period. That should throw up a red-flag right there to signal that they Long-Tail is alive and kicking.

The iPhone 3G versus The Blackberry Storm

Alright, now that the newest touch-screen Blackberry Storm has been on the scene for a bit, it’s time to see if this truly is the “iPhone Killer” that the mobile world has been looking for. The Blackberry holds a solid place in a world of technology for business travelers. Steve Jobs has released the iPhone close to two years ago and consumers ate it up. With the massive success the mobile device, Apple commenced to put out a 3G version. Sales didn’t stop and for good reason too. The iPhone is a great mobile phone with awesome functionality and usability. The movies make for a great plane ride and the music eases the pain in any workout. Stock quotes, weather, and countless apps are available at the touch of your fintertip. I would have to say that the biggest flaw is the call service but that may be changed with unlocked iPhones now being sold overseas.

As far as the new Blackberry Storm goes, the recent release has caused quite a stir in Verizon stores across the country. Here in Phoenix some consumers lined up at a Verizon store at 4am on release day. The store was scheduled to open at 8am but decided to unlock the doors an hour early and the Blackberry Storm 9530 sold out in 40 minutes. One person even bout a dozen. This pretty much told the story of Verizon stores throughout the valley. A recent review of the Blackberry Storm says that it can be sluggish and unresponsive at times. The clickable screen is also a feature that needs some getting used to. For me it’s a tough say because of the operating system on the Storm. It is such a nice piece of hardware but the OS doesn’t support it well.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization Christmas Party

This is a pretty exciting weekend, I’m heading to the BBBS Christmas party with my little brother as well as my girlfriend and her little sister. We’re starting the day off at a movie theater watching Bolt. I’m pretty excited, I’ve heard great things about the movie. After the flick, we’re heading back to the BBBS office for a small party. It should go until about two or so but I may have to leave early because my little brother has plans with his mom to go and watch some plays. It’s going to be a great weekend nonetheless.

Hotel Deals and Travel Packages

If you have any travel plans coming up be sure to check out the travel deals featured on the Choice Hotels website. Choice Hotels has re-launched a section of their site called hotel deals where people can find great prices and travel packages throughout North America. The special offers are an extra incentive to take that long-awaited and deserving vacation knowing that you can enjoy you time away in a comfortable setting without breaking the bank. Understanding the current conditions of the economy and the endless need to travel whether it be for business or to relieve stress, hotel deals and packages are now more important than ever to take advantage of. Be sure to check back often because deals in different parts of the continent are always being added.

Kung Fu – True Skill Lies Within

One thing that I’ve come to realize in my short, short Kung Fu career is that true skill within a person lies in their mentality. I know that can mean so many things but if one is not willing to push themselves to train harder or they train the art for the wrong reasons, the benefits that they receive from the art of Shao-lin Kung Fu will be minimal compared to those who learn to fight, so that they do not have to. Kung Fu is a martial art, but more than that, it is a guide to living your life. It teaches discipline duration in the art teaches the ultimate understanding that time without effort and vice versa will never allow a person to tell the complete story. It does not take supreme physical stature to succeed in the art, in fact, my instructor has often explained to the class that those who are less athletic who continue to train the art and attain belt-rank, have gained the most skill. This makes sense in my mind because they have to work harder for their coordination and strength as opposed to a person who has been in the gym for the past 5-10 years. They say that martial arts isn’t for everyone, but for the long-term benefits of health and mental focus, I believe that everyone should give Kung Fu a shot.

Holiday Promotion from The Diabetic Shoes HuB

So by tomorrow I meant the day-after-tomorrow. Sorry for the delay in posting but the internet connection has been jacked up at my girlfriend’s place. She just switched providers (not by choice) and these new-jacks are not playing up to par.

Regardless, on to the important news. The Diabetic Shoes HuB is now offering an additional $3 off of every order over $99 along with the standard free shipping. We wanted to be able to make it easier for our customers to save some money while receiving a high-quality product. Thanks for your support and stop by to take advantage of these amazing savings.

Great Start To The Holidays

Page, Arizona, great time I’ll tell you what. No but seriously, it’s always a good time when you’re spending time with family and good friends. My Thanksgiving was filled with food and spending time at the Restaurant helping my parents. I had quite a bit of free time to walk my dogs as well. Now that I’m back in the Valley it’s been busy busy with our site and work and dogs and stuff. I’ll tell you more about our orthopedic shoes promo tomorrow. Until then, don’t get mauled at the mall doing Christmas shopping.