Making the sale
| Date | 13 February 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-10-2016-0039 |
| Pages | 8-13 |
| Published date | 13 February 2017 |
| Author | Robert Fox |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Records management & preservation,Information repositories |
DIGITAL LIBRARIES: THE SYSTEMS
ANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE
Making the sale
Robert Fox
Hesburgh Library, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to explore the use of the conversion rate metric as well as A/B testing which is
complimentary to that measurement for the improvement of exposing and increasing usage of library digital
services.
Design/methodology/approach –This column is a viewpoint piece. A literature search was performed
as well as ideas from cited books.
Findings –There are no ndings to speak of.
Originality/value –The use of certain marketing techniques such as the conversion rate and the use of
user experience testing such as A/B analysis has the potential to increase the ability of libraries to objectively
measure the impact of their online services and increase the efcacy of those services.
Keywords Online marketing, User experience, Usability testing, A/B testing, Conversion rate,
Digital library services
Paper type Viewpoint
He was known as the “Rattlesnake King”. Clark Stanley, born in 1854, was a former
rancher from Texas when he began marketing what he called “Snake Oil Liniment”,
and he billed the concoction as the best treatment available for a myriad of ailments
such as rheumatism, neuralgia, lame back, toothaches, among others. Mr Stanley
sensationalized his product by billing the liniment, as being composed of “snake oil”,
which he claimed was actually bodily uids extracted from a rattlesnake. During
many of his sales pitches, he would take a dead rattlesnake and demonstrate the
extraction process to a fascinated crowd. His efforts paid off, and Mr Stanley
eventually distributed his product with the help of a Boston pharmacist. The snake
oil product was a prominent attraction at the World’s Columbian Exposition in
Chicago and reached its height of popularity and commercial success. Following the
passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, Stanley’s Snake Oil was tested and
found to contain everything but rattlesnake extract and was thus labeled a
fraudulent concoction. The term “snake oil” has since become synonymous with
fraudulent products and services and has helped to promote negative views of the
marketing and public relations trade.
This generally negative view of marketing and sales is of course partially
justied, not only because people can be left with bad impressions but also because
there are countless examples of people being sold “snake oil” through deceptive
marketing and sales practices. Fraudulent nancial practices are relevant examples
of this, and recent scandals demonstrate just how destructive those practices can be.
One of the most infamous cases of nancial fraud was unearthed in 2008 with the
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2059-5816.htm
DLP
33,1
8
DigitalLibrary Perspectives
Vol.33 No. 1, 2017
pp.8-13
©Emerald Publishing Limited
2059-5816
DOI 10.1108/DLP-10-2016-0039
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