Internet Explorer 9 got off to a good start in terms of impressing reviewers, and it’s also doing rather well in terms of winning over users, according to new data from Microsoft. A Microsoft employee indicated this morning that IE9′s early adoption rate is putting IE8′s launch to shame.
Ryan Gavin, Senior Director of Internet Explorer Business and Marketing, wrote on the Exploring IE blog today, “The adoption rate of IE9 is about five times higher then what we saw for Internet Explorer 8 in the same time frame.”
That’s impressive for at least a couple reasons. First, Gavin pointed out, “As we mentioned on Tuesday, all of our early downloads (through March 27) were user-initiated with over 90% of the downloads coming from non-IE9 RC or Beta users, including over a quarter that came from Chrome and Firefox users.”
Then it’s necessary to remember that IE9 wasn’t even designed to be compatible with older versions of Windows, meaning the pool of potential users isn’t too huge.
Anyway, if you’re interested in another statistic or two, Net Applications determined that IE9 achieved a market share of 3.6 percent on Windows 7 in March. IE9 has won more than 1,000 partners, as well, including well-known organizations like Gilt, Groupon, and Slacker.
Then Gavin was sure to note that Microsoft’s own campaign to take down IE6 is working well, as that outdated version of its browser lost another 0.43 points of market share in March, landing at 11.58 percent for the month.
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Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 1st, 2011. 
I have had several discussions over the past few weeks with Stefan Weitz, director of search for Bing, and Andy Chu, director of product management, Bing for mobile, about some pretty cool things on the horizon for Bing. We can’t say any more than that now, but it will be fun to follow. My conversations have been eye-opening to say the least and, as a result, I think that Bing could actually put a dent in what they refer to as “the Google habit.”
As I bet Stefan would attest, I am a bit opinionated about this whole local Internet space. So rather than grouse about it, I am going to outline my thoughts on just how Bing could make some serious progress in the search space. So, here goes.
Background
Google is the dominant player in the search space and they have been for more than a decade now. We know what they can do (automate everything and get a finger in every pie you can imagine) and what they can’t do (marketing—unless you are in Portland, OR—and customer service). They have jumped out to a ridiculous lead in the mobile search space (97 or so percent market share) and they are working to put the SMB, local Internet marketing space together with their mix of Google Place Pages, Hotpot, and Latitude.
All that being said, they appear to be doing this the way Google always does things. They are putting their head down, plowing forward, listening very little to the end user, and just assuming that because they are who they are, that the SMB will “get it.” I think they are wrong and that’s where Bing can get some serious traction.
Bing’s Opportunity
In simple terms, Bing’s opportunity exists in becoming the anti-Google. My discussions with Weitz and Chu show that there is considerable promise on the product side of Bing.
They have adopted a partner mentality in order to get a lot of their search results to reflect more in-depth information. They have partnered with Kayak for travel and with FanSnap for sports events and ticket information. According to Weitz, 30% of Bing searches now deliver information that is outside the “blue text link” result that many of us have grown so accustomed to.
There is also the obvious social side of the coin as well, because Bing actually appears to have a better connection to the social graph for search results through their investment in Facebook and the resulting relationship. Now, don’t get me wrong, that relationship seems to be far from perfect, but it’s better than where Google is in the social arms race.
Overall, Bing is positioned to make a dent in Google. I am being realistic in that I don’t think they will ever overtake Google, but they can make serious inroads in search and mobile.
How Would They Do It?
Here is the where the rubber meets the road and I wonder if Bing has the chops or even the nerve to do what is necessary to really make an impact in the world of search, especially at the critical SMB level. My recommendations are written as if I were speaking to Bing directly.
If you are going to lose money, lose it doing something that will move the needle. Microsoft’s online efforts are a tremendous drag on overall profits for the company because it loses money hand over fist. This is done because they know they have an uphill battle AND it is one that is worth fighting. It can’t stay that way forever, though.
Spending $ 100 million on a general branding campaign is a good start but it’s not where the win occurs. The win occurs when you sit across the desk from the SMBs of the world, shake their hands, and find out what they need. The win comes when you educate the SMBs about the Internet space as a whole. The win comes when you help them person to person.
So spend the money you have wisely by investing in the human side of the Internet. Hire people to be city managers. Give them a more than fair wage plus the chance to earn commission based on reasonable metrics like number of verified business accounts in the portal and other things. Let them earn the right to hire more sales people and be entrepreneurial in their market but with the backing of a Goliath like Microsoft.
Invest in people to take the message to the street level and to evangelize. Now you are acting like the anti-Google, and you are doing something different that impacts actual human beings. People like being treated like real flesh-and-blood and not some algorithmic function.
