Tim Peter thinks

Thinks Out Loud Episode 27: The Future of Search

Tim — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:41:30 +0000

Headlines

The full Google I/O Keynote is available here:

And here’s the Verge’s “supercut”:

Contact information for the podcast: podcast@timpeter.com

Technical details: Recorded using a Shure SM57 microphone
through a Mackie Onyx Blackjack USB recording interface into Logic Express 9 for the Mac.

Running time: 12m 58s

You can subscribe to Thinks Out Loud in iTunes [iTunes link], subscribe via our dedicated podcast RSS feed (or better yet, given that Google’s killing Reader, sign up for our free newsletter). You can also download/listen to the podcast here on Thinks using the player below:

The Truth: How the Social, Local, Mobile Web Affects Sales Online and Offline

Tim — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:31:28 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to the New Jersey Chapter of MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group). They were a fantastic audience, offering great questions and a lively dialog. The talk highlighted companies like W Hotels, Nike, Tesco and other companies who get what the transition to social, local, and mobile means for their customers (like those I highlighted yesterday). If you’d like to take a look at the slides, they’re linked below:

I also recorded a brief video with NJ MENG Chapter president Monique de Maio on omnichannel marketing and how it pays off for brands:

As ever, I’m available to speak to your group, too. You can get all the details here.

You can also register to receive a free copy of my new special report, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World,” produced in conjunction with Vizergy, here. While it’s targeted to the hospitality industry specifically, most of the lessons apply across verticals. And, if that’s not enough, you might also enjoy some of our past coverage of the social, local, mobile web, including:

How to Get in Your Customers’ Pants… Pocket (Travel Tuesday)

Tim — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:41:38 +0000

Pardon the salacious title; I couldn’t help myself. But you’ll love where this is going.

If you’re a typical hotel, travel agent, airline, car rental agency, or cruise line, most of your customers don’t interact with you all that often. Sure, the “road warriors” do, but lots and lots (and lots) of others might only buy from you once a year, if that. You’ve only got a handful of opportunities each year to put your brand in front of the customer and deepen the relationship.

Or do you?

Check out what W Hotels is doing with their mobile app:

Yep. That’s a music player, featuring curated music mixes from hip, trendy DJ’s. Instead of interacting with that customer maybe a few times a year, they can engage with that guest every single day, reinforcing their relationship and continuing to tell their brand story.

Now, obviously, the music options W chose limit its appeal to a certain type of customer. But that’s OK, because that’s exactly the type of customer W wants in its lobbies, bars, and, ahem, bedrooms. They’ve done better than getting in their customers pants. They’ve gotten in their hearts and minds.

Of course, they’re not the only one taking this approach, inside the travel industry or out. Nike, for example, shifts the brand experience from the few times a year a customer looks for a new pair of running shoes to a continual conversation with its Nike+ app and Nike Fuel Band.

Both companies have found excellent, brand-focused ways to assist their customers and engage in their daily lives. Because, as I’ve noted before, “…mobile is always at hand. Literally.” Or, y’know, in their pants pocket.

What creative ways have you seen for brands (in travel or outside) to offer apps that both enrich their customers’ lives and deepen the relationship? If you have a minute, tell me about them in the comments. I’d love to hear.

Interested in more? Register to receive a free copy of my new special report, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World,” produced in conjunction with Vizergy, here. And you might also enjoy some of our past coverage of mobile, including:

The Future of Travel Search and Mobile (Travel Tuesday)

Tim — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:28:21 +0000

An article over on Travolution buries the lead, hiding this remarkable statement from Google’s UK head of travel, Dan Robb, in the last line of their piece:

“Robb said travel sector searches are still in double digit growth although it has slowed but all the growth currently being seen is from mobile and tablet.”

What?!?

Let me highlight that again: “…all the growth currently being seen [in travel search] is from mobile and tablet.”

All. The. Growth.

That’s an astonishing statement and one that speaks volumes about the growth of mobile in the travel space (not a new topic ’round these parts, of course).

This growth highlights the importance of a new special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” You can get your free copy of the report here or use the form below to receive yours today.

