Friday, December 21, 2012

Forecast for E-Commerce in 2013


2012 turned out to be difficult for the retailer, many shops were forced to close its doors after failing to raise sales. But in turn, the online stores have shown good growth. Association IMRG expects 12% growth in sales during the Christmas holidays, which will increase the volume of the online UK stores in 2012 to a projected year 77 billion pounds.

Over the past 12 months online business has made a quantum leap from a simple service that provides online transaction to complete your store, has successfully created a brand for the product. More and more customers prefer to shop at online stores from their mobile devices. With such a variety of options that are just one click away from the buyer, increasing customer loyalty and instilling habits of users to make online purchases will be the main direction for the Internet business in 2013.

In this article, I brought six key trends that will accompany and support the growth of e-commerce in the coming year:

1. Individual approach to customer loyalty

Some principles of retailers have not changed much over the years. The secret of success is still is: to attract customers so that they would return again and again to your brand and advertise it to your friends. Social networks have allowed retail business not only to communicate directly with their fans, but also to reach out to their friends. However, when it comes to ROI based on loyalty in 2013, the attachment of clients will be only a buzzword, and not the actual number of fans. In the end, it's not the number of fans, but in quality, ie how much they are committed.

2. Social shopping

Consult with someone before you make a purchase, have already come for us to return to normal. But now you can not just take a friend for shopping, and the entire social network. Services such as Pinterest and The Fancy, are gaining popularity in the role of social media, allowing users to sort all that they love, thematic collections, and to share these collections with friends. This is not only a way to express themselves in shopping, but also a way to share with other buyers to your preferences. Business should take note, that's why we expect to see this collection as a major trend in 2013.

3. Changing payment methods

Already a huge selection of options purchases, which now sellers offer buyers likely will grow, giving more and more influence on the purchase decision. Along with the growth of mobile transactions, methods such as NFC and contact-less payment, can radically change the habitual for us to pay for things. Services PayPal and iTunes for a long time have started to tie payments to mobile devices, and in turn have services such as Square, offering retailers the opportunity to accept payments from credit cards, using only a smartphone and a simple attachable device reader. It is this freedom of the final payment for purchase online or directly to the store will be in the coming year invaluable for companies of all sizes.

4. Return to the specialty stores

Whether it is selling a "face to face" or via the Internet, in recent years there has been a steady return of buyers to the pro shop, which, in contrast to mass retailers can often offer their customers a more competent service and a personal approach to the needs of each client. These stores include those that deal only in goods a certain area, whether it be fashion, jewelery or photographic equipment.

5. More videos

One of the reasons why the video has long been used widely in e-commerce has been slow Internet connection, making the download sites with video would be too long, which, by the way, and to this day remains for many issue. However, with the increase in the average speed of Internet access around the world this restriction will cease to be so critical, and online stores finally have the freedom to use a rich multimedia content. I waited to see the video review and demonstration video decompression sold, which will be more prevalent in 2013.

6. Increasing integration with mobile devices

Whether it is optimized for mobile browsers platforms website or mobile applications, most retailers agree with the need for a solution that supports smartphones or tablets. However, mobile technologies can offer much more than that. Next year we expect more integration of stores in mobile devices and applications through the use of QR-codes, along with the latest methods of payment, starting and ending with the NFC service Passbook.


In any retail business, the customer is critical for success, and mobile and social applications only help retailers to work more closely with the customer. In the coming year, the key to customer loyalty and build a successful brand is to create a mulch-channel retail environment as a whole platform.


As the industry as a whole, we need to increase the comfort of shopping, as well as attract new customers by using more targeted promotions and special offers, thereby continuing to shape the consumer confidence in its brand and to mobile devices in their new place as a payment instrument. In addition to this, the industry needs to actively use social networks, thus prompting a buy recommendation on a new level and making social shopping is fun.


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Facebook is about to launch its own search service

Facebook is about to launch its own search service - Social network Facebook is constantly trying to come up with something new, and even if not new, then take what is, and make something out of this regular service. Thus, recently became aware that Facebook is working on a service job search and recruitment. The service will collect relevant ads from other resources, and provide this information for users of Facebook. Of course, such a service is simply doomed to popularity because of the hundreds of millions of users of social networks tens of millions explicitly take advantage of the opportunity to seek employment or employees, without leaving Facebook.


Now Facebook is about to launch its own search service

Facebook is about to launch its own search service

Thus, the social network may be getting too serious competitors such giants as LinkedIn and some other similar resources (such as bulletin boards, which are not involved in the project, Facebook). It is known that at least three third-party service job search, and staff will participate in the project. This BranchOut, Jobvite, and Work4 Labs. Launching the new service could be held in early August of this year. It is interesting that Facebook has no plans to monetize the service. Later on, probably trying to monetize all the same take.


