In a number of specific cases, upgrading from version 1.0.2 to version 1.0.3 does not fix the security vulnerability that was fixed in version 1.0.3. Users running version 1.0.3 who had earlier versions on their server should upgrade to version 1.0.4 to remove the vulnerable file.

As always with security fix releases, it is crucial to upgrade to the newest version as soon as possible.

Download: Statistics as Graphs plugin for OpenX 2.8+ Version: 1.0.4 Updated: September 2, 2011 Size: 312.46 KB

Users with version 1.0.3 or older installed will also see a notice about this upgrade underneath each graph that’s drawn on their screen.

More information and download

We have prepared a product page containing all information, documentation and a link to download this free Geolocation Magic Macros plugin for OpenX.

Examples of Text Link Plus banners, created using a custom OpenX plugin (click to enlarge)

We recently developed a custom OpenX plugin that enables ad operations staff to easily create banners in OpenX that contain both small images and text links. This could of course be done using a procedure that involves uploading the image to a known web location and then creating an OpenX HTML banner. The downside of that process, however, is that it is easy to make mistakes, it’s time consuming and it requires technical skills and experience that ad operations staff often don’t have.

Entering data for a Text Link Plus banner (click to enlarge)

The plugin we developed displays data entry fields for the various elements of this “Text Link Plus” ad and it even resizes the images that’s uploaded to the correct dimensions for the ad’s available space.

When the user clicks the “Save Changes” button, the plugin will upload the selected image from the local disk to the server and resize it. Next it creates a custom banner that displays in the required format and dimensions automatically. The user can also edit an existing banner, which will even show a preview of the banner as with any of the standard banner types in OpenX.

We feel this is an excellent example of the power of the OpenX plugin framework. If you have a need for something similar, or if you would like to discuss having your own custom plugin developed, you can contact us using the form below.

This is a security fix release that takes care of one issue:

• A vulnerability has been discovered in the third-party open source graphing component Open Flash Charts that is used by this plugin to draw the graphs.

As always with security fix releases, it is crucial to upgrade to the newest version as soon as possible.

Download: Statistics as Graphs plugin for OpenX 2.8+ Version: 1.0.4 Updated: September 2, 2011 Size: 312.46 KB

Users with version 1.0.2 installed will also see a notice about this upgrade underneath each graph that’s drawn on their screen.

Targeting members of a closed forum

A publisher operating a closed forum was already successfully displaying ads on the pages that members can access when they are logged in. There were two public pages on the site that were not being used to their full potential, the login page and the page that users see after they log out. The ad revenue (eCPM) of those pages was low, and members complained that the ads they saw there were much less relevant than what they were used to on other pages.

Direct targeting when logged in

The publisher uses information provided by the members to select ads on closed forum pages, so that members see ads relevant to their interests and demographic information. Think of things like gender, age, marital status, education level and so on. It’s not hard to understand that ads for products that are designed for a female audience perform better when they are displayed only for female members, for example. When a member is logged in, it’s very easy to show the right ad to the right person. We tend to call this ‘direct targeting’, and it can be implemented with an out of the box installation of OpenX.

The problem was that the publisher could no longer do this form of direct targeting after the member logs of, or when the visitor is on the sign in page on their next visit. He simply didn’t know who the member was, let alone what profile to use for direct targeting.

Retargeting when logged out

The solution to this problem was to implement the Retargeting plugin for OpenX and to capture some of the profile data when the member is logged in. This data is then stored, anonymously, using the Retargeting plugin for OpenX. As a result, that data is still available even when the member logs out or when they land on the sign in page during their next visit.

Strong increase in eCPM and ad revenue

By implementing this relatively simple scenario, the publisher has seen his ad revenue on the public sign in and post-log off pages almost double overnight. It is estimated that this will pay for the purchase of the OpenX Retargeting plugin in about 4 to 5 months. And now that retargeting functionality is available in his OpenX Ad Server, he is planning to implement more scenarios. Helping his advertisers reach the best possible audience for their campaigns is going to be much easier, and that will help to continue increasing his ad revenue in the future.

Please have a look at some of the other examples and use cases of the Retargeting plugin for OpenX

We’re also very proud to report that this plugin has been downloaded over 1,000 times to date.

This is a bug fix release that takes care of one issue:

• Properly fixed the issue with scientific notation: the previous fix was generating a malformed JSON response in certain situations

In addition to this bug fix, an new built-in version check has been added so that we can notify users about new versions of this plugin from inside the user interface of the graphs pages.

Download: Statistics as Graphs plugin for OpenX 2.8+ Version: 1.0.4 Updated: September 2, 2011 Size: 312.46 KB

The Geolocation Magic Macros plugin for OpenX, Magic Geo in short, enables you to dynamically insert the name of the geographic location of a visitor into a banner. This can be used in both the HTML code and the destination URL. Using this new feature, you can automatically make a banner adjust its content to the location of a visitor.

Demonstration

The banner below demonstrates this by showing your country name and country code, and the name of the continent, and a link to a Wikipedia article about your country.

The code used in this HTML banner looks like this:
You are currently in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/{geo.country.enc}" title="read about {geo.country} on Wikipedia" target="_blank">{geo.country}, country code {geo.country_code}</a>, which is part of {geo.continent}.


More information and download

We have prepared a product page containing all information, documentation and a link to download this free Geolocation Magic Macros plugin for OpenX.

Your feedback is more than welcome

Please let us know your thoughts, experience and suggestions for this plugin using the comments below this post.

