Facebook isn’t slowing down as it kicks off its IPO roadshow and has launched a brand new app store featuring apps which utilise its Connect feature. The app store has attracted a lot of coverage and its timing couldn’t better when all eyes are on the company as it prepares to float its shares on the stock market.

While the store is specifically for apps that integrate with Facebook, its aim is not to compete with Apple’s app store or Google Play and in fact once a user selects an app to download they are taken to the relevant store to finalise the transaction.

However there are two reasons why Facebook’s some 900 million users may prefer to select their apps from the new store; firstly the store only stocks apps that work with Facebook’s Connect function which makes interconnectivity a breeze and secondly apps are displayed not only by user rating but also based on the account holder’s interest history which makes the top rated selection much more relevant and personalised. Users can browse apps that are compatible  with their device so they only see the apps they can actually use.

The store also offers greater opportunities for developers around pricing and charging for apps. Up to now, apps have generated income through in-app purchasing in games such as Farmville where users pay real cash for virtual goods. Now Facebook will allow developers to charge one-off prices for users to access the app’s features.

One of the benefits to Facebook is that it acts as a giant sandpit for developers to try and test a whole host of features which can add to the Facebook experience without Facebook itself having to change. And as seen recently with the purchase of Instagram, if an app does particularly well and proves popular with users Facebook can pick it up and fully integrate it.

One area this could really benefit is Facebook’s mobile offering which it has openly admitted is a problem area. In a recent statement to potential investers Facebook stated “If users increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetisation strategies for our mobile users, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected.” This was quite a bold and frank admittance given the company’s current position but the fallout could create some very real opportunities for developers to create new features which could fill this void.

The company is clearly looking for improvements in this area and the app store is the perfect place to showcase and test out new ideas at very little initial cost to the company, only shelling out once an app is tried and tested.

In a recent post on Facebook’s developer blog, Aaron Brady said that the app centre is expected to launch ‘in the coming weeks’ and is calling for anyone interested in submitting an app to do so now via its Facebook Developer App.

It also wants to test the notion of paying a flat fee to access app features and is calling for users to sign up for the beta programme.

It’s a creative approach to solving a significant problem and provides developers with the chance to get their app seen but it’s the users who decide which ones they want to see grow into a fully fledged Facebook feature.

Written by Felice Ayling

In Episode 60, We speak to Ben Wightman from Latitude, a leading force in integrated Digital Marketing Intelligence about the findings of their recent trends in mobile report. Learn who the current winners are in the smart phone device race, and discover the current trends are in mobile website use. Latitude also shed a light on how mobile traffic is set to effect your visibility in search engines and make some predictions on what the future SEO implications are for organizations slow to develop a mobile optimised websites.

Download the Latitude mobile report here:-
http://www.latitudegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-Latitude-Mobile-Report.pdf

---

---

How to get in Touch:

daniel@targetinternet.com

http://www.twitter.com/danielrowles

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Digital-Marketing-Podcast-2785308

http://www.facebook.com/digitalmarketingpodcast

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-digital-marketing-podcast/id373596600

Daniel’s Bio/a>

 

Given how long smartphones and mobile internet have been around, it’s surprising to hear that 70% of companies don’t have a dedicated mobile site.

It’s no longer sufficient just to optimize your site for mobile, a dedicated mobile version that is built to work on small screens is the only way to maximize on mobile traffic.

While it may seem like a fair amount of work and expense, it’s worth considering if your analytics are showing a reasonable amount of mobile traffic. Around 20% is a good indication. And with 50% of all mobile searches ending in purchase, you could be missing out some valuable customers by not having a site which is easy to use.

The graphic below shows just how many people are using their mobile to search for and review products and then go on to finalise their purchases using a mobile device.

Sources: Lightspeed Research, 2010;

Google “The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users,” 2011

 

 

Google are doing a fair amount of work to make it even easier for brands to connect with their customers. The introduction of enhanced features for mobile advertising have made it even easier for brands to target their ads at mobile customers, and make full use of the extra tools available such as location based services.