So far, none of the alleged members of the new project has not commented on the news of the appearance of the service to find work and jobs from Facebook. However, the source of the information is reliable enough - he, in any case, trusted resource WSJ.


Unfortunately, it's hard to say right now how it will look and operate the new service. Will there be an integrated feed with vacancies, to which anyone can subscribe to Facebook, or will it be a separate topic, is not yet clear. This service is a logical continuation of the partnership Facebook c U.S. Department of Labor, the agreement is cooperation between the two organizations was signed in October last year. At the time of the conclusion of a cooperation agreement, it was stated that "the partnership will help develop a system, when the announcement of the subject is so massively as possible, and free for all."

At the moment the market, "HR industry" is estimated at 4.3 billion dollars, so working here is something. Well, Facebook, if desired, can be one of the market leaders.

Do let us know what do you think about Facebook Engagement Statistics 2017, which has been just announced to world. You might be interested in our other facebook related articles Facebook is about to launch its own search service, Advantageous Facebook Marketplace and 16 Supercharge Facebook Face Recognition Feature.

Via The Wall Street Journal

If both computers are behind NAT

Writing of this article prompted some comments on a recent article, " Not too delicate way of selling software "about TeamViewer. I'll try to briefly describe a not too complicated, and at the same time, a fairly universal way to "go" from one computer to another if they both are NAT.
Actually, to the point. In order to establish a connection, each computer will create IPv6-tunnel with a service tunnel IPv6. Both computers at the same time receive a full IPv6 address, and among them will be to connect to ssh, vnc or other technology. Of course, if both computers already have an IPv6 address, your ISP, no body movement to raise the tunnels to produce not needed. Unfortunately, the vast majority of providers to IPv6 is not ready and that the user has direct access to the Internet to IPv6 - a rarity.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Monetizing Google Play: free games with access to the billing statement

Google Play has an undeserved reputation as a platform, not bringing the money - but is opposed by at least a number of developers of free games. Company TinyCo, Spry Fox and the Robot Invader argue that the profit from Android comparable and sometimes superior to profit from iOS-devices.

Difficulties with obtaining money in Google Play widely known and Comments. According to research by Distimo and Flurry, Google Play gets one eighth of the profits Apple iTunes App Store and its average revenue per user (ARPU, average revenue per user) is only 23% of the revenue from the user iOS. However, since the reports Distimo and Flurry are based on averaging a very large, not all designers agree with them.

Chapter Spry Fox, David Edery recently published a Twitter account the income of the company on Android. According to Edery, for every dollar earned by a popular game in the Triple Town iOS, to 67 cents in Android. He also noted that this is not a question of much more, but less profitable customer base for Android - the number of users in iOS and Android versions of the Triple Town virtually the same as the conversion rate. Although the game shows a greater ARPU in iTunes, than Google Play, Edery still believes in the future platform Google, calling Google Play «a very good source of profit."

Major developers are also found in Google Play a lot of solvent users. Andreessen Horowitz of TinyCo last week published the same data - for every dollar earned free Tiny Village in the iOS, have 65 cents in Android. If excluding tablets, then this figure rises to 82 cents on the dollar. Thus the parameters of earnings TinyCo very close to the parameters of Spry Fox, and not to the data Flurry.

Glu Mobile - another company, which says more than a show analysts earnings. Although only 30% of the profits from the free-to-play games Glu in Q4 accounted for smartphones with Android, both platforms show approximately equal ARPU, says vice president of sales and marketing, Adam Flanders. Glu is also seen that the conversion of users from the Android is constantly improving, for which Google Play is due to more extensive adaptation of purchases through credit cards in the store and the expansion of Google Check Out the international telecom operators.

Access to the billing statements are extremely important tool for Android developers with free games, because it allows a user without a credit card to make purchases of digital goods, thus increasing the conversion of free users to paid and the level of monetization. Billing statements is one of the key reasons why companies like DeNA can get the conversion rate of 15% in Japan versus 2% in North America. Lucrative South Korean market as a result of carrier billing - Com2uS makes about 10% of Android users paying games in South Korea, and only 3% in the U.S..

Play Wind-Up Knight of the Robot Invader gets 60% of the profits from Google Play, largely due to operator 'accounts - says co-founder Chris Pruet. Players Wind-Up Knight is almost twice as likely to become chargeable on Android, than iOS, and when the turn, then suggest the best ARPU, than iOS - also due to carrier-billing.

