Posted by Gavin Smith on April 22nd, 2008
Natural search
New mothers looking for information on the web are most likely to use search engines, a new report indicates.
Figures from Prospectiv suggest that 47 per cent of female parents would use search queries to research a product for their baby or toddler before buying it, reports MediaPost.
The corresponding figure for e-newsletters about children’s items was 16 per cent, while 12 per cent of respondents said that they would use branded product sites to find out about specific merchandise.
According to the report, a third of mothers would purchase an item for their child on the web, while two-thirds use the net for research before buying in-store.
Jere Doyle, the company’s chief executive, said that the 33 per cent of mothers who would purchase an item on the web for their offspring represented a "fairly strong number".
Acting head of press and PR for Parentline Plus Sue Ormesher has advised new fathers and mothers to seek support from peers and GPs.
Posted by Daniel Peden on April 22nd, 2008
Social Media
As internet technology has developed, one not-for-profit organisation network observes that it has become easier to work remotely.
Business are now able to introduce flexible working initiatives because they have the telecoms and IT capacity to do so, says George Derbyshire, chief executive of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies (NFEA).
The NFEA representative explains that "many of today’s business operations can be run with a mobile or by email".
Advantages of such strategies include cost-savings and a better work-life balance, Mr Derbyshire says.
He comments: "A virtual office can also provide the appearance of a much larger organisation, while allowing a business owner to continue working from home or on the move."
However, such routes are said to be not limited to new companies, as many established organisations pursue these working practices too.
Figures from employment research resource Flexibility indicate that homeworking in the UK grew by nine per cent in 1997, ten per cent in 2001 and 11 per cent in 2005.
Posted by Daniel Peden on April 21st, 2008
Paid Search
Investment in search engine marketing (SEM) among UK companies is on the up, a new study suggests.
Firms are preparing to invest more in both paid search and organic search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques this year, according to research carried out by E-consultancy.
Some 63 per cent of the 1,000 companies polled stated that they intend to increase their paid search budget in 2008, while 61 per cent reported intending to inject more funds into SEO over the next 12 months.
The figures are released after comScore statistics showed that search giant Google increased its share of queries from 59.2 per cent to 59.8 per cent during March.
"It is fantastic to see a greater understanding of the benefits of a well managed search marketing campaign and budgets being increased accordingly across both paid and organic search," says Lucy Cokes, manager of study sponsor Neutralise.
She pointed out that SEM is now a well known marketing technique among British firms.
Posted by Gavin Smith on April 21st, 2008
Social Media
The benefits of social networking websites have been acknowledged by the head of a government-sponsored web security group.
Tony Neate, the managing director of Get Safe Online, has pointed out that maintaining a cautious approach to online networking does not have to be at the expense of enjoying their advantages.
Consumers were urged by Mr Neate not to be scared of the internet, but to be aware of the risks associated with the use of personal details on the web.
When using websites like Facebook and MySpace, it is important to block strangers from being able to view personal information, the expert explained.
"I think the internet is a fantastic place for social networking but we just need to be aware of some of the issues that surround it," he noted.
Get Safe Online is a joint initiative from the government, British businesses and the Serious Organised Crime Agency, with the chief aim of raising awareness about online safety among smaller enterprises and individuals.
Posted by Malcolm Slade on April 21st, 2008
Natural search
Web users want to combine e-commerce with personal advice from sales representatives, a new report indicates.
Research published in March by Opinion Research Corporation found that 23 per cent of respondents cited being unable to discuss their purchase with a member of customer service staff as the most frustrating thing about online shopping.
The most prominent frustration identified in the survey was finding that the purchased item did not resemble its website image, which was named as an irritant by 24 per cent of respondents.
Other bugbears included site malfunctions during payment processing and unclear returns policies.
Linda Shea of the research firm said: "This suggests that there is ample opportunity to create competitive differentiation and to establish best practice in the online shopping space."
She added that brand perception can be a casualty of poor customer service, which has the potential to damage more than just individual stores.
A recent E-consultancy report recommended that "better merchandising and customer facing operations" are essential for online retail success.