And Google’s latest tool, GOMO, is dedicated to giving website owners some practical support and advice on how to go about establishing a proper mobile presence.  Owners can review the way their current site displays, highlight any potential issues for users and then provides a tailoured summary as well as bringing together developers and owners.

Of course Google isn’t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, better mobile experience means more customers. But what Google is actually driving is a better experience for mobile users.

A recent survey from dotcommerce (requires personal details to access report) surveyed 12 of the top retailers and judged their sites based on a series of criteria. Needless to say those sites that came out on top had dedicated mobile sites. However, even these still have a along way to go. While ease of use and search scored highly, mobile checkout is still proving problematic.

Here’s an overview of the 12 sites reviewed and it may be surprising to see who came out on top.

 

The report goes into a fair amount of detail and if you’re thinking of building a mobile site it gives you some great ideas, and pitfalls to avoid so it’s well worth a read.

 

Mobile is growing fast and it seems that us mobile users want fast websites that deliver simple and easy transactions. We really are a demanding bunch.

 

Google are bringing in some exciting changes which will enhance mobile advertising for companies and users, making it easier to match up customers with the information they are looking for.

The first update is the introduction of Custom Search Ads for mobile apps which will improve the way users view results when searching within a mobile app. There are lots of apps which allow users to search within specific areas of interest, and now businesses will be able to develop a custom ad specifically for those apps.

This is a nice development for many companies who work hard to ensure their marketing activity is tailored not only to the customer’s needs but also to the device they are using.

The next change is really a two in one improvement in how users search and locate apps. When searching for information on mobile apps via a browser, often you have to then enter the particular app store to find and download it. Google now is offering developers a way to install a ‘download now’ button which will take the user directly to that app in its relevant store to download more easily.

In addition to this, Mobile App Extensions provide a direct link to an app the user already has installed on their device. So by clicking on an ad, it will detect if you have that company’s app installed and take you straight to it. A much smoother experience for the user and more likely to keep the customer browsing your products.

Although not a new service, Google is promoting how it pushes local services in mobile searches. With 40% of mobile searches linked to location, being able to push results nearest to the user to the top of the list means a much greater chance they will actually find your company.

And Hyperlocal search ads have pushed business up for many companies as they not only contain the location, but the distance from the user, driving directions and a click to call option.

All of these updates make for a better user experience and more relevant customer engagement which can mean less money but better conversion. There are plenty of opportunities for mobile developers to make truly engaging ads which cut out the noise and drive quality traffic to their business.

Watch Google’s movie which showcases the most recent developments.

 

Research in Motion (RIM) announced its new operating system, BBX, at its annual developers conference on Tuesday. The new system will pull together existing BlackBerry elements with the best bits of its QNX system which it acquired last year through the purchase of QNX Software Systems.

The new operating system will be rolled out to all of BB’s devices including smartphones, tablets and built in systems. RIM believes BBX will offer a more consumer friendly platform while incorporating the reliability and security features it needs to keep its customers coming back.

Unfortunately for BlackBerry, timing wasn’t exactly perfect for this announcement and what should have been an exciting moment in the spotlight was overshadowed by the recent outage problems.

RIM’s co-CEO spoke briefly about the recent problems during the announcement and assured customers that it had done everything it could to restore service as quickly as possible. It seems though that their efforts were too little too late as almost every review of BB’s new operating system is peppered with comments about the service issues.

From a PR perspective, boasting about the reliability of your software when customers are still suffering the effects of a massive loss of service is a huge no-no. Not to mention the fact that any claims of your products around their reliability is going to be taken with a very large pinch of salt.

In terms of development though, the new OS does appear to offer a much more supportive and exciting environment for developers. However with the decision that BBX will not support traditional Java applications, this will more likely benefit Android developers than existing BlackBerry developers, who now face the prospect of having to learn a completely new development environment.

While this move seems to offer a more consumer friendly platform and the opportunity to begin competing with the likes of iPhone and Android, BB hasn’t forgotten its core client base. It’s security levels still means that devices running on its OS can get government clearances and are more easily adopted in highly regulated organisations. Which is why BlackBerry is still the device of choice in the NHS and central government institutions where data security is critical.