This is a bug fix release that takes care of the following issues:

• Fixed compatibility issue with PHP versions lower than v5.2.
• Fixed problem with very big numbers in the statistics being represented in scientific notation, but Open Flash Chart v2 can’t handle scientific notation.
• Fixed problem with graphs not being displayed in certain situations in Internet Explorer, when the OpenX user interface is running on a secure address (https).
• Fixed problem where the “Next” button underneath the graphs was appearing out of place when using Internet Explorer 8.

We want to thank all the people that contacted us to report their issues, and helped us test our proposed fixes before releasing the update to the public. Feel free to leave your comments below if you have feedback, tips or suggestions for this plugin.

Update Monday February 22

We accidentally offered version 1.0.0 for download, labeling it as version 1.0.1. This has been corrected today. Anyone who attempted to download the new version 1.0.1 before Monday, February 22, 12 PM CET (6 AM Eastern time) should download it again and will now receive the real version 1.0.1. You can recognize version 1.0.1 by its file size of about 313 KB, whereas version 1.0.0 has a file size of about 320 KB. Also, the files inside the zipped file are clearly marked with their version numbers. We apologize for the confusion that this mix-up his caused.

This plugin was designed primarily for use by publishers operating one or more websites, by ad networks and by advertisers. It enables them to deliver advertising campaigns to visitors who are most likely to be interested in the products or services being promoted. This is done by capturing and storing data about the visitor’s surfing behavior and search behavior, or demographic data. When creating an advertising campaign, the ads can be targeted to this known data about the visitor. For more information about the benefits of targeting and retargeting, please see the explanation and examples below.

Availability

The Behavioral Targeting and Retargeting Plugin for OpenX Ad Server is available right now. It is already in use by a network of nine websites as well as two ad networks in The Netherlands, and a digital marketing agency in Germany.

Request information about this plugin

When you are interested in using this OpenX plugin, we invite you to submit the form below. We will then contact you to discuss features, pricing, and licensing terms.

[contact-form]

Additional information

The difference between direct targeting and retargeting

Targeting is a technique used by online publishers and advertisers to increase the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. It can be applied directly, matching the ads on a webpage to the content of that page or known demographic information about the visitor. It can also be applied indirectly, using information that was captured and stored earlier to decide if the ad should be delivered. This is often called behavioral targeting or behavioral retargeting.

What is behavioral targeting and retargeting?

Behavioral targeting uses information collected on a visitor’s past web-browsing behavior, such as the pages they have visited or the searches they performed, to select which advertisements to display to that individual. Wikipedia has an article about Behavioral Targeting.

How does the Behavioral Targeting and Retargeting Plugin for OpenX Ad Server work?

The Behavioral Targeting and Retargeting Plugin adds a table to the OpenX database, and stores information about the visitor in that table. The data is not stored in cookies on the visitor’s computer. It then enables OpenX users to specify delivery limitations to any banner in a campaign based on the stored retargeting data.

Example scenarios for behavioral targeting and retargeting

The only limitation for using the Behavioral Targeting and Retargeting Plugin for OpenX Ad Server is your own imagination. Here are a few examples of how we think you can use this plugin:

• When a visitor enters your shop pages but doesn’t complete a sale, you could display special ads at their next visit, encouraging them to buy your product after all.
• When a visitor searches for information related to a US state, you can target ads to them that are relevant to that state, when they visit one of your other sites.
• If a visitor has viewed a product page on your website more than 5 times, you could conclude they are more than likely to buy the product. By displaying an ad with a special offer or discount at their next visit, you could persuade them to buy the product.
• When someone buys a product from your site, at subsequent visits to your site you can show them ads for related products, supplies or services to complement their initial purchase (up selling and cross selling).

Additional technical details

Data storage mechanism

The data that needs to be captured comes from the actions a visitor performs on a website, or from data the visitor enters. This data is sent to the OpenX Behavioral Targeting and Retargeting Plugin via an API. It requires that the webmaster or developers of the website incorporate this API in their site. There are no restrictions on the programming language used for the site. The plugin supports two types of data storage: single elements like a visitor’s gender or year of birth, and counters like the number of times a visitor has viewed a product page in your shop.

Privacy Measures and Opt-Out Mechanism

Any data stored inside the retargeting data table is completely anonymous. It is not tied to an IP address. The Behavioral Targeting and Retargeting Plugin also supports an opt-out mechanism. This means visitors can indicate they prefer not to be served ads targeted to their search or surfing behavior. Any and all data about the visitor in the OpenX database is removed and no more new data will be collected.

Update: information about availability added.

Update: due to continued spam comments on this post, we’ve had to close the comments section. If you want to contact us, please see the form on the Retargeting plugin for OpenX product page.

Screen shots

[Show as slideshow]

Click the thumbnails to view larger screen shots of the plugin.

Download

Download: Statistics as Graphs plugin for OpenX 2.8+ Version: 1.0.4 Updated: September 2, 2011 Size: 312.46 KB

New features

In addition to the Global History Graph that was available in the beta version, this new version now has graphs for almost all statistics that OpenX can show:

• Advertiser
• Campaign
• Banner
• Website
• Zone

Graphs are now available for all user types (administrators, managers, advertisers, website owners).

Every graph has buttons to navigate to the previous and next month, or to go up a level to show the current year’s statistics. Clicking a bar will drill down into the underlying statistics, down to a day graph with an hourly break down.

Graphs will show the actual numbers for every bar and dot by positioning the mouse over them.

Improvements

The graphs are now displayed using the open source product “Open Flash Chart 2“, which comes bundled with the plugin. To speed up the display of the graphs, the initial time frame is always the current month.