URLwire.com - News of Useful, Unique and Educational Web Content Since 1994
There are sources of press releases, such as Business Wire and PR Newswire, but the volume of releases is so large it's almost impossible to find anything useful. The one that's worth visiting for web watchers is Eric Ward's URLwire” - The Guardian
How To Announce a Web Site - URLwire Criteria and Details
Examples of URLwire impact
Client comments about URLwire
Media comments about URLwire

November 19, 2009

ShrinkTheWeb.com Partners with Technorati to Provide Website Previews

ShrinkTheWeb Partners with Technorati to Provide Website PreviewsTechnorati.com (http://www.technorati.com), named the 5th largest social media property by comScore, has chosen to partner with ShrinkTheWeb (http://www.shrinktheweb.com) for the launch of their new website design. ShrinkTheWeb's powerful platform allows large media sites, like Technorati, to enhance their user experience by displaying previews of the sites they feature. This type of visual cue encourages visitor interaction by creating a sense of trust and familiarity with the websites being referenced.  Technorati was one of the early adopters of website screenshot technology, first integrating Alexa's Site Thumbnail service early on and then moving to Snap.com's SnapShots in July of 2007.

Since using previews proved beneficial, Technorati began a search for a more robust service that could provide guaranteed response times at high volumes. ShrinkTheWeb's reputation in the website preview niche speaks for itself as the company has been gaining significant popularity among webmasters and application developers. With this most recent partnership, Technorati also recognizes ShrinkTheWeb's PagePix service as a valuable component for their audience's enjoyment.

Tweet.Me.It (http://tweet.me.it), an innovative URL shortener service catering to Twitter users, recently finalized a partnership with ShrinkTheWeb as well...

Read more here or see the site now

Share, bookmark, or Tweet ShrinkTheWeb.com  Bookmark and Share

Posted by Eric Ward on 11/19/09

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URLwire has thousands of private email subscribers. For those of you who want to receive URLwire but don't want to do so via email, I provide an RSS feed, or you can follow URLwire New Site Tweets via Twitter. Read about other subscriber options

URLwire Time Machine...1997...New Site Provides Safety Conditions Of U.S. Roads and Bridges

More New Site Announcements|Announce Content|Receive URLwire|Archives|Comments|Contact
URLwire is in its 15th year announcing meritorious, link-worthy content, Sites are announced via email, Web, feed, Blog, Widget, private group and other methods. URLwire site announcements are crawled quickly by search engines, and the URLwire.com site receives millions of pageviews every year. | How to announce your site - URLwire criteria, fees and details | Search URLwire Site Announcement Archive

URLwire FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is URLwire? 
I started URLwire in 1994 as one of the methods used to help Jeff Bezos announce and attract attention and links for the debut of Amazon.com

That sounds glamorous, but it wasn't.  I did it from the kitchen table in my three-room apartment on a dial-up modem.  URLwire has been going ever since, helping educational, useful, and unique sites attract natural links. I've been helping great content obtain links since before search engines existed. Since before the search engines realized the value of those links.

URLwire is a discreet and highly regarded news service for announcing genuinely meritorious Web content to the right people.  Sites announced on URLwire must offer useful, unique, or educational content, or show off the capabilities of the web in some way that is obvious and real.  My URLwire contacts are looking to be impressed or intrigued by an overall experience a user will have when visiting your web site. URLwire has readers in 17 countries, and reaches hundreds of librarians, researchers, content link curators, site seekers and editors looking to be informed of quality web content. I announce your site privately to my personal contacts and publicly here on the URLwire.com site.  I also announce your site via several other venues, described in detail below.

URLwire is not a press release distribution service, and is not automated.  It is sent by me, one at a time, to contacts who know me by name and look forward to it.  My subscriber/member list has continually evolved and improved over the years, and each month I continue to add and remove subscribers that I feel are of the caliber that make sense for my clients. 

What is the main mission of URLwire?
The mission of URLwire is to help your high quality content attract high quality links from trustworthy sources, like content link curators, online site reviewers, bloggers, editors, writers, vertical web guides, social linkers, etc. 

Here's an example of URLwire's potential

URLwire is not a link spam tool for helping you chase search engine rankings, and URLwire was around before there were search engines.  Yes, it is possible that your site's search rankings may improve after using URLwire, but it isn't URLwire alone that makes that happen. You must be producing useful and linkworthy content in the first place, or no amount of publicity and links will help you.