There is no news yet of an actual date for release but there’s talk of a beta version already available for tablet. It looks like there are some promising changes for customers but BB are leaving a few casualties in its wake.

Getting some useful and genuine feedback on BBX may take a while, once the dust settles and we all stop being quite so cynical about anything RIM claims to be reliable.

A little funny to end on (kindly provided by Daniel Rowles)

 

With many users now into their third day of prolonged service outage, Blackberry is hitting headlines all over the world for all the wrong reasons.

Apparently due to an issue with RIM’s hub in Slough (and I say apparently as nobody really knows) Blackberry services started going down on Monday of this week in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. While they came back up briefly yesterday, millions of users woke up this morning to find the problem was back and they were once again cut off from using email, messenger and the internet from their devices.

Given that Blackberry is the device of choice for people who spend their working life communicating on the go, the loss of service has meant huge disruption for many of the 70 million subscribers around the world.

While this is going to cause some rather disgruntled customers, the failure of Blackberry to engage in any form of dialogue with those affected has dealt a huge blow to their reputation.

As consumers we can be quick to complain when an issue arises and easily forget the years of wonderful, uninterrupted service we’ve become accustomed to. But we can also be a forgiving bunch if we believe those responsible are doing everything they can to fix the problem.

Sticking your head in the sand and passing the buck is no way for a company of this size to behave, or to treat the millions of customers its spent years building a relationship with. And with the outage now affecting the US, you can bet they’re not going to take this lying down.

Blackberry’s main form of communication around the issues is its blog which you could hardly call regular or at all detailed. The last post stated in two lines that they were aware of the issue and they will keep customers updated. That comment was posted over five hours ago.

Blackberry seem to be keen to point out that the issue seems to lie with its service provider Research In Motion, but its customers don’t have their relationship with RIM and that’s not who they look to when things go wrong.

For a company of this size with the resources at their disposal, keeping their customers informed and making them feel supported should be a walk in the park. Instead its chaos and users are turning to Twitter for answers. Not great for Blackberry’s reputation or for anyone considering opting for a device which relies on their system.

Blackberry seem confident they won’t lose any customers over this, but perhaps that is more to do with the lack of a suitable alternative than a true belief in the company and its products. Very poor effort BB, you really could have done better.

Editor: Between the lack of confidence that this episode has caused consumers, the gradual 80% drop in share price and the lack of traction gained by the PlayBook (which is a shame as it’s actually a great little product in context), many are understandably concerned with Blackberry’s future.

The reality however is slightly more complex. The massive organisations that use Blackberry are unlikely to change supplier easily or quickly. However the business consumers that have a choice may choose a different upgrade path next time they change phones. Are this is the problem for Blackberry. They may not see the consequences of this problem for months to come and they could see a gradual decline in their user base.

There are plenty of signs that one of Blackberry’s very active investors is moving for some transformational change for the company. This may lead to a more dynamic and innovative culture which can only be a god thing for consumers.

 

Microsoft announces Window 8 operating system.

Windows has previewed its new operating system which it claims is a significant step forward from Windows 7, and is now fully designed to work as well on tablet as it does on desktop.

 

End of the PC

With the rise of the tablet comes the demise of the desktop according to a recent blog post by Dr Mark Dean, an IBM engineer who worked on one of the first PCs back in 1981.

It appears that so many of us now use a mobile device that PCs, while still having their place, have been replaced as the driving force behind technology they once were.

The claim comes as IBM are celebrating 30 years since it launched the 5150 which set the standards and benchmarks from which everything followed. But even Dr dean admits that his primary device is now a tablet rather than a PC.

I can quite believe this is true for many of us, having not used a desktop for work for at least the last 6 years and the PC at home only being used very begrudgingly when other devices are being monopolised.

Who wants to sit at a desk when you can work from the sofa, the garden or a coffee shop.

Microsoft of course had a different view and believes we are moving not into a post-PC era but into a PC-plus one. According to their predictions, over 400 million PCs are set to be sold next year and will continue to see demand in the future.