Your 10 Favorite Topics This Month (April 2013)

Tim — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:35:23 +0000

Each month, we round up your favorite posts from the prior month. And, so, without further ado, I’m doing just that. Enjoy:

Interested in more? Sign up for our free newsletter and get more information on how to build your social, local, mobile marketing strategy. And, if you’ve got a minute, you might enjoy some past coverage of popular topics, including:

New Trends in Mobile Commerce And Why You Need to Pay Attention by Megan Totka

Tim — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:41:31 +0000

It’s official: There are more Internet-connected devices in the United States than there are people. Around 311.5 million Americans are using a combined 425 million gadgets. And while this figure does include personal laptop and desktop computers, mobile connectivity is poised to replace the PC—there are 113 million smartphone users, and 54.8 million tablet users.

Now more than ever, it’s vital for businesses to keep an eye on the mobile market, a rapidly growing segment of e-commerce. Total mobile commerce sales for the United States, at $3 billion in 2010, rose to $10 billion for 2012 and are expected to reach $31 billion by 2016.

How can your business cash in on mobile commerce? Here are four trends to watch and act on in the near future.

Tablets are Hot for Commerce

While smartphones and tablets are both used for mobile commerce, tablet users are driving the trends for mobile shopping. Trend-tracking firm comScore reported that the acceleration in mobile spending coincides with the widespread adoption of tablets in 2011.

Various studies show that tablet users love and use their devices
more frequently:

In a 2011 Google study, 43 percent of tablet users spent more time with their tablets than on PCs
The same study found that 33 percent use tablets more often than they watch television
Data from Forrester, Gartner, and Pew Internet Research, reported in this infographic from digital ad agency Vertic, finds that 60 percent of tablet users shop from their tablets
The same sources report that tablet users typically spend 10 to 20 percent more on their mobile purchases, with a 33 to 66 percent increase in conversion rates over PC users

Video is (Still) King

With the increasing use of mobile devices for shopping, video content is more attractive than ever to consumers, who can—and do—watch videos anywhere. Adobe’s U.S. Digital Video Benchmark study found that mobile video consumption increased more than 10 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Research has already proven that video content offers a significant boost in conversion rates. This is especially true for tablet users, according to Adobe’s findings—they not only consume more video content, but also spend more money on mobile commerce purchases.

Men Love Mobile Shopping

If you’re targeting a female demographic with your Internet marketing strategies, you may want to consider a shift for your mobile audience. The latest Global TGI survey from Kantar Media finds that in the United States, 13.3 percent of women are interested in mobile commerce purchasing, compared to 15.9 percent of men.

Smartphones are Replacing Wallets

When debit cards debuted in the U.S. market, it was the ultimate in convenience. No more carrying cash or checkbooks—you could use your card to make purchases, and grab a little spending money from any ATM, without going into debt.

Now, consumers can pay not only for mobile purchases, but also for physical transactions with their smartphones. More retail stores are accepting payments through apps like PayPal and Google Wallet. Mobile transactions currently total $240 billion annually, and Juniper Research projects those totals to surpass $670 billion by 2015.

Mobile commerce can only grow from here. Is your business part of the mobile revolution?

(Photo
Source)

Megan Totka is
the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She
specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources.
ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and
facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers
of Commerce worldwide.

Why Mobile Matters for Travel Marketers (Travel Tuesday)

Tim — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:56:32 +0000

Mobile, mobile, mobile… That’s all anyone’s talking about.

But for good reason. As we’re in quarterly earnings season, I’m hearing company after company talk about how much mobile contributed to their bottom line both in terms of growth and in real dollar terms.

And that growth (both potential and real), is the subject of my latest Travel Tuesday post on my TravelStuff blog: “Why Mobile Matters for Travel Marketers.”

As ever, while the post is written from a travel marketing point of view, the data and details hold true across a variety of verticals. You should check it out if you get the chance.