That last sentence was very important, so let me repeat it...

You must be producing useful and linkworthy content in the first place, or no amount of publicity and links will help you.
What types of content will URLwire accept/announce?
Your site must offer useful, unique, or educational content, or show off the capabilities of the web in some way that is obvious and real.  The site does not have to be brand new, however I will not announce sites that offer no content other than a list of products, and I will not announce sites that are, in my opinion, offensive or distasteful.

Who pays for URLwire and what does it cost?
The people who want to announce the site pay the fee, which is $495. A detailed service description is available here

How do I start the process of announcing a site?
If you know you want to proceed, click here. If you want additional information, continue reading below or send me an email and tell me about the site you're wanting to announce. I'll reply as soon as I can.


URLwire subscriber comment
"Eric knows quality web content, and he knows how to reach  out and publicize it politely, personally, privately. When we see an email from Eric, we read it and link to many of the sites he sends us."  -- Library of Congress


Why did I create URLwire?
I created URLwire because mass wire services are not selective about what they announce and who they send it to, and cannot reach the key online contacts who specifically write about, review, and link to new web content. Mass wire services send out thousands of press releases a day.  URLwire announces a few sites each week. 

Who does URLwire reach?
Your content's subject matter determines who I contact. 

I personally do the vetting/research and identify the exact people who are URLwire subscribers and also looking for the subject specific and purposeful web content in your subject area.  For example, if your content is about Jazz music, the people I contact and announce your content to can be from widely read online publications like like Yahoo New and Notable or USA Today Useful Sites, or from niche links pages devoted to jazz

The key is to match your content to the exact people that will care about it.  No matter the subject, if your content is of high quality, then there will be people on the web who will care about it.   As an example, over 300 librarians across the U.S. are URLwire subscribers, and they represent some of the most trusted sources of site collections in the world.  Some of you understand what that means to your organic rankings.  If you don't you need to read this.

I also tag your site announcement so it will be found by those doing tag searchers (technorati and del.icio.us., etc.) and I provide chiklets directly to your site's URL so social media users have the opportunity to share your site with the exact people who would be interested. 


URLwire subscriber comment
"Eric, the sites you send us are exactly what we look for.  Thanks for being on target and not sending junk" —  Adrian L. Yahoo



Key Point: URLwire subscribers have requested it and those who subscribe via proavte email have also given me a profile of the types of sites they want to know about. 
Below is just a sampling of thousands of online venues where editors, librarians, and content seekers are looking for high quality web content to write about and link to.

Sample URLwire member/subscribers: Yahoo New and Notable Sites - NYPL Best of the Web - Forbes Best of The Web - Boing Boing - IRN Internet Resources Newsletter - USA Today Web Guide/Useful Sites - Exploratorium's Web Picks - Librarians Internet Index  - Cool Tricks and Trinkets - Parents Best Web Sites - Guardian Web Watch - Education WorldThe Scout Report - AOL StudyBuddy - BestHistorySites - PC Magazine Top Sites - Lockergnome -  - NetDetours - About.com- FreePint - NetGuide - WebUser - Suite101 - Zoo.com - .net

Again, this above just scratches the surface. Here are a few additional examples in specific niches
Busy Educator's Guide to the Web - Classroom Earth Best of the Web - Berit's Best Sites for Kids - Surfing the Net With Kids - Ask for Kids - Child & Family WebGuide from Tufts University - FamilyTree Best of the Web - Kids Web
Let's get even more nichified.  How about these?
Best of PhysicsWeb
Useful Web Links for the Materials Industry
Sleep Disorder Sites
Dulcimer and Folk Music Links
Jazz Music Links
Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Links
My point is there are literally thousands of people on the web who enjoy identifying and linking to content in thousands of subjects.  My attention to this niche for years gives me unrivalled contacts and credibility, from today all the way back to the nineties when URLwire was a Netscape Editor's Choice source for new sites.

I want to receive URLwire, how do I sign up?
There are many ways to receive URLwire, described in detail here. Quickly, if you want to hear about all of the sites I announce (5-7 per week max), you can simply subscribe to the URLwire feed here or subscribe to the private URLwire group at Google. If you just want sites about a specific subject, send email to subjects@urlwire.com or eric@urlwire.com, and tell me exactly what you want, then only if I have a perfect match will you ever hear from me. I match it myself. No bots and no scripts. 