Read Dr Mark Dean’s blog in full

Editor: Realistically powerful machines still create too much heat and are too bulky to be laptops. My Mac Pro is great, but realistically for video I need something far meatier (I’m a vege so maybe that should be quornier).

Facebook chat to rival texting

Facebook has launched its new messenger service in the US this week which allows users to communicate with their Facebook contacts via SMS as well as via facebook chat.

While it may appear similar to Blackberry messenger and to the impending Apple messenger on iOS 5, the benefit of Facebook is that it crosses platforms. Blackberry and Apple will be limited to one device, whereas Facebook can go between Android and Apple devices.

It already seems to be proving popular and some have heralded it as the end of texting. It’s not yet released here in the UK and rumours are that the US released was rushed through ahead of Apple’s iOS 5 launch next month which comes with a similar tool built in.

However not everyone is terribly impressed by the new app, purporting it to be a useless additional tool and necessitated only by Facebook chat giving an awful user experience. Ouch.

Facebook have a short overview of the app on their site and it does appear to have some useful functionality on it, but I can see the argument for making it work inside of Facebook’s already integrated chat service. A no brainer really.

Facebook: Is it me, or whatever Facebook bring out I just yawn. Bothered? Not really.

Did Facebook publish all your contacts?

No? Mine either? Probably because this would be horribly illegal and completely wrong. But for many users who recently allowed Facebook to integrate their contact lists this is exactly what they were told had happened. Obviously not by Facebook you understand.

Following the recent mobile app update the message below started appearing in people’s inbox and news feeds.

“ALL THE PHONE NUMBERS IN YOUR PHONE are now PUBLISHED on Facebook! Go to the top right of the screen, click on Account, then click on Edit Friends, go left on the screen and click on Contacts. Then go to the right hand side and click on “visit page” to remove this display option. Please repost this on your Status, so your friends can remove their numbers and thus prevent abuse if they do not want them published.”

Sounds bad? You’ve got to feel for poor Facebook although much of it my be due to poor communication on their part given this isn’t the first time they’ve been hid by bad press over a fairly innocuous update.

The actual function released enabled you to sync your Facebook contacts with those on your device, allowing you to access all of the details you hold for your contacts in one place. So if someone calls and you have them listed in Facebook, their profile picture appears on your screen. And on the other hand, if you have Facebook friends who have allowed their phone number to be visible on their profile, this will be popped into your phone contacts.

It only works if individuals have allowed you access to their details via Facebook and doesn’t trawl either your phone or their private details to populate your list. It’s just bringing two sets of data together and putting it in one place.

The only time it checks for private information is to establish that your phone contact and Facebook contact of the same name are actually the same person, but again it doesn’t give you access to those details unless they are already available to you.

Facebook is clearly trying to encourage its users to use it’s products as a portal for all their communication needs, thus rendering it almost indispensible due to the complexities involved in removing yourself and keeping your contacts intact.

But given the rise of competitors on the social market, it’s hardly surprising and I for one welcome anything that makes my life easier and negates the need to manage different lists in different places. Although I will admit to still owning a pocket address book with all of my most important people written down in it. Just in case.

Editor: People that believe these things seemed to be convinced Facebook is out to get them. WHY ARE YOU ON FACEBOOK IF YOU HATE IT!!!

Social media blame in the riots

Is anyone else baffled by the number of reports linking the recent riots with the use of social media? This week I have read countless articles suggesting that the use of Facebook, Twitter and BBM by rioters somehow implies an element of blame.

Social media is just a tool to communicate, what we do with it is up to us. While the devastation and loss of life is appalling, I doubt we can lay any blame at the door of the channels used to facilitate it. Violent outbursts and mass destruction have been around long before social media and did not require technology to motivate people to participate.

All of these tools are just that, how we use them is a reflection on us and whether we choose to use our resources for good or bad. And while we saw incitement via Twitter and Facebook, we also saw the support and promotion of the volunteer clean up groups and individuals sending out messages of love and support to those affected.

Editor: I sat and watched the riots unfold live on TV about a mile away from where they were happening whilst following the Twitter stream. The stream had me in tears of laughter and despair at various points. Social Media also allowed the tidy up to happen. It also allowed riots with real cause throughout oppressed areas of the middle east take place.

