We just released PURL If Statements to Purlem’s landing page editor. If Statements allow you to create “rules” that display unique content based on the visitor’s profile.
For example, if you wanted to display unique content for only Chicago Bears fans you can!
You can see our forum or video tutorial for more information on how you can begin to implement If Statments in your next PURL campaign.
Support is going to be a major factor of Purlem’s success moving forward. Personalized URLs (PURLs) can be very confusing, if not intimidating, so having a sophisticated and easy support channel for Purlem’s customers is crucial. When setting out to find the perfect support solution for Purlem, I was quickly able to narrow my search down to 3 options:
Email
Yep.. just plain old email. Many internet startups are able to successfully handle support over email. Usually used in combination with something like Text Expander to automate some of the more repetitive tasks. For Purlem, the largest down-side of using plain old email is that it does not provide a resource for users to visit and get answers to their own questions. Since having a comprehensive self-help resource was essential for Purlem, this was not an option for us. (Although free would have been very nice!)
HelpSpot (http://helpspot.com)
HelpSpot is a very good help desk used by many internet companies. I liked that I was able to host the entire platform on my server (for SEO purposes). Installing the help desk was fairly painless. And at only $199, the price was right. One of the things I didn’t like about the platform was their “self service” forms feature. It seemed like it could be a little confusing for many users. On top of that, it did not have that web 2.0 look that I was hoping for.
Zendesk (http://zendesk.com)
After a 30 day trial of Zendesk, I decided to make it Purlem’s primary support platform. It had everything I was looking for in a help desk – Community Forums, Support Tickets, Easy “Ask a Question” option, and Chat capabilities. Most importantly, it is extremely easy for people to use. Type in a question, if there is no match, have the option to chat or submit a support ticket. The look is very slick and has the Web 2.0 look that fits well with Purlem’s site. Good job Zendesk- I love my help desk 
I’m very excited to announce today some upgrades to Purlem.
1) A new front-end design focused more on those unfamiliar with Personalized URLs.
2) A new dashboard login: .purldash.com
3) Client login access
For details on these upgrades watch the video below:
Well I’m glad you asked!
Personalized URLs or “PURLs” are simply a URL that is personalized to the recipient.
For example:
mysite.com/Sally.Anderson
or
mysite.com/Mike.Jones
(Obviously mysite would be replace with your domain name).
And when Mike goes to the internet and types in his “PURL” he will be taken to a website that is personalized to him.
At the same time, Mikes activity is tracked in Purlem’s dashboard, and you are instantly notified of his visit and any information he submits through the landing page form.
Typically, PURLs are used in conjunction with a direct mail campaign, or with email marketing.
By using PURLs in your next campaign, you’ll be able to benefit from:
- Increased response rates
- The ability to Track Responses in real time, and receive email alerts to instantly follow up with interested prospects
- Engage customers at a deeper level by collecting valuable information from your prospects, and using that information to make subsequent campaigns even more relevant.
With Purlem you can get started for Free. Yes, absolutly free. For no risk, and only a few minutes of time, you can test out PURLs and see how they work for your business. You have nothing to loose and a ton of new business to gain.
Sometimes I’m asked the “BIG” questions. ”What are you long term goals with Purlem?” “How are you going to get there?” “Where is the business plan anyways?” They come from all sides.. family, friends, and colleagues.
I usually answer with something like “I don’t know.” Followed by… “I know I want to have a product that people love, and a business culture that people are proud to be part of.” Usually, this is not a sufficient enough answer for the one doing the questioning.
I don’t blame them for asking. I’m not taking the traditional path with my post-collegiate career… Get a good paying white colar job in the city, put as much as possible into the 401K, buy a house, hopefully be able to retire at 60. I’m going outside the box and taking a risk.
Now I do have goals… LOTS of them. But they focus on what I can do in the immediate future to improve and grow the business.