«Android actually has some unique features that make it very profitable," - he explains. "One of the key features is integration with billing systems operators worldwide. In some regions (particularly in Japan and some European countries), no one buys the phone by credit card - all want to be written off with the purchase of a mobile account and displayed in the statement at the end of the month. "

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Firefox 12 receives a number of additional properties

Browser war has shifted from interest in the percent of the market decline of IE on the confrontation between Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, Mozilla Foundation makes in your browser to enter the new improvements, which would force users to think again about what is it worth to switch to your browser search giant. It is gratifying that the Firefox developers in terms of the interface - what you see all the users, and do not change "under the hood" - did not simply replicate the functionality of Chrome, but also adds new tools, which in Chrome yet.

In fairness it should be noted that new opportunities "Home Page» Firefox 12 still has sparked new questions or even complaints (even had to change "nightly build"), because they are pushed even further on the advantages of a browser that attracts users to Chrome - functional simplicity. Under the cut offered a quick look at the proposals that may appear soon in Firefox 12, if the plans of developers will not change.

So, in the first version is proposed to change "Home Page» Firefox 12, adding a row of buttons down for access to your bookmarks, browsing history, browser settings, applications and downloads. No other changes in this case, obviously, will not be compared to the existing version.


Another, more substantial and, as a notice, a "heavy" functional variant "Home Page" is presented below.


Here it is easy to notice a number of new tools: a list of commonly used applications, large icons of recently visited sites, a similar type icons "share drives" links and even IM-client, very similar to that which exists in Gmail. Comparing with Chrome version of this, it is impossible not to notice that Google developers are going for option more "ascetic" interface, dividing the icons of websites visited and applications on different tabs, as in Mozilla believe that the more tools the user will see on the page that opens Firefox, then the better for it.

How many people - so many opinions, but also noted a general tendency to simplify interfaces browsers already perhaps even to a lowly user - just look at the interface of the new IE 9. It is hoped that in the case of Mozilla, we will have enough flexibility in the settings so that everyone can take to themselves the decision on the application possibilities of the new interface if it will still be accepted for release in Firefox 12.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The new typography for the Web. Microsoft showcases OpenType

Microsoft released a demo page for advanced typographic format of OpenType. This alternate glyphs, ligatures, kerning, fractions, small caps and minuscule numbers. The effects are visible when the mouse to direct the text. The demo only works well in browsers that support OpenType, Microsoft itself recommends IE10 + and 8 + Firefox. Other browsers may not manifest all the effects, it still depends on the operating system.

Since Microsoft can agree - OpenType really raises the design of the text on the web to the next level, which is close to printing. The possibilities of this format is clearly superior to @ font-face. For each effect is a snippet of code, as implemented in OpenType.

Small Caps

Text written in capital letters, immediately attracts the attention but he looks very ill, surrounded by text. In this case, you can use small caps.

/* use small-caps */
.smallcaps { -moz-font-feature-settings: "smcp=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "smcp" 1; }
/* both upper and lowercase to small caps */
.allsmallcaps { -moz-font-feature-settings: "c2sc=1, smcp=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "c2sc" 1,"smcp" 1; }


Ligatures

Ligature - a combination of two or more letters. In typography can be used to improve readability and / or structure of the text, removing unnecessary spaces, saving space.

/* use ligatures automatically */ .ligatures { text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -moz-font-feature-settings: "liga=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "liga" 1; }


Figures

Conventional mayuskulnye numbers are better suited for table layout, but in the text can be used for aesthetic purposes minuscule.

/* enable proportional figures and ordinals */ .figures { -moz-font-feature-settings: "pnum=1,onum=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "pnum" 1,"onum" 1; }}


Kerning

Selective changes in the spacing between letters, depending on their shape creates a more readable, well-balanced text.

/* enable kerning data */ .kerning { text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; -moz-font-feature-settings: "kern=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "kern" 1; }


Fractions

If you enable this option in the code, then all combinations of type "2 / 3" will be automatically converted into the right kind of shot.

/* enable OpenType fractions */ .fractions { -moz-font-feature-settings: "frac=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "frac" 1; }


Alternate glyphs

Additional glyphs can be used in the text in certain situations, for visual effect.

/* enable style set five */ .alternates { -moz-font-feature-settings: "ss05=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "ss05" 1; } /* enable contextual and stylistic swashes */ .swashes { -moz-font-feature-settings: "swsh=1,cswh=1"; -ms-font-feature-settings: "swsh" 1,"cswh" 1; }


Microsoft has said OpenType format and the revolutionary hopes on the broad support it by all browsers. I should add that OpenType - the format developed by Microsoft and Adobe, is an advanced version of the format TrueType, and the term of a patent on TrueType recently ended.