Doug’s Mouthpiece – Droug.co.uk

Duncan Jennings – eConversions

people you should know written by Doug Scott

Duncan started life in Newcastle…good start:) So another blood Geordie…dam we are good at this industry. Here is is house:)

He started Web development at the age of 17, and continued to build sites for fun while studying Management at Leeds University. …saddo.

Duncan, Max and Daniel…Daniel I believe owns part of Welovelocal, sorry Daniel couldn’t find your life:)

As he began to develop a more business-like approach to Web development, together with an entrepreneurial flair, Duncan saw potential in income arising from placing affiliate adverts on ‘niche’ Websites. Early success in the travel sector was promising but limited by the number and breadth of sites that he could efficiently develop and host. …plus some of his sites got thoroughly whacked by Google.

With the rise of Google Adwords and Adsense, Dunc identified early on an opportunity to move away from specific Website development to focus on purchasing traffic and driving visitors direct to the advertiser. This removed a bottleneck from his process and allowed him to concentrate his efforts on identifying markets, affiliates and on effective positioning and marketing of campaigns.

From this base, Duncan established and sold a number of Web businesses. He flogged a domain registration business when the prices of domains dropped to give away prices. In 2003 he founded eConversions with his brother Max Jennings and Richard Foister, to target a rapidly expanding UK affiliate market. Since that time, they have moved successfully into the worldwide market, promoting affiliate networks and major Blue Chip across a number of language markets.

As well as paid search, eConversions is trying to develop specific sites to attract and drive traffic to merchants. In 2007 they sold www.travel-library.com to expedia for an undisclosed amount, but probably between 7 and 8 figues. £££££££££. The site was simply an adsense “spam” site, but with user generate content, it’s traffic was growing massively and expedia with their hat on, “we have not got a clue” decided to buy it and put some tripadvisor ads on it.

They then sold a part share of www.welovelocal.com to GCap, the largest commercial radio network in the UK with over forty radio stations including Capital 95.8, XFM and Classic FM. Basically GCap had no idea what to do about this stuff online, so they thought they would bung Dunc and the boys some cash and then plug the site on the radio. Great respect to the GCap lot as they partnered with some smart guys for not a lot of cash….you should have asked for more:)

eConversions now employs more than 20 people from their thin long London office up some old stairs, with some work probably outsourced to some indians. They won 2 awards in the 2007 A4U Affiliate awards and one award at the 2008 awards, but they decided to goto Las Vegas instead of getting their reward….now thats when you get cocky you can do that. Duncan has featured in industry and mainstream press worldwide.

He is one of the brightest and nicest guys I know and will one day have hundreds on millions in cash and then become a politician, so he can say lots but say little.

That is assuming that the stress does not get him first.

Doug still broke

Some more words you may have searched on related to this:)

duncan jennings
econversions
econversions co
econversions co uk
econversions com
www econversions
www econversions com

Popularity: 8% [?]

Keir McConomy of Spear.co.uk – 33 today – I taught him everything he knows

Affiliate Money Grabbers, people you should know written by Doug Scott

Happy Birthday Keir mate – 33 today.

Keir is the founder of Spear, which is an affiliate company which did over £75 million in affiliate sales last year.

Incase you did not know Keir was my web designer and then I showed him the light about SEO and PPC and off he went to setup Spear. We actually had a company together, but if any of you know the both of us, then you will realise it was a disaster waiting to happen.

I have no interest in the detail and do very very high level plans, which generally consist of some doodles on a piece of old paper. I then give these ideas to other people and trust them to work out the detail, I hardly interfere and let people find their own way. Then do some more doodles and change my mind as to what I want:)

Keir is anal about detail and likes to plan everything and be in control of the complete process. It works for him and Spear, but not with me around. So we parted ways business wise, but socially I see him all the time and love him popping in for a coffee, we live about 3 miles apart. Hence merchants and affiliate companies can do 2 birds in one bird cage:)

On a serious note, yes I introduced him to this online world, but he took the concepts and ran with them and I have utmost respect for what he has done. He has taken Spear within 3 years from being unheard of too being a major force in the online space in the UK. Well done you thoroughly deserve it.

Doug

Popularity: 3% [?]

Carl White – Valueclick

people you should know written by Doug Scott

Just thought I would do a bit of rambling about people I know in this industry and who I feel are influential……if I don’t know you and you feel like you are missing out, then please email and say hello:)

Carl White – CEO Valueclick Europe controls the European bit of a US$2 billion company

Carl White is first cause he probably controls the most cash…it’s not his though:)

Carl is a mad Birmingham City football supporter and has the sports memorabilia to say so, he seems to have been infected with that disease for 43 years, aside from that a generaly nice bloke, he tries to keep fit by cycling down hill each morning….wrong way sir. You got many nice road bikes Mr White?

But don’t be lulled into thinking cause he looks silly he is, far from it. He can talk rubbish with me and then must be good at playing corporate power games to be where he is.

He did a degree at Bristol University.

He held sales management positions at Gruner and Jahr, Media Week and Centaur Communications.

He worked for the BBC and did something on Walking with Dinosaurs, walk on part maybe:)

He was Chief Operating Officer of 24/7 Europe and was responsible for media and technology businesses in thirteen countries.

He joined ValueClick in October 2001 as Chief Operating Officer for ValueClick Europe and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer for Europe August 2006. Carl is responsible for the overall management and growth of ValueClick’s European subsidiaries: ValueClick Media, Commission Junction, Mediaplex and PriceRunner.co.uk across London, Munich, Paris and Stockholm.

When he gives me a large cheque for some of our stuff I will buy him a new bike.

We bought another domain on the subject of bikes its all about a bike parts so guess what we bought www.bikeparts.org.uk alas I could not get the .co.uk as those American Nokta boys own it:(

Doug is going back to his bike

Ps. Carl go and get some football memorabilia to make yourself a true City fan

Popularity: 6% [?]