Pod1 Blog

What is social media heading for in 2009 and will it learn from its own mistakes?

So 2008 brought us social media gurus, social media start-ups, social media campaigns, books, firms, strategists & managers. By the end of the year it has become a ‘messy playground’ with many applications and ads left behind. However, companies and investors have now realised that well-targeted niches can bring more marketing returns than big and ‘noisy’ social networks.

Undoubtedly, social media will continue to evolve in 2009 and, according to Ravit Lichtenberg (ReadWriteWeb.com), “people will be looking to get tangible and relevant value out of their social experience; they’ll be looking for meaning and for order”. As there are more and more social media platforms with similar features, companies will be delivering creative & beautifully designed, searchable, flexible and easy to use platforms, e.g. Noovo!

Building a truly cross-platform experience will become even more rewarding in 2009. Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android & the new Palm have all proved how much is to gain out there. The reason behind it is that people are looking for solutions that continuously cut across mobile, web, and live interaction. Social media advertising is changing too. The next phase of social media is a gold mine of targeted niche demographics. This will be possible thank to the new generation of web analytics tools like Nuconomy (Take a Tour) which is capable of tracking & measuring the engagement of users with the site. In 2009 & 2010, social media will spread around the world, especially in community-driven regions like Southeast Asia and countries like Brazil, Russia, & Germany. According to Lichtenberg, “social media’s new jobs will also evolve & will need experts who can plan for relevant interaction within networks and aggregating platforms”. Those specialists will be able to bring together products, services, and people.

The next phase of social media will also bring a lot of profit opportunities. Taking all mentioned aspects into consideration, we will be seeing an increase in targeted and personalized ads as well as revenue sharing between strategic partners and platform / application vendors.

It was a Champagne fuelled night at the Drapers Etail Awards last night which featured our clients no less than 8 times.

The big winners were ASOS.com and My-Wardrobe.com, with a special commendation to our very Anya Hindmarch.

Congratulations to all the winners and great to see so many familiar faces at the party.

Until the next time.

I received the Internet Fraud report from CyberSource today. Apart from stating the obvious about where fraud is going and what tactics are being used, this time they included some customers in their survey. As someone who is very interested in Customer behavior, this made a very interesting read.

More than 50% of UK adults still don’t shop online and 41% of these quote Security Concerns as the sole reason why. In total 66% of all (shopper and non shoppers) quote concerns about security.

60% of users do not want their data to be stored online, even if they get the benefits explained. That involves storing Credit Card data, Fingerprinting devices or any sort or form of personal data. This was possibly fuelled by the recent media coverage about high profile Consumer Data Loss.

It is predicted that international distribution will be growing by 13% and largely into Asia Pacific. 8% are estimated for Europe.

So what does that mean for your business:

1. You need to have security logos all over the place, possibly review copy that mentions data protection (strip out all corporate speak and “legalise” and make it plain English). In addition to that you should consider taking up the new SSL certificates (Extended Validation) that cause modern browsers to display a thick fat green bar at the top. The cost of this certificate will certainly be off-set with the first few orders that come in due to the added confidence for users.

2. You need to make sure your checkout works without registering and DOES NOT create user accounts. If your checkout does create accounts in the background, it will make users suspicious once they return (Which they hopefully do) and see that you have sneakily created an account. The loss of trust could be enormous.

3. Taking payments in local currencies becomes more and more of an issue. In tight times people don’t want to get charged in a foreign currency and pay the often hefty commission. CreditCards are generally perceived as evil so accepting local cards and payment methods could mean a significant advantage over competitors who don’t.

In terms of Fraud screening this means as well that manual screening becomes more laborious as CS staff should be fluent in the countries language and respect the time zones and local customs (Don’t phone a Greek number at 12 noon UK time as you will most likely interrupt some ones post lunch nap).

Finding out what your customer wants is imperative if you consider a Website Redesign or just think of starting to tweak your site.  Short and sweet customer surveys are a great way of finding out more about your customer. Check our case study on e-commerce customers.

Download the full UK Fraud Report 2009 here and if you decide to move ahead of the competition feel free to email me.

One of the first seamless video and internet sites I’ve seen. Enjoy!

it’s all about the tunes…

It made my Sunday.

In these increasingly price conscious times it comes as no surprise that careful research of a potential product purchase has become a matter of common sense. Whether the eventual transaction takes place on or off-line, more and more people are consulting the internet for detailed specs and customer reviews before buying. While this is nothing new for high value purchases like cars or electrical goods the trend is now crossing over to more everyday purchases like shampoo.