How does URLwire differ from large wire services?
1). I limit the number of sites I'll announce to a few per week
2). I am extremely selective about what I feature on URLwire
3). I am overly selective about who I contact on your behalf
4). I'll make another announcement for you if you aren't pleased with the response

I know my subscribers and what they want, and I don't pollute them with off topic announcements. URLwire is not for sending news about your IPO or CEO.  If you have news about something other than the content of your site, you should use a fine service like Market Wire or Internet News Bureau or PRWeb to distribute it.  I recommend them as they are excellent services for this type of news.  Only use URLwire when your news is about the content on your site. The quality of the site ultimately determines whether or not I will announce and pursue links for it.

How are sites announced on URLwire?
The URLwire News Network announces new web sites via multiple channels as follows. 

Step One - Private email
The first step is sending individual announcements about your site via email to my private contacts. This will take anywhere from one to three hours depending on how many contacts I identify that are appropriate for your specific site announcement.  For each site launch I announce, I personally sort, cull and sift through my entire membership of URLwire subscribers, matching your site announcement with the stated interests of my contacts.   I also look for the key influencers who are not already URLwire members but who cover and link to sites in the same subject area as your site. Any given launch alert is typically a fit for 300 or more contacts.  My contacts only hear from me when I have a site that matches their stated interests.  And URLwire is purposely not automated.  It's sent one-to-one from me personally to my contacts.

Step Two - Web
Next I'll post your announcement on its own page on the URLwire web site, and create a headline link and summary to it on the URLwire home page above and on the URLwire headline page.  Your announcement will be crawled by the various news bots and search engines almost immediately.  Google News and Yahoo News, for example, crawl URLwire site announcements within minutes of their appearing. URLwire has millions of annual page views. This is achieved as a result of thousands of sites around the world linking to my headline page or story pages over the many years URLwire has been here.

Step Three - Blogs, Feeds, Twitter and other Social Media
I place your site announcement on the URLwire Blogs and RSS feed. I'll also Tweet your URL via URLwire's Twitter option, tag your announcement so it will be found by tagging sites like technorati, and I'll enable the well known share chicklet (below) on your site announcement so social linkers and bookmarkers have the opportunity to share, digg, bookmark and otherwise spread your site's URL. Social Bookmark Button (this one's purposely not enabled)

Step Four - News Bots, Private Groups and Syndication
I place a brief summary of your content announcement on the private Google Group for URLwireMy announcement of your site will also be indexed by Google, Yahoo, and MSN very quickly, and I've had instances where Yahoo News picks up my announcements in less than five minutes. I also have arrangements with key news syndication services and newsbots, like Moreover, NewsHub, and WebProWire, and to provide them with my content announcements.  This gets your site announcement headline and link on thousands of other sites and into the Web's largest news indexes.

Why does URLwire produce so many versions of the site announcement?
URLwire is not a press release distribution service. Most site reviewers do not want a press release anyway.  That's why I don't automate URLwire. I provide each of my members with my site announcements in the exact format they want.  If they want a short email with a special subject line, no problem. If they want a weekly digest, I send it that way.  If they want an RSS version, I have it. Blog?  Yes. Via private Google group? Got it.  Twitter? No problem.

Who writes the site announcement?
You write the initial copy, and I'll make suggestions if I feel it will improve the reception. If you prefer that I write the entire announcement, I will but I charge an additional fee.

What sites have used URLwire to announce their launch?
Literally thousands over the years. A sampling of sites that hired URLwire to announce their launch includes Amazon.com, Weather.com, Wine.com/Virtual Vineyards, Dell, Rodney.com, Infobeat, The BBC, Kellogg's, MoMA, Law.com, Visa.com, and sites for Ziff-Davis, The New York Times, The Discovery Channel, Microsoft, AOL, About.com and The AMA, and PBS.  Many other now famous Web sites were originally launched through my URLwire service. 

Do the people who receive URLwire like it?
They love it. They are interested in my announcements because they know it's something they haven't seen, will be a match for their interests, and a top-notch site.  But don't take my word for it.  Read their quotes here

Does URLwire work?
Rather than me tell you, I'll let my clients tell you.  Here are three quotes and a longer testimonial.  A few more URLwire testimonials are also available.

