Multiple Computing Devices: Do You Have An App For That?

How do people use your website? Do you have a mobile app specifically for smartphones? What about an app for tablets such as the iPad? When would a visitor access your site from a desktop or laptop?  Consider what you want people to do when they come to your site, and under what circumstances they would use each of these devices.  Consult your Google analytics to see which devices and browsers are used to view your site.  The answers will guide you in developing the correct web design strategy for each platform.

We don’t replace technology, we add devices

The other day I walked into my office and glanced at my desk, with the 2 large monitors connected to a MacPro tower desktop.   Next to the monitor was my laptop with my iPad sitting on top of it, and my smart phone on top of the iPad

It struck me, as I looked at the stack of electronics on my desk, that we don’t replace technology, we add devices.  Each one serves a unique computing purpose, depending on where we are and what we are doing. The device we use is dictated by need and location, not by the website we want to access.  In fact, we expect the website to deliver regardless of the device we choose!

Last month we visited Disneyland in California.  Before and during the trip, I used all 4 of my devices in distinct ways.  I used my desktop to map the route we would take, not to print and follow, but to calculate the budget we would need for gas.  I wanted to see the distance in miles based on the various routes we might take into Orange County.

Once on the road, my iPad was handy to show where we were en route, and possible places to make potty stops (very important!).  When we checked into the hotel, I used the laptop to look for details about the attractions and lore of Disneyland.
Did you know that after the place closes and everyone has gone home, the park is overrun by feral cats to keep the mice population in check? We trust Mickey had a Fast Pass to get away from them!

Once in the park my smartphone apps told us the wait time for specific rides, about places to eat, and of course, the weather.

When we adopt a new technology, we don’t replace the old stuff.  We just add capability.  Your website must deliver your message regardless of how it is accessed.  Otherwise, visitors will move on to someone’s who will.

Mobile Payment Technology and Adoption Gains More Traction

Every week it seems that mobile payment technology and adoption gains more traction.  Two articles were posted in the past few days showing that if you haven’t already started thinking and planning for the day when consumers use mobile payments more than credit/debit cards, checks or cash (combined!), now is the time!

First, the Electronics Transactions Association has formed a Mobile Payments Committee to study public policy, regulations and standards for  moving funds with a smart phone. Members include Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Wells Fargo and Capital One.  According to an article posted on VentureBeat,  AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Google and Apple have joined as well.

venturebeat.com/2012/08/09/the-mobile-payments-committee-att-verizon-sprint-t-mobile-unite-for-the-future-of-payments/

Second,  Diane Mermigas writes in a post that “social media will move mobile payments to the next level”. http://www.businessinsider.com/social-will-move-mobile-payments-to-the-next-level-2012-8

Most organizations don’t use Facebook, Twitter, or texting with any skill.  Missing these vital communications links might mean your members, customers or patients could be picked off by someone who does.

Just as online banking changed the business nearly 20 years ago (yes, it’s been that long!), mobile devices and social media are shifting the world again.

No cash, checks or cards accepted… just your phone.

Near my home, there’s a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant that was one of our favorite hang-outs back in high school.  The walls are decorated with large photos of Tony, the owner, and celebrities like John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and others of that generation.  The food is only mediocre, but it’s a local institution.

As long as I have gone there, it’s been a cash only operation.  Period. No checks. No credit cards.  A few years ago they installed an ATM with a fat withdrawal fee in the lobby, and the cashier would curtly direct you to it if you asked about other forms of payment. Last month I went in for lunch and, to my surprise, they now accept credit and debit cards!  Talk about late adopters!

Over the years, our economy has shifted from cash to check to plastic.  Credit and debit card transactions now far outpace all other payment forms.

There is another shift afoot that is moving very quickly, that could replace all others: Payments from a mobile device. The Federal Reserve  discovered that 12% of cellphone subscribers had already used some type of mobile payment and onc recent study predicts they will outpace other payment methods by 2020.  http://tinyurl.com/btczvsw

We all recognize the downside to merchants with traditional payment methods.  Cash causes security concerns, checks bounce, and credit/debit cards cost transaction fees.  Payment from a mobile phone solves all of these problems.  There’s no cash to handle, the payment goes right into the merchant’s account and the customer or mobile network pays any fees.

As for convenience, we may leave the house without a credit card or cash, but never without our cell phone.  It’s become the permanent accessory.