I’m not worried about 5 years down the road. (Ofcourse, I would prefer if Purlem was a raging hit worth several million). But I’m simply paying attention to what I can do NOW. I could spend all day working out “what if” scenarios with business, marketing, and financial plans. Or I can buckle down and take tangible steps towards ACTUALLY making something happen!
I have not posted for a couple months here. I have actually taken the opportunity (before Purlem gets to big and consumes every aspect of my life!) to do some traveling around the world. My wife was also in between nursing assignments, so off we went… Our adventure took us to London, Greece, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, France and Ireland! Whew… It was amazing and exhausting!
Now that were back, its time to really take Purlem to the next level. Over the past couple of years Purlem has proven to be not only a profitable business model, but a product that people love.
The first thing I’m going to do is to partner with a senior level developer that can help prepare Purlem for the growth. Were also going to focus on making Purlem more fun to use. There are definitly some usability issues with the site that can use attention. And if we get these ironed out, the entire experience will be much more user-friendly.
I’m going to focus more on the business side… marketing, attending trade shows, PR, and developing new business. It’s a very exciting time and Purlem begins to grow out of it’s infancy.
Thanks to all the users who have given such valuable feedback to make Purlem what it is today. We have a long ways to go, but we have a great foundation and a very exciting future!
Today I made an upgrade to the Password Protection Page. Purlem now allows you to customize the password page with text and images.
To activate Password protection, click on the ‘Security’ tab in the landing page menu bar. When you turn ‘Password Protection’ to ON, you will now see a text editor that you can use to customize the page.
See how one of my clients utilized this new feature below.
Purlem Dashboard Security Settings
Password Protected Landing Page
With Purlem it is easy to place Personalized URLs (PURLs) into a Microsoft Word document. When you export your contact list from Purlem, you can use that file with Microsoft Word’s ‘Mail Merge’ feature to automatically add PURLs to your documents. Learn more with this video:
Purlem now has an extensive library of video tutorials to walk users through every process of creating a sophisticated Personal URL (PURL) campaign.
Video tutorials have also been integrated into the Personal URL Dashboard. Links to the personal url video tutorials will automatically appear throughout the dashbaord for all new account holders. They will not appear for Pro user’s accounts to prevent users from seeing the ‘Purlem’ name.
Creating a PURL Campaign
Walks you through the process of creating your first PURL Campaign with Purlem.
Personalize Landing Page Content
Personalize the content area of the landing page to the visitor.
Domain & Hosting Setup
A step by step guide on purchase a domain name and hosting to work with Purlem.
Modify Landing Page Form
Modify the Personal URL Landing Page form.
Modify Landing Page Design
Modify the landing page design. Background in HTML and CSS recommended.
Add Pages to Campaign
Add additional pages to your PURL campaigns.
Using Variable Images
Variable images change depending on who visiting the Personalized URL landing page
Add Video to Personal URL Pages
Adding video to a Personal URL page with Purlem.
Personalized Response Emails
Auto-Reply Emails sent to visitors when they visit their Personalized URL.
Email Entire Campaign
Send personalized emails to every contact in a campaign.
Upload Multiple Contacts
Upload multiple contacts with a CSV file.
Exporting Contacts and Results
Exporting Contacts and Results. Contains PURLs and landing page history.
Landing Page Alert Settings
Set landing page alerts on your Personalized URL pages to notify you when somebody visits the page.
PURL Security Settings
Personalized URL Security Options. Auto Populate forms and Password Protection options.
Copy Campaign Settings
Export then Import an existing PURL Campaign to copy. Retains all settings from previous campaign.
Whitelabel Dashboard
Customize Purlem’s dashboard to your corporate image by adding you logo and modifying the color settings. Also allow your clients to login to the dashboard from you website.
Effective today, Purlem’s Personalized URL platform has reverted back to its original pricing; $199/mo for Pro and $79/mo for Plus.
The reason for the change is the new subscriptions drastically dropped since we raised the prices a few months ago. Reverting back to the old prices will hopefully pick up new subscriptions.
