Archive for category Severn Internet News
Twitter to FB to website – a practical example of social media at work!
Posted by David Harrison in Facebook, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, Useful Stuff on August 27th, 2010
I was looking at my Tweetdeck this sunny (it still exists!) Friday and saw we had been retweeted by someone from Canada, so I went to their site from the link, read their comments on FB pages and instantly changed ours on Morello … I’ll also let you guys know their site address http://bit.ly/8X9dmt … so they get an extra link into their site, you guys get to read something good on Social Media and I feel happy because I have shared something useful.
Everybody wins!
Look at the latest sites to go live…
Posted by Sophie Pool in Severn Internet News, Web Development, Web Site Launches on August 4th, 2010
Severn Internet has been working on some fantastic projects recently, so we think it must be about time we share them with you guys…
Let’s start with Kiribu… please take a look at this unique travel networking website, to discover fellow travellers and their stories. Where ever you are in the world, whether you want to chat with a knowledgeable local or a well informed local business, Kiribu is the place to begin!
Why not discover and share YOUR travel experiences… www.kiribu.com
We have also recently revamped the Longmynd Service Station website. As a friend of Severn Internet’s, we will also be sponsoring Lee Reynolds (the director of Longmynd Service Station) in his motor racing hobby. Lee is a very busy man; he recently competed in the Ma5da Speed Racing Championship, keep a check on the website for upcoming events.
It has also been a pleasure to work with Pauline Hughes to produce a Blog site for Horse Back Therapy. Pauline provides McTimoney Corley Musculoskeletal Therapy for horses and dogs at her rehabilitation centre in Shropshire, as well as courses and livery for fellow horse lovers.
Pauline spends valuable time assessing a horse, before performing musculoskeletal therapy and is fulfilled when the treatment she provides improves the horses performance, movement and behaviour. Take a look at the website for more information on Pauline and McTimoney Corley Musculoskeletal Therapy.
Yet another Blog goes live… on British Bird Food this time. Okay, so not really a website launch, but a fantastic addition to an already successful website. A great example of Blogging and some great offers on bird food and bird feeders right here.
Last but certainly not least, we have really enjoyed creating a new website for Impression Jewellery. They really can make anything, if you have a special piece of jewellery in mind, but are yet to find it…let these guys know! Handmade jewellery and cufflinks for all occasions.
We will be back again, with some more website launches VERY soon.
Three Tuns Brewery gets great review!
Posted by David Harrison in World News on June 29th, 2010
Regular readers will know what a great fan of The Three Tuns Brewery we are – great beer and John Russell is one of my oldest mates – in time known, not years old! This is just a quick post for all those who like their beer to check out a great article on the brewery – http://bit.ly/bJAnqe … well done to John, Bill and Sam …. keep up the good work!
Amazon is moving upmarket
Posted by Paul McSweeney in World News on June 21st, 2010
Amazon is relaunching its online clothing and shoe business with a focus on high-end style as it vies with rivals such as Yoox and Net-a-Porter in the expanding online fashion market.
US online sales of clothing, shoes and accessories increased 17% last year to $27bn. Growth in clothing is expected to outstrip other categories such as electronics over the next five years.
Amazon has recruited software engineers who are said to building “great new features to change the way people shop for clothing”.
Amazon’s push into fashion coincides with a drive by eBay, whose sales in clothing, shoes and accessories topped $5bn last year. eBay relaunched its clothing sales under the eBay Fashion brand in April, adding videos and comments from fashion stylists and a “find similar items” image-matching feature.
It has also launched a “fashion outlet” in the UK and created “storefronts” in the US with leading retailers selling excess and discounted stock directly to buyers.
Both Amazon and eBay clearly view this is a significant growth area; and are adopting site innovations normally deployed by more specialised clothing sites. Expanding viewing options such as zoom, multiple views and colour variation being some examples.
The success of “flash sale” sites such as Gilt, Hautelook and Rue La La, coupled with the consumer slump, has caused many retailers to revisit this market. Selling heavily discounted stock direct to consumers is on the up..so good news for us!
Innovation brings a touch of class to online shopping
Posted by Paul McSweeney in World News on June 16th, 2010
E-commerce is not generally seen as the sexiest corner of the internet these days. Amazon has become the world’s general store, eBay the world’s flea market. Wal-Mart and Target offer predictably low prices. Brands sell direct through their websites, but hardly make that their focus.
Many luxury groups have opted out of e-commerce altogether, believing the risks of selling online – such as brand degradation and counterfeiting – outweigh any benefits.
This whole notion of the web being a channel of discounting went against the very aesthetic of these brands. But recent innovation has reshaped e-commerce. Luxury brands are discovering ways to reach customers without sacrificing brand integrity.
Applications on smartphones and the iPad have delivered a powerful interface for users to search, browse and buy goods. Ralph Lauren’s Rugby brand and Gap, among others, have developed their own sophisticated apps.