This is what The Wall Street Journal had to say on the subject;

“The point is that advertising isn’t just moving to the Web, it’s got to grapple with an entirely new kind of shopper and way of shopping. Marketers now have to balance traditional media, online media, and content that is generated by experts, bloggers and consumers themselves. An astonishing 70% of Americans now say they consult product reviews or consumer ratings before they make their buying decisions. Sixty-two percent say they spend at least 30 minutes online every week to help them decide what and whether to buy. Among Americans under 45, that number shoots up to 73%. Seventy-three percent — that’s more than four times the percentage in that age group who go to church every week. For some, smart shopping is more than a hobby. It’s a religion.”

“Information shopping also means manufacturers have to get back to generating more information on their products, even offbeat factoids that are highly memorable if not always useful. Timex sold a lot of watches by showing its watches were still ticking after being thrown into a washing machine. To catch the eye of the info-shopping consumer, manufacturers should start hauling their wares up to Mt. Everest, drop them out of windows, put them in boiling water and reporting on how they do. In an info-seeking world, facts can again become the great differentiator.”

Read the full article on New Info Shoppers.

http://econsultancy.com/reports/e-commerce-platforms-buyer-s-guide-2009

Read about our e-commerce services

Pod1 has been featured in a new report about e-commerce published by Econsultancy this month.

The E-commerce Platforms Buyer’s Guide 2009 features profiles of 23 leading vendors and contains information about market trends as well as tips for companies who are researching this market.

The e-commerce platforms market is thriving as consumers increasingly purchase products through the internet. The e-commerce market will grow by 15% to a value of £540 million in 2009 despite the gloom surrounding the wider economy, according to the report.

 “We are delighted to be featured in this report which provides a detailed overview of the UK marketplace for e-commerce platforms and contains only profiles of the leading vendors in an increasingly competitive market.”

Econsultancy’s Research Director Linus Gregoriadis said: “Companies are investing in e-commerce because this is one of the few rays of sunshine in the beleaguered business world at the moment. However, companies can’t rely on their digital channels to deliver unless they get best-of-breed technology and the most suitable platform.
“The best e-commerce platforms have demonstrated repeatedly that they are able to generate higher levels of revenue, by focusing on elements such as usability and SEO and helping to streamline e-business.”

This market valuation reflects the combined revenues of e-commerce platform vendors alongside associated e-commerce technologies such as on-site search, analytics and optimisation.

KEY MARKET TRENDS in 2009

•    Offline world realises the importance of e-commerce
•    Site owners use data to optimise e-commerce performance
•    Retailers seek to differentiate, and embrace users
•    Multi-channel firms strive for an integrated approach

About the E-commerce Platforms Buyer’s Guide

The guide is aimed at companies who are investigating the e-commerce platforms market, with profiles of 23 leading UK vendors. The guide also provides details on the various issues and trends affecting this sector, as well as plenty of advice about how to select the right platform.

Report URL http://econsultancy.com/reports/e-commerce-platforms-buyer-s-guide-2009

“The South London Gallery presents a new film work by Danish collective Superflex entitled ‘Flooded McDonald’s’.
Despite their international track record over the past 15 years, this will be their first solo show in London. From large-scale installations, through to long-term process-based projects and, more recently, films, Superflex’s work is founded in economic and political awareness. They create works inspired by the points where definitions and possibilities of art become blurred.

‘Flooded McDonald’s’ is a new film work in which a convincing life-size replica of the interior of a McDonald’s burger bar, without any customers or staff present, gradually floods with water. Furniture is lifted up by the water, trays of food and drinks start to float around, electrics short circuit and eventually the space becomes completely submerged.” South London Gallery

Future Shorts are showing some of the best films they have screened over 2008. Highlights from the programme include music videos for Chemical Brothers, Gnarls Barkley and Utah Saints, ‘I Met the Walrus,’, youtube favorite ‘Peter and Ben’ and Rodeon Brodsky’s eccentric and warm ‘Tolya.’

Tuesday 27th January
FS LONDON – EAST: FAVELA CHIC
Favela Chic, 91- 93 Great Eastern Street (Nearest Tube: Old Street) Tel. 0207 613 5228, Website Buy tickets (EC2)
London
20:00