Smartphone Ecommerce 103% Increase In Last 12 Months
Shoppers Go Mobile
The online marketing experts at Monetate have published a detailed report revealing some fascinating facts about the increasing use of smartphones and tablets by shoppers. The findings show that the overall use of smartphones for e-commerce purposes increased by 103% during the last 12 months. Moreover, the average spend by people using iPhone’s is on a par with that made by Apple desktop users.
The researchers did point out that the overall mobile shopping experience is better on Android enabled devices. They also claimed that companies should be dedicating more time and money to the development of mobile marketing campaigns. As a starting point it may be worth checking the mobile-friendliness of your website using Google’s Go Mo service.
Vanity URL’s For Google + Users
Google have followed the lead of social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn by adding vanity URL’s to their Google + platform. The new URL’s are currently only available to celebrities such as David Beckham and people at the pinnacle of the technological world. They will be rolled out to the wider online community over the coming months.
Google representative Saurabh Sharma said, ‘Whether you’re a clothing brand showing off your latest fashions, an athlete talking about the game, or an iMessage “Waiting for Activation” Error on iPhone actor recalling a favourite role, your Google+ profile helps you connect with the people who share your interests. We’re introducing custom URLs to make it even easier for people to find your profile on Google+’
Google Voice Search Updates Made
Smartphone and tablet users will soon be able to make use of the new and improved Google Voice Search system. It will be integrated with the Knowledge Graph for results that are highly relevant and contextualised. As an example, a user searching for RIO, will receive results regarding the film, location or casino, depending upon their profile. The updated system will also take account of variations in dialect and accent.
A number of technological experts have claimed that the updated Google Voice is more user friendly than Apple’s Siri. This will come as welcome news to the Google experts who were worried about the forward strides being made by Apple in the world of search.