And, if you’re interested in more, sign up for our free newsletter to get more information on how to build your social, local, mobile marketing strategy. You might also enjoy some of our past coverage of mobile, including:

What’s the Future of E-commerce? Look to the Past to Find Out

Tim — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:36:52 +0000

Consider this: according to the Guardian, the first “e-commerce” transaction… was a pot deal. As the article notes:

“In 1971 or 1972, Stanford students using Arpanet accounts at Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory engaged in a commercial transaction with their counterparts at Massachussetts Institute of Technology. Before Amazon, before eBay, the seminal act of e-commerce was a drug deal. The students used the network to quietly arrange the sale of an undetermined amount of marijuana.”

Now, think about these 5 sites:

eBay
Etsy
TripAdvisor
Yelp
Angie’s List

Notice anything in common?

To talk about “social commerce,” as if it’s a new thing, is patently absurd. The ‘Net facilitates communication, conversation, and, yes, commerce. Always has. Always will.

And your customers are going to use these connections to find out the answers to their questions. Even if the product that interests them is, um, questionable. For example, I recently stumbled upon a site that gives people all the details they could possibly want about a product that isn’t even legal in most states (for obvious reasons, I’m neither linking to it, nor naming it):

If that ain’t social commerce, I don’t know what is.

Your customers talk about your products, at least when they need them (not your brand, necessarily, but your products). They ask their friends, whether on Twitter or in their town square. They find reviews. They dig. They read. They ask.

I’ve repeatedly noted that “all marketing is social.” I’ve also noted that “it’s all e-commerce.” And it logically follows that all commerce is social, too.

It doesn’t matter whether your customers use exchanges like eBay and Etsy, review sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Angie’s List, custom sites like the others mentioned above, or simply walk into your store. They’re connecting with the information they want/need/must have to make a purchase decision. Always have. Always will.

So, the question for you is this: Are you making it easy for your customers to get the answers they need, no matter the channel, no matter the site? Because they’re going to find what they need to know.

And it’s up to you to help them get there.

Or expect the sale to go to your competition.

Want more? Sign up for our free newsletter to get more information on how to build your social, local, mobile marketing strategy. You might also enjoy some of our past coverage of e-commerce, including:

4 Fundamental Truths About the Future of E-commerce

And 4 E-commerce Changes Worth Watching

The Future of E-commerce

The Future of Real-World Mobile Commerce

Is E-commerce Destined to Win?

The Key to Social Media Success (Travel Tuesday)

Tim — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:29:37 +0000

This week’s Travel Tuesday post over on TravelStuff highlights The Key to Social Media Success including a number of tips from me and others in this month’s Travel Agent Magazine. As I note in the piece, travel agents face enormous competitive pressures due to the growth of online travel.

But those who’ve survived and thrived in this environment have done so by paying close attention to the needs of their customers. Which, as it happens, is a big part of what social’s all about.

So, check it out if you get the chance.

Oh, and if you’re interested in more, sign up for our free newsletter to get more information on how to build your social, local, mobile marketing strategy. You might also enjoy some of our past coverage of social, including:

Why You’re Slowing the Growth of Mobile Commerce

Tim — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:08:41 +0000

I’ve talked repeatedly about how big mobile commerce stands to be. I’ve also taken a look in the past at e-commerce errors hurting your sales. Today, I thought I’d highlight where those two things come together.

I was trying to book a hotel on my mobile phone the other day, when I found myself facing the following screen:

Scrolling further down the page, I got more questions.

Oh, but we’re not done yet. Nope. There’s another screen still…

Remember, the folks who built this site expects their customers to type all this information on a mobile device, potentially when standing on a street corner or in an airport or on a subway.

Um… no.

Mobile commerce has the opportunity to be huge. But it will only get there if you make it easy for your customers to buy what you’re selling.

According to Pew Research, 55% of cell phone owners use their phone to access the Internet and 17% use only their phone to go online. Channels are collapsing. Consumers will use whatever channel works for their needs to accomplish their goals. But, again, only if you make it easy for your customers to do that.

Mobile will continue to grow rapidly over the next few years. That’s inevitable. But the companies who help their customers accomplish their goals will realize the benefits of that growth more quickly. Why not be that company?