Intel chip to revolutionise mobile devices

Intel has announced a new chip which claims to improve performance but use less power. The chip has been code-named “Ivy Bridge” by Intel which is a nod to the technology behind its performance, something far too complicated for me to try to explain but has been likened to a skyscraper, making optimal use of space by building upwards.

 

Its success is thought to lie in the fact that while it improves performance it uses almost half of the power of 32nm chips which will extend the battery life for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

 

While Intel have yet to make significant inroads into the mobile market, this new processor could bring this partnership a lot closer. Most phones and tablets use low power chips based on ARM designs so Intel’s planned offerings could create a little competition and should certainly see improvements being made in improving mobile processors.

Editor: Its interesting how market awareness is starting to grow in relation to the speed of mobile devices. Iphone 5, from what gossip I’ve heard, is mainly a speed upgrade. A big deal was also made about the Ipad 2 speed increase. As we expect more and more from mobile devices, and expect long battery times, Intel could be on to a winner.

Sony update

While Sony has already failed to minimise the damage to their reputation caused by the recent hack, they now appear to be throwing salt on the wound by playing the blame game. In a letter sent by Sony to the US Congress, it implies that the attack only happened because its resources were distracted fighting a “denial-of-service” attack from Anonymous, an online vigilante group.

 

According to Sony, the timings of the two attacks are close enough to raise suspicion that they are linked and the more recent hack was planned to take place while Sony were to all intents and purposes looking the other way.

 

Their letter states “Whether those who participated in the denial of service attacks were conspirators or whether they were simply duped into providing cover for a very clever thief, we may never know,”

 

In a follow up story, Sony have also announced they are paying a top security firm to find the culprits of the attack and bring them to justice.

 

Reading these two stories has actually made me squirm in my seat a little bit on Sony’s behalf. While customers are fearing identify theft and feeling pretty cross at the interruption to their service, Sony are pointing fingers with an almost childish petulance. And on top of that seemingly concentrating their efforts on finding those responsible.

 

I’m not a customer of Sony’s online services but if I were I would be looking for a different response. I’d want to know why the system wasn’t secure enough to prevent this, I’d want to know that Sony had found the gap, that they’d fixed it and a reassurance that it was safe to resume the activities I’d previously enjoyed.

 

Sony really do seem to be completely unprepared to manage such a risk to their reputation and perhaps this incident will provide a valuable lesson. No-one is untouchable.

Editor: I’m surprised how poorly they have handled it but it does teach us all a couple of lessons. Prepare fro the worst and have some sort of crisis management approach. Do penetration testing on your sites ( or pay someone to do it) if you store any important data.

Spotify to launch their own iTunes.

Being a hardcore Apple fan makes this a total non story for me, but it seems Spotify is planning to create its own version of iTunes, allowing users to combine their music collections, including those purchased through Apple products, and stream on tablets and mobile devices including iPads and iPhones.

 

However its hard to see how this will work, given that any apps they build will have to go through Apple’s approval process and even then only subscribers will be able to make use of them paying between £5 and £9.99 a month.

 

In my experience, most users are either iTunes all the way or open source mp3, rarely both, so its difficult to see any real benefit this product will bring to either audience. Spotify already has an iPhone app for paid members to access their libraries on the go but the service is limited by the device’s access to a reliable 3g network.

 

And with the recent rumours that Apple is planning to open up iTunes to allow users to stream music from other sources, it’s unlikely Spotify will be able to produce something to topple the music giant off it’s spot.

 

It’s a bit like watching David fight Goliath but then again we all know how that battle turned out.

Editor: David vs Goliath?? Spotify would win in that case! I’ve told you about drinking while writing before….. However while talking all things Apple I must admit that I now prefer the Kindle app on an iPad/iPhone that using iBooks. You can’t read anything you buy in iBooks on your Mac currently and the selection of books is fairly limited. So basically my iPad has become a very expensive Kindle that plays Angry Birds.