Indeed shopping is proving one of the most popular activities on touch devices. Sales through eBay’s iPhone app last year topped $500m. Purchases included a Lamborghini, and a Bentley.
All this shows that people are rapidly becoming used to the convenience of getting what they want, when they want it. Buyers are used to finding very expensive goods online. People are also confident enough to make big purchases without having to talk to a sales representative.
Luxury goods are among the most popular things consumers search for online, and a lot of it is their desire to know what’s going on with them, and their desire to own them. Yet meeting the demand and maintaining the luxury brand’s image was a perennial challenge.
Most high-end brands have established online sales through traditional channels, such as resellers and their own sites, and now they are gaining the confidence to venture out.
In addition to new applications, and private sales sites such as Gilt Groupe and Haute Look, one can also point to local deal sites such as Groupon and Living Social, and a new wave of companies that are bringing together location awareness, real-time inventory and deals, and social media.
It’s a huge period of innovation for consumer facing e-commerce. Customers are looking for curation, and social and mobile media are enabling real innovation and entrepreneurship today.
Microsoft Office set to go free online
Posted by Paul McSweeney in Thoughts & Opinions, Useful Stuff, Web Development on June 15th, 2010
Microsoft is set to launch a free online version of its widely used Office software next week, as it seeks to counter the rise of Google Docs and other online services.
Microsoft has been seen by some in recent years, to have dragged their feet, when it came to embracing the internet. The handling of applications online has put pressure on the company’s traditional software business.
But Microsoft took a calculated bet that it could extend the life of its current, highly profitable business model without losing out on future opportunities online.
This is all part of the wide industry move towards “cloud computing” . With the free, advertising supported version of Office, together with options that let companies buy some of its capabilities as online services, Microsoft has shown its full engagement with the cloud.
The aim of the company will now be to convert online users to paying customers. Only about 20% of Office revenues come from customers, and industry analysts expect only a small proportion to be lost as some users give up software to use the service.
Adoption of Google’s online applications have accelerated in the past year; with new paying customers added at a rate three times faster than a year ago.
Smartphones are making retailers think again.
Posted by Paul McSweeney in E-Commerce, Facebook, M-Commerce, Online Marketing, Social Commerce, Thoughts & Opinions, Traditional Marketing, World News on June 4th, 2010
Asda, the UK supermarket chain owned by Walmart, launched a new “price guarantee” campaign a few weeks ago. This enables shoppers to access a price comparison website to check their overall spending during the store against leading competitors such as Tesco, J Sainsbury and Wm Morrison.
If a customer could have saved more elsewhere, the Asda site, operated by Mysupermarket.co.uk , will print out a coupon against future purchases to cover the difference, plus a penny.
According to Asda, about 15,000 people a day are now checking prices on the site, which covers about 70 per cent of Asda’s comparable products and demand had “surpassed expectations.”
Price comparison sites are not new. PriceGrabber, Shopzilla, and Yahoo Shopping have become an established part of the e-commerce landscape. But with the increasing adoption of web-enabled smartphones, the new challenge for retailers is how to deal with consumers who are able to check prices not just at home, but in the store too.
According to surveys, the percentage of smartphone owners that check prices through their devices, is increasing significantly. The shopper’s ability to check prices while on the move is also being enhanced by a new generation of mobile phone-focused search engines applications.
Shopsavvy and RedLaser, for instance, deliver comparative pricing information, and information on nearby stores, to anyone who uses their mobile phone camera to take a picture of an item’s barcode.
Retailers are reacting in different ways to the realisation that their customers could walk out to buy a product more cheaply elsewhere. Some say that retailers will try to obfuscate this by offering products that others do not sell, such as exclusive private label goods, or by creating bundles of products.
There will also be an increasing readiness among retailers to match prices instantly. One strategy, called geo-fencing or wireless marketing, is now being tested by a handful of retailers in the US. In the near future, it will be possible to have those messages triggered by a search engine to persuade a customer to complete a purchase – the digital equivalent of a shop assistant lowering the price or making a special deal.
When customers use geo-fencing, then it is safe to assume that they are pretty serious about buying something. Once they scan the product, the sharp retailers will offer a special offer right away to capture that purchase.
Retail is changing considerably. Levi’s have implemented customer-generated outfitting, as have Heels. Customers can match tops and trousers for example, and then share the images with their friends via Facebook to get their opinions. And now the rise of price transparency could put an end to the closed environment of modern retailing.
These digital initiatives may take us back to the oldest markets – where rival retailers call out the prices, and always prepared when necessary to haggle!
So, you as the customer, will finally be King!
The power of Mothers in social networking.