Jim Osgood - OfficeFinder.com
"Eric, URLwire got our site covered and linked online in places we'd tried for months to get in without success. And, URLwire did it in one day. Thanks!"
.
Rob Ford, FavouriteWebsiteAwards
"URLwire is a great service which has proven results. Two projects I have been involved with that you have featured have both gone straight into the Yahoo directory and been listed on their Pick of the Day page. Thanks a bunch, Eric!"
.
Amy Strycula, CoolShopping.com - Cool Shopping Sites
"We've been using Eric's URLwire service since 1995, and on more than one occasion had to work closely with our hosting service to keep our servers up under the high traffic loads that resulted".
"The Silence is Deafening" - a Reverse Testimonial for Eric Ward
What if URLwire doesn't work?
Give URLwire six weeks, and if by then you don't feel URLwire did what you expected it would, let me know and I'll run an additional URLwire announcement free of charge.  I'm not in this just to make a few hundred bucks.  I'm in this for the long haul.  Try asking for this assurance from any other content publicity service.

Can't a Public Relations firm do what URLwire does?
Many Public Relations firms hire me to announce their client's sites.  They know I have many years of contacts and relationships in the online world, while they have contacts in the off-line world.

How do I start the process to announce a site?
If you know you want to proceed, click here. If you want additional information, send me an email and tell me about the site you're wanting to announce. I'll reply as soon as I can.

Eric Ward
Phone: 865.637.2438 - but please try email first.

You can read about my other services at  EricWard.com

Selected Content Announcements Appearing 
on URLwire are Below 
Subscribe to URLwire via .More Subscriber Options
ZoomInto.com Offers All-in-One Image Zooming Browser Add-on
ZoomInto, the leader in browser add-on image zooming and editing software, announces the official opening of ZoomInto.com. ZoomInto.com offers a free software download which enables users to zoom, pan, crop, save, print and email virtually any .jpg image on the internet...Read more here or see the site now
InsuranceAgents.com Redesign Enhances Usability for Insurance Consumers
InsuranceAgents.com was launched in May of 2009.  Five months later, the design team has upgraded the website, making it easier for consumers to navigate and use. "With easy to read forms, content and the improved load time, InsuranceAgents.com is becoming easier and faster, allowing for consumers nationwide to use our site more efficiently," states Chris Turowski, Creative Director at InsuranceAgents.com, "Enhancing the sites usability impacts our conversion rates, by making our website more attractive and easy to use, more consumers are relying on us to provide the insurance quotes they are shopping for."...Read more here or see the site now
TopFiveComputers.com Picks Top Five Computer Products by Category
TopFiveComputers.com is a user friendly computer product review and comparison site for computers and related items.   The site was created by Lorenzo Loero, a CompTIA  A+ certified IT technician based out of Orlando, FL.  The main focus is to give novice computer shoppers the information they need to make purchasing decisions...Read more here or see the site now
OnlinePokies.com.au Provides Latest News and Tips On Pokies
OnlinePokies.com.au is fast-becoming the best place on the Internet for all gambling news relating to online slot machines and 'pokies'. The term 'pokies' is what Australians call slot machines, and the website is usually first to break slot machine and pokie-related news...Read more here or see the site now
Weplay.com Launches Free Basketball Drills Library with Video from LeBron James Basketball Camp
Weplay.com, the ultimate online destination for the youth sports community, has launched its free Basketball Skills and Drills library featuring content from the LeBron James King James Academy summer basketball camp in San Diego. Weplay.com was granted access to film drills at LeBron’s camp where kids learned and practiced the fundamentals of basketball, team play, good sportsmanship and healthy habits. Weplay.com’s library of hundreds of free basketball drill videos, animations and basketball plays also includes footage of the NBA’s biggest stars including Tony Parker...Read more here or see the site now
Senior-Dating.org Helps Single Seniors Find Companionship
There are 40 million seniors in the U.S. alone and 16 million of them are single.  What’s more, those numbers are set to double in the next 30 years.  That’s a lot of lonely people looking for companionship and more. Senior Dating is a new website that aims to demystify the whole subject and offer practical advice and tips on the subject of dating in later life...Read more here or see the site now
Goodwill Industries Launches Redesigned Web Site at Goodwill.org
Goodwill Industries International this month launched its redesigned web site, www.goodwill.org, to better serve Goodwill shoppers, donors and job seekers. “Millions of people visit the Goodwill Industries International web site each year, and more than 80 percent are seeking information about the Goodwills in their communities...Read more here or see the site now
Asbestos.net Launches Extensive Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer Video Collection
Asbestos.net, one of the leading online resources for all things related to asbestos cancer and mesothelioma, is pleased to announce the publication and distribution of an extensive video collection, including over 250 individual videos, on the Asbestos.net site, YouTube.com, and throughout the internet.  This collection of informative pieces represents one of the most in-depth sources for all things related to mesothelioma and asbestos cancer available...Read more here or see the site now
TheLunchBox.org Aims to Improve School Lunches in America
The Lunch Box is a web-based portal that enables all schools and school districts to make a healthy difference for all children in America by providing relevant information and the pragmatic tools necessary to make good food available for all kids.
The Lunch Box is in beta mode. When fully functional, it will provide the multi-faceted approach necessary to transition any processed food based K-12 school meal program to a whole foods environment where food is...
Read more here or see the site now
More New Site Announcements
Publisher news and notes

