Like Mark McGwire’s head, ecommerce is big and getting bigger:
eMarketer estimates 87.5% of US internet users ages 14 and older, or 178.5 million people, will browse or research products online this year. Of that group, 83% will make a purchase online, for a total of 148.1 million online buyers in 2011. By 2015, 170.3 million people, or 76.3% of the online population, will make a purchase on the web.
Google+: Eric Schmidt wants your real name or nothing at all; ZDNet
Google’s former CEO says that if you don’t like their policy about having to use your real name to represent you on Google+, then maybe their social network is not for you.
The Takeaway: If none of the above sounds ok with you, don’t sign up for Facebook, Google+, or any other social network or community. Plain and simple. However, if you like the internet, you like Facebook, Twitter, RSS feeds, and being able to consume news and opinions from around the world, then sign up, be happy about it and make it a positive experience for yourself and those that are connected to you. Continue reading
Ever wondered how Google works? The exact formula is a closely guarded secret, but this infographic by the folks at PPCblog does an excellent job of illustrating the process behind the PageRank algorithm. Why is this important? The higher your site ranks in Google, the more traffic you get. Search engine optimization is a must for businesses, organizations, and individuals seeking to increase brand visibility and amplify profits. Click the image for a larger version. Continue reading
Search Engine Land‘s Frost Prioleau explains how search retargeting, also known as remarketing, supercharges your PPC campaigns. Roughly 98% of visitors to your website will leave without converting. Remarketing serves display ads to those visitors on other sites, keeping your brand top of mind and offering more opportunities for messaging. Prioleau writes that retargeting offers access to consumers at the top of the purchase funnel, but the real value of remarketing is connecting with visitors in the middle or bottom of the funnel. Any target of a remarketing campaign is already interested enough in your services that they have either searched for your service or visited your site. Continue reading
Until today, clicking on Google’s +1 button on search results, blog posts and other places really didn’t do anything publicly. Google has now added the functionality to the +1 button that people would expect. Continue reading
Miramax Launching Multi-Title Facebook Movie App In U.S., UK & Turkey; Paid Content
Miramax is launching the largest-scale Facebook streaming movie venture yet, the latest in a series of moves to make the most possible from its rich catalog. The Miramax eXperience is now live first on Facebook with 20 titles for rent in the U.S. and 10 each in UK and Turkey; France and Germany are due in the near future.
The Takeaway: Facebook users can rent the films for 30 Facebook credits, the equivalent of $3; the rental is active for 30 days but the viewing window is 48 hours once you start to watch. But is there a “desire” to watch films from within Facebook? We can’t wait to see the stats on how successful this program is. Continue reading
Google posted revenue of $29.3 billion in 2010, much of it coming from paid search. Search Engine Land reported today that the search giant may be rolling out a new AdWords unit which will bring display ads to Gmail. Continue reading
Interpublic sells half of Facebook stake; The Guardian
Interpublic Group, the US marketing services giant that owns ad agency networks including Lowe and McCann-Erickson, has sold half of its stake in Facebook for $133m. Michael Roth, the chief executive and chairman of IPG, said the “ubiquity” of Facebook has now reduced the strategic value of the investment, while admitting the value of the stake has skyrocketed.
The Takeaway: Is Facebook losing its cache in the business world? Maybe a bit, but since IPG only owned less than 1% of Facebook, it’s not likely this will have a monumental impact. Continue reading
Google, Oracle Still Battling Over Android E-mail; PC World
Google and Oracle continue to tussle over a potentially damaging e-mail in the ongoing lawsuit over alleged Java patent violations in the Android mobile OS.
The Takeaway: Oracle sued Google in August 2010, alleging that Android violated a number of patents held by Oracle on the Java programming language, which it acquired through the purchase of Sun Microsystems. Google has denied any wrongdoing. A trial has been scheduled for Oct. 31, but Alsup has indicated he’d like the companies to settle the matter before then. Only time will tell how this legal matter is settled. Like most cases like this, the complexities could favor either party. Continue reading
Facebook Offers $500 Bounty for Reporting Bugs; PC Magazine
Facebook is offering a $500 reward for reporting bugs on its site.
The Takeaway: Although it is great that Facebook is getting into the bug bounty game, they are charging far less than bug bounties offered by companies like Google or Microsoft. Continue reading