Posted by Daniel Peden on April 18th, 2008
Paid Search
Blacklisted car insurance comparison site GoCompare.com has used paid search to edge its way back up the Google rankings, a new report claims.
According to Hitwise, the website has steadily improved its position for searches on the term ‘car insurance’ since a penalty from the search giant saw its position plummet from second place to ninth.
Robin Goad observes on his blog for the web traffic monitoring service that the past four weeks has seen the comparison service climb back up to seventh place.
But the site still has a long way to go and is compensating for its lower organic position with paid search activity, he states.
"GoCompare.com’s paid search activity for the term shot up and although this is now declining as the site’s organic ranking recovers, it is still well above the pre-blacklisting levels," asserts Mr Goad.
Figures released earlier this year by comScore showed that the number of car insurance policies purchased online grew by 37 per cent between 2006 and 2007, reaching two million.
Posted by Gavin Smith on April 18th, 2008
Paid Search
Yahoo! and Google have completed a preliminary test for a search ad outsourcing deal, a new report suggests.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! is closer to a deal that would see its search advertising business outsourced to Google after the test yielded positive results.
Such a deal could give Yahoo! increased resistance to Microsoft’s $31 (£16) -per-share offer to buy the web pioneer.
The news comes as the deadline of April 26th set by the software giant for Yahoo! edges closer.
Regulatory bodies could potentially raise concerns of any arrangement between Google and Yahoo! that would reduce competition in the search ad sector.
But Mark Mahaney, a Citigroup analyst, told the Telegraph that Yahoo!’s cash flow could be increased by £1 billion through such an agreement, as Google earns more revenue per query than its competitor.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that Microsoft has employed Bryan Cave Strategies LLC to lobby federal government over the prospective buyout.
Posted by Daniel Peden on April 18th, 2008
Social Media
Selling through a website can give small enterprises a sales boost, according to one industry expert.
John De Groot, managing director of StartupCo, commented that acquiring a web presence can be a cost-effective way of increasing revenue and winning more customers.
"For some small businesses, sales through a website can offer low investment growth opportunity, with potentially a high return on that investment," said Mr De Groot.
And smaller companies should not be deterred by security concerns, the managing director maintained.
Good practice in the industry has reached the level where enterprises can be sure that if they stay with reputable providers of web shopping cards, payment encryption systems and merchant accounts, the level of risk will be reduced.
Meanwhile, Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, has this week called for websites to cater more readily to older web users.
He claimed that the web is biased towards younger people, despite the fact that many consumers over the age of 50 are active uses of online resources.
Posted by Daniel Peden on April 17th, 2008
Natural search
YouTube-owner Google led the growth witnessed by the online video sector in the US in February, a new report shows.
Some 81.8 million people viewed content on sites owned by Google during the month, with the average user spending 109 minutes watching rich media content, comScore reveals.
By contrast, 55.7 million people watched videos on Fox Interactive websites, 37.1 million users engaged with video content provided by Yahoo! and 27.1 million people viewed content offered by Microsoft.
The figures are presented against a backdrop of 66 per cent growth in the number of online videos streamed in the US in February, with the more than ten billion videos viewed on the web marking a three per cent rise on January’s statistics.
Some 3.6 billion videos were watched on Google sites during the month, giving the search giant a 35.4 per cent share.
Meanwhile, the Internet Advertising Bureau recently commented on the way in which video content has become an integral part of everyday media culture in the UK.
Posted by Gavin Smith on April 17th, 2008
Natural search
Children should learn from an early age how to use the internet to their benefit, it has been claimed.
The acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, said that young people should be introduced from an early age to methods of using the web responsibly.
She was speaking after research from Ofcom found that 49 per cent of people between the ages of eight and 17 have an online profile.
Bebo was used by 63 per cent of these people, with MySpace the choice for 37 per cent and Facebook used by 18 per cent.
Ms Blower pointed out that digital resources can be useful for children, but that they must be balanced with non computer-based activities.
"It’s important to introduce technology at an early age – it’s actually what kind of technology kids use," the NUT representative asserted.
She added that the internet should be "introduced for a purpose and made fun".
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