Here's a unique testimonial for URLwire - The Silence is Deafening

My various link building and publicity services have been included in Business 2.0 Magazine's Best Business Links on the Web and have now been written about and mentioned in over 100 books, magazines, newsletters, TV, and Radio programs, and are included in college courses on Internet marketing.
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More Subscriber Comments

Eric is one of the most plugged in professionals we know, having been online approximately forever. So if you want to get your news around, call the guy. In addition to being non-annoying, he's extremely effective in telling Heavy Duty Influentials what it is you're doing. -- Chris Locke,The Cluetrain Manifesto (full quote)

"URLwire is the antidote to the disease of mass press release spam.  What you do is genius!" 
- Web Marketing Tools

"Eric, Thanks very much for offering this service"
- Yahoo Internet Life Useful Sites Editors

"Eric, your picks are exactly what we look for. Thanks for being on target and not sending junk"
- Yahoo Picks of the Week

"Cool stuff, Eric. Keep it coming"
- Sam Meddis, USA Today Hot Sites

"Your service is great...We are always interested in new Internet resources, important new Web sites and interesting things that are going on on the Internet"
- Martyn Williams

"Eric, you provide a great service and we use a lot of what you send us." 
- ZDNet

"Just wanted to let you know that your URLwire service is very helpful to our team of editors. Our editors look forward to receiving your emails about recent web launches and are grateful for your service. Thanks!" 
- John Kelly

"Thanks Eric! Your selectivity and intro are appreciated..." - Ken Laws

"Eric Ward's URLwire service allows you to tailor your Web news messages for each media contact. More expensive? Yes. But the impact is optimal..."
- WDFM

"Thanks again for the continuing service. It is not an overstatement to say that it is one of the very best services available on the Internet, and one of the *very* few that innately understands the medium it is working in. Thanks again.
- LookSmart

"Eric, you're doing a hell of a job. I've come to rely on you for a lot of front running, as well as supplementary content. Thanks for that..." 

"Eric...I just wanted you to know how much I like reading your pre-press release material. It's nice to have someone know your name in this cold modem-based world..."

"When I see Eric Ward's name in my in-box, I open it immediately, and I know it's good stuff. His selectivity and appreciation for what is and isn't Web news is unmatched anywhere. He's been at it longer than anyone, and he does it right..."

"Hi Eric, take it from someone who has been receiving a steady stream of these automated press/news releases... your personalized, selective, one at a time, no spam Web news releases are a slice of heaven!!! I can't even read all the others, but yours, I read immediately..."

"Hey Eric, I really appreciate your service. I've used information from your postings for a number of stories. I must say that your service is great. Thanks and keep up the good work."

I LOVE each and every piece you have sent me. Thanks for the noticeable effort and the outstanding job you do Eric!

"Well written, directed to me personally, and always include a succinct note explaining why Eric directed the news to my attention. And I do read them, consider them, and cover them. 

"Eric, just want to drop you a line to say "thank you" once again for your consistently high quality Web site pointers. Definitely "sites we can use". 

"The oldest and most renowned firm is Eric Ward's URLWire" 
- Paul Bruemmer

 

URLwire.com / EricWard.com / Seagrove Beach FL & Knoxville, TN / Email - Voice: 865 637 2438 by appt