Posted by Paul McSweeney in Facebook, M-Commerce, Social Media, Social Networking, Thoughts & Opinions, Traditional Marketing, World News on May 28th, 2010
Young mothers active in social networks are potentially a formidable force. New online social networks have shifted the traditional dynamics of the consumers products businesses in particular, and on occasion, have undermined a brand’s ability to shape public reactions.
Take Dry Max, the new version of Pampers; officially launched on March 1st in the US. This was billed as the “driest” nappy ever, and the advertising at launch was accompanied with the now familiar strategy of sending samples to bloggers, including Shopping Mama, in order to build grass-roots enthusiasm.
But things started to go wrong very shortly after the launch. Many “mamas” started to complain on social networks and review sites. These complaints increased and now there is a Facebook page claiming children have suffered rashes, burns and the like. This page has over 6000 fans.
After the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) announced they would be looking into these complaints, Procter & Gamble immediately launched a full-scale counter offensive, citing what they described as “growing, but completely false rumours, fuelled by social media”.
Many loyal customers felt offended by the robust tone of P&G. They did not feel their voices were being heard. This only heightened the tension between the two parties.
Procter & Gamble knew it had to do more and simultaneously stepped up plans to engage with the online community. Many bloggers, and key “influencers” within social media, have been invited to P&G’s headquarters, listening to staff discussing the R&D side of their work, and looking at prototypes of future products.
Digital marketing experts are trying to glean the lessons from this whole experience. The episode underlines the challenges for a process of product development that was developed “in a time when consumers did not have a voice, and there was no notion of consumer feedback, reviews and social media.”
Perhaps the lesson is, that if P&G had more consumers involved more intimately in the product development process, they would have been advocates for the product as it comes out. It is imperative now that consumer brands interact with the blogging community early on; certainly before events reach a crisis point.
Most people engage in social media with good intentions..they want to be heard. So I think the point for the brands is not to try to shut them down, but to listen and hear them.
Phrase for the day: “power mom” – bloggers, who are sought after by brands to test or comment upon new products…only in America!!
Social Networking via your Smart TV…the future is closer than you think:
Posted by Paul McSweeney in E-Commerce, Facebook, Online Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking, Thoughts & Opinions, Traditional Marketing, Web Development, World News on May 18th, 2010
A year from now, according to Intel, television will have been reinvented by a concept it calls, Smart TV. Google and Intel are widely expected to announce a significant breakthrough into consumer electronics and the broadcast industry with the announcement of the launch of a “Smart TV” platform.
Intel says it’s chips and software will enable not just internet video streaming but could also allow operators to turn set-top boxes into video game consoles with games served over their connection.
Grid-style TV guides will be replaced by interfaces blending broadcast TV with internet content.
Samsung, Sony, LG, Vizio, Sharp and Panasonic are all releasing internet-enabled TVs this year with features such as Skype video calls, Netflix movie streaming and on-screen widgets that offer news, weather, financial quotes, social networking and internet radio.
With TV’s, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes rapidly adding wired or wireless internet connectivity to their features, a host of companies are tailoring and integrating web-based content for living room entertainment.
Apple has yet to mount a serious challenge to. It’s Apple TV box allow users to buy and rent movies from its iTunes Store to play on their TVs. But apart from YouTube videos and Flickr photos, it’s access to the wider web is limited.
Intel Chief Executive, Paul Otellini, told analysts last week that “The revolution we’re about to go through is the biggest single change in television since it went colour”. It already has a backlog of 1m units for its latest Atom Chip; which offers better audio and video performance, wider and open software support and is cheaper than the competition.
For it’s part, Google is expected to call on its Android developer community this week to create applications for TVs and its software could prove popular if it also promises advertising revenue for TV manufacturers.
Starbucks – leading the way in f + m commerce…
Posted by Paul McSweeney in E-Commerce, Facebook, Online Marketing, Services, Social Media, Social Networking, Thoughts & Opinions, World News on May 11th, 2010
Starbucks is the latest brand to open up an f-commerce store (Facebook e-commerce), and it’s slick; offering perhaps the best online purchasing experience on Facebook to date, and with a mobile commerce dimension.
Fully integrated into Facebook (not merely a storefront), users can reload their (virtual) Starbucks mobile card with a payment card in order to pay for drinks with their cell phone – or load cash onto the Starbucks plastic payment card. Users will also be able to surprise their Facebook friends by reloading their cards.
What’s particularly slick is the shopping cart checkout experience, which is visually appealing with an elegant interactive interface, better than that on the main Starbucks site. Of course, it helps that the Starbucks f-commerce wall app is only selling one thing, thereby sidestepping storefront design issues that f-commerce designers have yet to crack. But nevertheless, designers working on f-commerce briefs now have a new gold standard to work from.
With Facebook expected to add Foursquare busting geo-location services imminently, Starbucks is uniquely placed to explore the combined opportunities of m-commerce with f-commerce.
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