Oh, and on a very simple note: There should be a “Find Us on Bing” sticker in every storefront of every business in the country. Now that’s advertising, but it can only happen through relationships, which take people and a lot of money and hard work. You’ve got the money now, so spend it wisely on those who can do the hard work. Be the anti-Google who uses people and not the algorithm to change the marketplace.
Invest in more people who do actual live customer support. What if Bing could tell the human story of hiring hundreds of dedicated customer service representatives who are well-trained and fairly paid. No minimum wage phone picker-uppers. Hire just-out-of-school business degree-holders who are interested in this stuff, and let them show you what they’ve got.
This story could be incredible. While still in the stifling grip of a recession and the supposed “jobless recovery,” what if Microsoft advertised that they were hiring people in the United States whose sole purpose was to talk to the heart of the real economy—Main Street, USA—about getting their businesses in shape to do the right kind of business online? It’s PR gold, and oh by the way, it would work to get real business, not just a happy face story.
For the foreseeable future, there are enough older business owners who do not see the world of communication as a digital-only process. This is going to be the case for at least 20 more years. In that time, this group will age out and give way to the younger generation who is comfortable with the interactive way of life.
In the meantime, business will get done and many of this older (dare I say forgotten) crowd are the ones with established businesses and the financial wherewithal to have endured storms and to understand where and when to spend precious resources.
If Bing would help this group move forward, that would go a LONG way to breaking the Google habit and creating more opportunity for all involved.
Stop worrying about what Google is doing. Being the anti-Google will require something that is different than Google and not mere mimicry. Right now, Bing is doing a good job delivering search results with actionable options. This already trumps much of the Google search experience, but not enough people know about it.
Google won’t be stopped, but they can be “right-sized.” This is strange for me because honestly, I love Google. As a small business person myself, they do a lot for me, from e-mail and Google Docs to so much more. I am not interested in seeing them fall and become nothing. Quite the contrary. I believe that all ships rise with a rising tide, but right now, though, Google has not been challenged enough in the search game to stay sharp. That’s where Bing has a chance to improve the online space for everyone.
Bing has to step up and become a serious threat to Google, so that the Internet as a whole can improve. All these other search engine wannabes like Blekko and Wolfram Alpha all want to make the world safe from bad searches, but they don’t have the resources that Bing has. That will be limit their success. And Yahoo? Let’s just say that Bing needs to lead this race, and if Yahoo gets a lift, so be it. But don’t expect it.
I realize that this is a bit long and it is a bit heavy-handed but it’s time. There is so much more to be examined in this scenario, but I think that if Bing would take the opportunity to be the anti-Google that there is “gold in them thar hills!” And honestly, if Bing started making money in search, I bet we would all start making more money because that means there is competition and options and hope.
Do I think Bing can be the anti-Google? I think they certainly have the potential, but my question is do they have the guts? Time will tell and I hope this gets very interesting, very quickly because if not, we could find ourselves stuck in a Google habit that will work but could be so much better if there were company (or better yet A company) to make us all get better.
Your thoughts?
Originally published on Biznology
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Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 2nd, 2011.
Apple’s iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and 3G was rated the best tablet on the market by Consumer Reports. This is particularly interesting, given Consumer Reports’ recent history of not recommending Apple’s iOS products.
Last summer, Consumer Reports gave the iPhone 4 a thumbs down, citing the widely-publicized antenna issues. A similar evaluation was given earlier this year for Verizon’s version. Consumer reports had not problem recommending a variety of Android devices.
Until recently, the iPad didn’t really have much in the way of competition, in terms of tablets, but the iPad 2 has more , and has managed to come out on top. The antenna issues don’t apply to the iPad, so it makes sense.
“So far Apple is leading the tablet market in both quality and price, which is unusual for a company whose products are usually premium priced,” said Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor at Consumer Reports. “However, it’s likely we’ll see more competitive pricing in tablets as other models begin to hit the market.”
The battery life of the iPad 2 seems to be one of the main factors in Consumer Reports’ evaluation. They tested ten tablets by playing the same video clip over and over again until they died. The iPad 2 lasted 12.2 hours. The lowest-ranked tablet (the Archos 70 Internet Tablet) only lasted 3.8 hours.
Reynolds is certainly right in that pricing will only get much more competitive. In fact, this is one of the main reasons Android has managed to gain so much smartphone market share. The platform is available on a wide range of devices of varying prices – many of them far cheaper than Apple’s iPhones.
We can expect a similar trend in the tablet market. We’re in the very early stages. Of couse there are also non-Android competitors that will become bigger parts of the equation, like offerings from RIM, HP, and Microsoft.
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Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 5th, 2011.
Lately, it’s seemed like just about everyone is interested in investigating and/or prosecuting Google. French courts, Swiss courts, and (perhaps) America’s own FTC have all been offended by different practices. Google may be spared an antitrust probe in the UK, however, as a minister there has declined to pursue the matter.