 

 

 

The rise of the Android

At the risk of provoking my editor, Apple looks like it might be in danger of losing its hold on the smartphone market. New figures released in the US show Android phones are picking up steam and their market share has increased to 33% in the last quarter. Research firm Gartner has predicted that by the end of 2012 Android will control almost half of the smartphone market, leaving competitors Apple, RIM and Microsoft far behind.

Although Apple doesn’t currently dominate the market in terms of product, the lack of standardisation amongst Androids OS has meant that little has moved on around development of software applications due to the complexity of working with open source devices. With Google now moving towards providing the operating system for the majority of devices this could lead to some very real competition for Apple’s iPhone.

The point of no return in the smartphone market has yet to be reached with no one competitor holding enough of the market to secure their position in the way others have done such as Google for search engine and Facebook for social networking. These products are so ingrained in our everyday lives that any attempt to knock them off their top spot is likely to be expensive and fruitless. Google’s dominance of the market brings with it an incentive for developers to begin making great strides in the development of apps and improving the user experience.

Looking at the figures, this should make Apple quake in its boots, but how much does this type of research really matter. If we break the figures down, Android market increased in the last quarter, however sales of the iPhone 4 rose significantly in February this year and as we all know statistics can vary significantly depending on your perspective. Not only that, the increase in Android users doesn’t automatically mean a decrease in iPhone users.

As proven by the PC/MAC divide, the appeal of the two products means it’s customer base is quite distinct and Apple followers tend to be very loyal which means they’re unlikely to cross over to “the dark side” regardless of what may be on offer. Of course we all have our limits but unless Apple’s products suddenly take a nose dive I can’t see them losing many of their avid fans. And of course a bit of healthy competition is always good for seeing our favourite companies step up their game even further. Watch this space.

Editor: Don’t watch this space. I know that Android will be better than iOS, and in fact I may almost admit it may already be. But that’s not the point. My iPhone is shiny and works with iTunes. I know that I look like a X%^&** using my iPad 2 in public, but it is also shiny and works with iTunes.

Commodore 64 lives again

For those of us old enough to remember to humble beginnings of the gaming industry the Commodore 64 will no doubt provoke memories of childhood excitement rarely dampened by the several hours it took to load a simple game of tennis. Oh how we reminisce over the clunky keyboard and the endless pages of script required to load even the simplest game. Not to mention the gigantic size of the cassettes our treasured games came on.

Though much as these early gaming devices are revered, would any of use actually chose to swap our swift and compact MACs or PCs for anything even remotely resembling one. Apparently yes! Or at least that is what Commodore is hoping for with the release of its new/old Commodore 64 which promises to look and feel like it’s famous predecessor, only with some fairly major improvements. Its 64 kilobytes of memory (yes there was a time when memory was measured in kilobytes) has been replaced with 2GB and runs Windows 7 but it also has the ability to run the original games for anyone who feels the need to relive their wasted youth.

According to Commodore, no expense has been spared to make the product as close to the original as possible and it is available to pre-order for £364 but you’ll need to hook it up to a monitor or your TV as a screen isn’t included. As PCs go, it doesn’t do too badly when measured up against other popular brands but will it’s retro design prove a hit with an audience obsessed with the next cool thing and a market whose direction seems to lie in making devices ever smaller and compact. With the original Commodore only 20 years behind us, are we really ready for nostalgia and is this the right industry to be making a point of looking backwards.

Editor: WHY! WHY! WHY! Should have been a Vic 20

Epsilon experience serious security breach

With the recent controversy over the upcoming EU privacy laws, it was the worst time for a major company to experience a serious breach of its email system. Epsilon who collects data for companies within the hotel, leisure and retail industries and whose clients include the Hilton and Capital One found it’s email system had been hacked and tens of millions of personal email records had been compromised.

The company has taken great strides to reassure its customers of measures they can take to ensure they aren’t left open to fraud. Epsilons clients have jumped straight in with advising customers as to the risks they may face and have been commended publicly for doing so, however it must raise questions in some people’s minds as to whether they want their details being stored by online companies when breaches like this can happen and put them at risk.

Editor: Marks and Spencer are amongst those that use Epsilon – screenshot below. Here comes the spam…….