As we continue to incorporate technology into our business, it’s important that many businesses start incorporating their Information Systems Department (ISD) into their business organization. Traditionally, the day to day operations of a business and those of the ISD were completely separate from each other. The ISD’s main functions were to manage systems and infrastructure development, computer operations and training in IS (Information Skills).

Recently those functions have evolved, and they did so because of one important role: the end user. The end user has transformed the main functions of the ISD from a technical to a more consultative function. This transformation has lead to a creation of a partnership between the ISD and the end user which has created a very vital relationship between the both. No longer is the ISD just an IT department, they now use IT as tool to solve many problems that end users face on a daily basis. In return, end users also benefit the ISD by recommending different uses of an organizations information resource to help a business run more efficiently.

As an organization’s computing needs get more complicated, it becomes very difficult for the ISD to fully manage all of the organization’s information resource, and this is where the end user can share more of the ISD’s responsibilities. In complicated organizations, like Hospitals, banks and other large corporations, the ISD can’t simply manage the organizations information resources itself, it has to heavily rely or share the role with the end user. The end user can then help manage the information resources at the department level and the ISD can manage those at a corporate level. This type of structure helps larger or complex organizations become more effective because information resources at a department level are managed by the end users, who are directly using those resources. The ISD can then gear their focus to more complicated information resources that can help the organization as whole become more effective.

There’s no question that the role of the ISD has dramatically changed from a technical to a consultative function, but as managing information resources get more complicated, it’s more important that the end user and the ISD work closely together so they can innovate and create solutions to help the organization run more effectively. Therefore, creating a relationship that is perfectly balanced between the ISD and the end user should be a strategic goal for every business at any size.

Sam Valenzuela, President of LeadPile

The demand to generate quality leads is a constant challenge for marketers. While 74% of marketers see generating high quality leads as their number one business challenge, LeadPile offers their customers just that–the highest quality leads. LeadPile is the premier online exclusive lead generation marketplace, and their commitment to quality and trust has earned them the title of one of the fastest growing companies in America.

LeadPile was created after recognizing a number of unfulfilled lead gen needs in the B2B sector, including the challenge of generating quality leads. By building their marketplace around balancing the needs of both lead buyers and sellers, LeadPile has grown into the largest online exclusive lead marketplace in the industry. Inc. Magazine has now ranked LeadPile as one of the fastest growing companies for a third consecutive year.

Currently lead gen is a top priority for 60% of marketers, which makes finding quality leads increasingly important. “Providing quality leads for our customers sits at the core of our vision,” said Sam Valenzuela, President of LeadPile. “A key ongoing objective is to develop processes that strengthen the quality of leads to bring real economic value to our clients.”

The future of lead quality lies within increasingly sophisticated segmentation, targeting and conversions.  LeadPile stands at the forefront of the lead gen industry by adapting marketplace features to meet changing market demands. Ultimately, it is the forward thinking approach to lead gen challenges that will continue to advance LeadPile as a leader in the industry.

ABOUT LEADPILE

LeadPile is the premier online lead marketplace for the B2B sector. LeadPile offers quality leads to buyers and sellers on a secure and centralized platform. Since 2009, Inc. Magazine has ranked LeadPile as one of the fastest growing companies in America. For more information about LeadPile, please visit LeadPile.com.

Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) recently released their Internet Advertising Revenue Report for the full year 2010. The year saw revenues grow by 15% to $26 billion compared to $22.7 billion in 2009 in the U.S. The industry has seen impressive growth since 2002 with revenues increasing the previous year every year except 2009.

(Source: 2010 IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report)

Search advertising accounted for 46% of the revenues in 2010 with display garnering 38% share compared to 35% in 2009. Digital video advertising which is a part of display advertising saw its share increase by 40%. Lead generation accounted for 5% of revenues in 2010.

Another interesting trend is the increasing CPC cost, especially in competitive sectors like Finance. According to Efficient Frontier, CPCs for Finance increased by a whopping 40% in March 2011 compared to March 2010. As the paid search cost continues to rise, more and more companies are turning towards lead marketplaces like LeadPile.com that allows them to select the kind of leads they want and the price they are willing to pay for them. Leads are delivered real-time and the campaigns can be scaled up or down based upon the requirements.

Contact us today to find out LeadPile can help your business.

There is a lot os scrutiny on payday loans and what their purpose is. However, many turn to these short term loans because they have no other option. These loans are overly scrutinized as bad for a consumer because their listed APR, which really is not applicable to a short term loan that does not last a year. The Missourian pointed up some positive benefits to the payday loans. For instance, “Research from the Federal Reserve Board indicates that such loans are not “predatory.” Rather, by supplying credit where otherwise there would be none, they help borrowers by enabling them to avoid less-desirable alternatives, such as fees associated with bounced checks, late bill payments and utility reconnections.” If the Federal Reserve Board understands there is value added to these types of loans, why are so many politicians and consumers looking down on payday loans as a “bad” option? Have they never had a reason to get a short term loan for some unexpected expense???? Probably not….

I found an interesting book out there “The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs”. Some of the principles mentioned in that book could very well apply to our business:

Sounds like there might be some talk in Mississippi to potentially try and make some changes to the payday loan process. As we all know these short term loans are a necessity for many individuals, however some states are trying to incorporate stricter laws for the lenders. This is what appears to be trying to happen in MS. The proposed amendment would allow all consumers at least 28 days to pay on loans of $201 to $500. On loans of $200 or less, the $21.95 fee would be reduced to $20, and consumers would have up to 21 days to pay. The positive thing that this particular house banking committee chairman said was they are trying to help the consumers, but not get to a point where they are trying to put a legitimate business out of business (the lender). This seems to be something that more states should focus on. How can we continue to make sure the consumers are protected, but also allow them to get these short term loans…. and not put the lenders out of business. We all know consumers need these loans and some never expect they will be one that is in dire need of a short term payday loan, but for those situations where needed these loans must remain available to consumers. In order for loans to remain available to the consumers, we must also protect the lenders that are extending these loans. Stay tuned to see what happens with this MS amendment.