Ed Vaizey, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, indicated during a net neutrality debate yesterday that he does not intend to sic the Competition Commission or Office of Fair Trading on the search giant.
According to a transcript, Vaizey instead said, “The EU anti-trust probe is, I think, an adequate remedy at the moment, and I gather that the OFT looked into the matter three or four years ago and does not feel the need to do so again at this time.”
Vaizey also reiterated Google’s argument that competitors are just a click away, pointed out that the company’s stopped making piracy-related search suggestions, and highlighted Google’s willingness to pull ads from sites that promote pirated content.
So it seems Google has something of an advocate in Vaizey when it comes to antitrust issues. Vaizey even said, “[I]f I was a spokesman for Google, I might say that Google’s next threat was not necessarily from the European Commission, but from Facebook, which is now the dominant provider in social media services.”
Google just has to hope that someone else in the UK doesn’t decide to go around Vaizey and train the OFT’s sights on it, since the organization is a non-ministerial government department.
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Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 6th, 2011.
By now, if you work in the digital arena, you’ve most likely taken a glimpse at Facebook Insights. After all, many people have responsibility for managing online communities, like Facebook, and need to track metrics and report back to management on a semi-regular basis.
Admittedly, Facebook doesn’t offer the most comprehensive suite of data out there. In fact, some folks have figured out work-arounds to install Google Analytics on their Facebook page for more in-depth information.
But, Insights actually probably serves most brands just fine. It provides basic data that can tell you a lot about if and how you’re fairing on the platform.
My question is this: Are people just reporting likes and basic interactions? Or, are they really diving into the data, grabbing the right data and translating that into actionable intelligence for the brand?
Some are. Some aren’t.
Today, I thought we’d take a look at five key metrics I’ve found to be useful for most brands and how you can take that basic data and make it work for your organization’s marketing efforts online.
* Tab Views. Just like reviewing Google Analytics on your blog, one of the first things I always want to know is where people are going on my site. On Facebook it’s no different. Which tabs are fans viewing? Here’s where to find out.
What to do with the data: I had a client where after reviewing Insights recently, we discovered a decent amount of folks were visiting their Discussions tab. Only one problem: We didn’t have any content on that tab. This data forced us to rethink that a bit. People were expecting content in that tab–why? After some discussion around that question, we came up with a strategy I believe will help us improve engagement with “fans” and ultimately, help this client achieve its goals online.
* External referrers. What are your biggest referral sources online? For most, this will probably be either your Web site or Twitter. But, invariably, other sites will work there way in the mix, too. Why are those sites popping up? It’s your job to figure that out.
What to do with the data: This one depends on your goals. If you’re trying to drive people to your Facebook page from other channels, this is a great metric to check what’s working and what’s not. If Facebook traffic isn’t necessarily one of your top goals, it’s still worth running down those obscure Web sites that drive people to your page. Maybe it’s a site that picked up a blog post our CEO wrote a while back (maybe there’s a strategy there). Maybe it’s a single tweet a huge influencer in your industry made a week ago. Whatever the case, it pays to investigate–remember, the more informed you are with rich data points, the more effective your decision-making will become.
* Post Feedback. You’ll find this data under “Interactions” in your Page Overview section. It measures the number of “Likes” and comments made on the posts in your News Feed.
What to do with this data: Really, you’re looking for the percent increase month-over-month here. If engagement and two-way feedback are among your goals, this is a key stat to track. What’s more, don’t forget to check out the number of “Likes” and “Comments” throughout the month. Where were your spikes? Did they occur where you wanted them to occur? Did the number of “Likes” and comments on a certain post surprise you? Grab all this information here.
* Monthly Active Users. This metric represents the number of folks who have interacted with (Liked or commented) or viewed (don’t have to be fans) your page or its posts.
What to do with this data: First, look at the percentage growth or decline month-over-month–that should give you a good indication of how many people are visiting and interacting with your page compared to the last couple months. Then, look at the number against the “Lifetime Likes” number directly to the left–how does it stack up? Remember, the Monthly Active Users number doesn’t just reflect fans–it also picks up non-fans. So, again, if one of your goals is engagement, this comparison is a good one to grab–and it should be a pretty high ratio.
* Page Views. This number represents the total hits to your Facebook page–and it includes fans and non-fans (including those who aren’t logged it to Facebook). You can find it in the Users tab under “Activity.”
What to do with this data: Here’s where you can really see what days of the week people are hitting you page–and how the spikes correspond with your content. It might make sense to overlay this chart with the days you post–great way to determine which posts might be encouraging fans to click on your actual page (remember, this isn’t about News Feed views–it’s about actual Facebook page views).
What about you? What Facebook Insights metrics do you look at from month-to-month? And, more importantly, what do you do with that data?
Originally published at Communications Conversations
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Filed under Internet Marketing by on Apr 9th, 2011.