Mobile payments and mobile wallet are not the future.  They have arrived.  At Starbucks you can use your iPhone to pay for your triple soy latte and biscotti.  Last fall, Sprint rolled out a mobile payment technology that links to Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Paypal.  Verizion and t-Mobile recently announced a $100 million joint development for mobile payments.  http://tinyurl.com/8257hh9  In some countries, they skipped over the checks and plastic and went directly from cash to mobile phone payments.

While this change won’t happen overnight, it will happen more quickly than most people expect for one reason: The adoption rate of mobile technology.  Two years ago a Morgan Stanley analyst predicted that by 2015 more people would connect to the internet with a smart phone or tablet than a desktop or laptop computer.  She was wrong.  That benchmark was hit this year.

Think about the shift that mass adoption of mobile payments will bring as it replaces checks, cards and cash, and the effect it will have on your credit union.  Why would you need ATMs, drive up systems or even tellers?  What would a branch look like?  What technology will you require?

We hear a lot about new technology and gadgets these days, but what counts is how people adopt these innovations and how it impacts your business.   Before you build another branch, install another ATM or hire a new teller, consider the sign that will (not ”may”) appear in the Mexican restaurant “We do NOT accept cash, checks or plastic.”

When Do People Use Devices?

Device Usage

If you are in marketing or small business you are always trying to figure out when the best times are to be advertising or posting to reach your audience. Google did a study about when queries were being done throughout the day and what device people were using. Take a look at this graph.

 

Coppermoon is a full service Web Design & SEM firm which aims to help businesses compete in this digital age. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates.

Is a Tablet Something or Nothing?

Tablets are the future….or so would Apple, Motorolla, Samsung and any other tablet maker would like to have you think. If you have ever played with a tablet it feels like we are on our way to flying cars and robot butlers. But I submit to you, are these tablets something, or are they nothing?

Here are somethings you can do on a tablet:

• You can play games, but it isn’t as good as a PSP or a DS.
• You can read ebooks, but it’s not as good as a Nook or a Kindle.
• You can take pictures and video, but it’s not as good as a digital camera.
• You can do do word-processing, but it’s not as good as a laptop.
• You can send instant messages and video chat, but it’s not as good as a smart phone.

So what is a tablet good at? They are good at being portable. An excellent tool for someone who is on the go! It doesn’t have to “start-up” like a computer or laptop or even a smart phone. You won’t find yourself waiting for it to turn on. You can easily slip it into a shoulder bag or briefcase, and you don’t have to take it out of your bag at airport security.

It’s not great at the list above, but it does all of it sufficiently that you can stay productive and functional in a coffee shop, at the park or waiting for an appointment. You can pass time with angry birds, or use the Kindle app to read that book for book club (the tablets aren’t as smooth or light as ereaders, but they get the job done.)

Should everyone get a tablet? Probably not. Should you? Do you find yourself looking for an outlet for your laptop everywhere you go? Do you sit for 30 minutes waiting for the dentist thinking about all the emails you should be sending. Do you have a job that keeps you out, more than you are sitting at your desk? If the answer is yes, then a tablet may be a sound investment.

The next question my friends, is which tablet, that is where the real decision making begins.

Apple Event Notes

For those of you who weren’t following the live blogging, Tweeting and general online chatter yesterday during the Apple “Let’s Talk iPhone” Event. Here’s a brief recap (the first part is a lot of Apple stats):

• Mac has surpassed the PC market every quarter for the past 5 years, almost 6 times in the last year alone 
• Mac has 23% if the market shares, 1 of every 4 computers sold is a Mac
• 10 years ago iPod launched, currently has 70% of the market, Apple has cumulatively sold over 300 million iPods world-wide (for some perspective it took Sony 30 years to sell 220,000 Walkman cassette players!)
• iTunes has over 20 million songs, 10 times more than the 200,000 songs it had at inception 
• iPhone 4 make up 1/2 the total phones since it was first introduced in 2007, iPhone is the #1 smart phone in the world 1 in 5 people in the world have an iPhone
• iPad has been a huge success in the last 80% of hospitals and 92% of Fortune 500 and over 1000 US schools are rolling out iPad programs “Despite everybody and their brother trying to compete with iPads 3 out of 4 tablets in the US are iPads” Tim Cook, Apple CEO
• iOS system devices have surpassed a quarter of a billion dollars in sales iOS has 43% of the mobile market, 60% of the mobile browsing market
• In 3 years there have been 18 billion app downloads, now averaging 1 billion app downloads monthly New developments of Cards, iPod Nano and iCloud The iOS 5 will be available October 12 free download, including over 200 new features

