Blogging live from the Kelsey Group/SES ILM:07 conference, Andrew Shotland points to some predictions from Kelsey Group analyst Matt Booth about the future of yellow pages.  One prediction is that 2008 will see publishers expand their platforms across multiple channels -- IYP, directory assistance, search, etc. (we'd add mobile to that list too).  According to Booth, call tracking will be the glue that unifies those different platforms.

ABCNews.com writes on intersting piece on how online sites are helping offline shoppers this holiday season.

Ed Lee writes an interesting post for today's Get to the Point newsletter from MarketingProfs, inspired by this post, on well-designed business cards.  Ed's main point is that a well-designed business card not only serves a utilitarian purpose—it can help shape your image.

One of his reasons is that everybody reads them and saves them.  Ed's makes a valid point, but makes no mention of email signatures, which are practically the business card of their age.  Are your signatures static or do they engage recipients?

Are you linking to your blog or website from your signature?  Are you making it easy for people to call you directly, or save your information for later use?

Like business cards, email signatures convey a lot about how you market your business.  They can be much more than just passive forms of providing information.  They can, when done right, also help you engage customers.

eMarketer post the results of a new survey that looks at how companies are targeting affluent shoppers online.  According to the study by Burst Media, "Nearly one-quarter of US adult Internet users earning $75,000 or more said they would spend more money during the 2007 holiday season than they did during the same period in 2006."

How are businesses looking to capture this influx of rich shoppers? Many are turning to click to call and call tracking to help deliver leads across channels.  Just yesterday, we announced a new partnership with Luxury Link to help them connect their hotel partners to affluent consumers over the phone.  As they find, these solutions are an excellent way to encourage more direct sales conversions, enhance the overall consumer experience and produce measurable results for clients.

Did Cyber Monday become a phenomenon because people naturally flock to their computers the Monday after Thanksgiving, or do people now flock as a result of all the hype?   Regardless of its origins, many retailers are reporting this past Monday to be one for the record books.