It was another great Affiliate Summit for the Leadpile team. We are now returning from ASW and are excited to move forward on all the great things we discussed with our partners. Unfortunately, we did not have time to meet with all those publishers and advertisers that we wanted to, however if we were unable to connect with you, please reach out to us to get something going!
Leadpile’s message this Affiliate Summit was for the excitement we have for 2011 and all the exciting new things we are going to be getting into. Leadpile is looking at getting into some new verticals such as insurance, senior care, and credit reports (which is already live). We are currently working in bankruptcy, auto finance and payday loan lead types, and we are looking for lots more traffic on all of these verticals. The sky is the limit in 2011, and if we are not already working with you, we definitely want to!

In the age of paperless everything, this article I came across does not surprise me. It was announced that beginning in 2011 new payees of Social Security, SSI, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement income will be required to receive their payments through either direct deposit or debit cards. Say bye bye to the Treasury department printing checks and mailing them. Unfortunately, those that are currently receiving these mailed checks will have to change up how they receive their payments by March 31st, 2011. This is going to be a huge money savings for our Treasury department, however it creates a few questions about the inconvenience this could cause those elderly individuals who have been receiving mailed checks. Will the elderly struggle with this because they are used to getting the mailed checks? It seems that the Treasury department will make exceptions if there are consumers that still must receive the mailed checks.
The peculiar thing about this article is it goes on to point out that this sort of new payment method might create additional victims of payday loans. However, I am not sure how this is applicable to those consumers that are not working and receiving this sort of income. Payday lenders do not generally lend money to those that are not working because of the inability to set up repayment programs etc. Payday loans are short term loans that many need, however those that are retired and receiving income such as SSI, are not even eligible for these types of loans.

Let’s face it, the economy is in a slump and this is affecting people being able to pay their bills amongst many other things. The good news is, that the economy is going to get better, which means lenders are going to start lending again AND credit will be extended to consumers again. However, if you do not have your credit in check, you will not be able to take advantage of this. The first thing to do, when trying to fix your credit, is understand what your credit score is AND what makes up that credit score. First, you need to understand who the credit reporting agencies are that are gathering this information. The three credit reporting agencies are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Secondly, you need to understand what a good and bad FICO (also known as a credit score) is. A credit score can be between 300 and 850. The higher your credit score, the better. Finally, you need to read your credit report and understand what is on it. To understand it, you must know the main things that make up your credit score:

1. How you pay your bills- your payment history on your credit cards and loans is the biggest factor in making up your score. This means if you have not paid your bills on time, now is the time to start.

2. What do you owe on your credit cards and loans- if you have your balances maxed out on all your creditors, this will negatively affect your credit score. Stopping charging immediately if the balances are close to their limits.

3. How long have you had each of your creditors-the newer the credit, the more it will negatively affect you. If you are applying for new credit cards, stop now to help your credit score. Keep a few creditors for a long period of time and that will help your score.

4. Do you have all sorts of creditors like car loans, credit cards, installment loans etc-the credit bureaus likes to see a diverse selection of creditors. This is not a major factor in your credit score, but something to think about if you are thinking about getting a new creditor.

Leadpile is currently working on generating this sort of lead and will welcome publishers that will eventually be interested in connecting those consumers that want to know their credit score, with the company that will be able to provide this service. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

This is the time of year when all of us start shopping for our holidays gifts. Unfortunately, some are not able to afford the holidays, so they are looking for a short term loan to get them by. Leadpile wants to be able to provide those consumers with the much needed loan.

If you are generating payday loan leads and are looking for an additional place to try and place those leads, please reach out to Leadpile.

GOT WEEKEND traffic too??

Leadpile is looking for additional WEEKEND traffic for our *exclusive* lenders!

Acceptance: 7-10%
Payout: $20.00 CPA
Schedule: All day Saturday and Sunday
Basic filters:
*No military
*Checking account with direct deposit only
*Employed ONLY
*ALL pay periods accepted
Allowed traffic: PPC, SEO, Display and email

If there weren’t enough search engines to try and keep up with, there is now one more to try out- BLEKKO. Digitaltrends.com is reporting that this new search engine is certainly unique compared to the others out there. Do you ever search for something on Google and a bunch of unrelated/unimportant websites appear in your search results? I know I have and now this new search engine is promising that this sort of thing is not going to happen when you perform your searches. Using “slashtags” is what is being said will differentiate Blekko from the other search engine’s search results. These slashtags will help to improve results in the initial search categories: health, colleges, autos, personal finance, lyrics, recipes and hotels. For example, you should be able to search amongst the millions of websites and be able to pull up sites that are not spam or unrelated websites. Blekko is currently in beta mode, but try it out. Looks like something totally different than Google!

It seems that Montana might be the next state that could be incorporating payday loan interest rate caps. Myloansconsolidated.com is reporting that there is some new news out there regarding Montana, and a potential vote on a payday loan law that could be passed. If the law passes it would put a cap of 36% interest rate on payday loan and cash advances.
States jumping in and trying to regulate these short term loans is something that is not anything new, however what state will be affected next is what we are all watching. We work a lot with the payday loan leads and want to make sure we are knowledgeable of any new payday loan news going on. We will all wait and see if Montana implements this new law. Stay tuned.