The big announcement, the reason everyone was watching Cupertino, California, was the new iPhone. Much to the chagrin of geeks everywhere it was not the iPhone 5. The iPhone 4S is an improvement on the existing iPhone 4, sporting the following features:

• New technology for the wireless system, with 2 antennas
• Downloads up to 2x faster than iPhone 4
• Up to 14.4 mps download, HSDPA speeds
• World phone, with GSM and CDMA
• New A5 chip, dual core processors, dual core graphics
• 8 hours of talk time on 3G, 14 hours talk time 2G 6 hours browsing
• 9 hours Wi-Fi
• Upgraded still camera, improved IR, white balance, 1/3 faster capturing than iPhone 4, 60% more pixels, it’s basically a digital camera
• Upgraded video camera, best features, 1080p HD video with real-time image stabilization
• The biggest feature is Siri, the personal assistant, you speak and it will answer. From reading your messages, to checking your calendar, to finding a Greek restaurant or checking the weather. All the way you speak you can ask “what is the weather forecast?” to “do I need an umbrella?” it’s unlike any voice activation we have ever seen.
• Available for preorder 10/7 and for purchase 10/14 in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany and the UK

There you have it, the big announcement or the big let down depending on your perspective. Are you going upgrade, switch to iPhone, or are you going to wait for iPhone 5?

Coppermoon is a full service Web Design & SEM firm which aims to help businesses compete in this digital age. Follow us on twitter or facebook for updates.

Prepare for the Tablet Shopper

Tablet users are now accounting for a majority of the online buying. Online retailers are finding that more shopping is being done from a tablet than from a traditional PC and the volume of a sale is in some cases 20% more than a user shopping from a traditional computer. These numbers are interesting considering that only 9% of online shoppers own tablets.

If you are an online merchant this information is gold; it gives you your next move. You need a mobile site! The website that users see from a computer isn’t as effective on a tablet. A mobile site that is functional and easy to navigate on a tablet will help you grab those sales from the online tablet shoppers.

If you don’t have a mobile site, we can help, CoppermoonWebDesign.com can help you build out your mobile site.

Coppermoon is a full service Web Design & SEM firm which aims to help businesses compete in this digital age. Follow us on twitter or facebook for updates.

SMX: Search Marketing Expo

The Search Marketing Expo, SMX is going on in New York right now. If you couldn’t be there you can keep up with the goings on through their website. You can also watch twitter for #SMX posts, people are constantly tweeting about what they are learning at the expo. Interesting Tweets we can all learn from:

LisaBarone There are 6.8 billion people on the planet. 5.1 billion of them own a cell phone, but only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush. – Gib Olander #smx

usherml Already 10% of online shopping is happening on tablets. #smx #31C

monicawright RT @RicDragon: highest ranking local biz’s had over 3k citations #smx #localsearch – correct data (phone nums, etc) is critical

arisanguinetti RT @EuroDiscovery: “Link building is really all about PR: connecting with, making & keeping up relationships.” #SMX #in

There’s a lot more plus watch for blogs coming out about what was learned there!

Keys to an Effective Internet Marketing Campaign: Step 6

The final piece of the circle of activity is to make adjustments and keep the circle going. Like most marketing strategies, internet marketing is not a set it and forget it process. It takes time, constant adjustments, and maintenance to net good results. The bottom line is that the circle has to keep going in order to be effective.

Watch your analytics to monitor behavior, produce good videos, publish relevant blog posts and keep your site fresh with unique, quality content.

To review the circle of activity watch this video, or review our blog for all of the steps.

Coppermoon is a full service Web Design & SEM firm which aims to help businesses compete in this digital age. Follow us on twitter or facebook for updates

Essential Elements to Running an Internet Marketing Campaign

Effective internet marketing is a continuous circle of activity, that includes 7 Keys to success.  Right now, with the poor economy, internet marketing is on the rise. Businesses are recognizing the importance of marketing on a smaller budget with a larger reach.

I’m going to break down each aspect over the next few posts, so check back starting on Monday get a break down of each of these elements.

This short video describes the process.  http://tinyurl.com/3bdcwkq

Coppermoon is a full service Web Design & SEM firm which aims to help businesses compete in this digital age. Follow them on twitter or facebook for updates.