Widgets Big with UGC Crowd - eMarketer

I've been sayin' (along with everyone else) that widgets are where it's at. In the list below via eMarketer, I see a couple of favorites Slide and Photobucket (used Photobucket to create the video in the post just below this one in fact). I have to admit there are others on that list though that I've not explored and some that I haven't even heard of...so, I'll have to check 'em out.

Widgets Big with UGC Crowd

Big buzz for tiny tools.

North Americans lead the world in Web widget usage, according to comScore data.

Widgets are used to display customized or personalized content on a Web site for things like photo sharing or music recommendations, and are commonly found on blogs, social networking sites and other personalized pages.

Four in 10 North American Internet users visited Web sites with embedded widgets in April 2007. Eastern Europeans had comparative widget disdain, with only 7.6% of Internet users in the region using the tools.

The most-used widgets worldwide were mainly photo-related. Slide was the top widget provider, with a worldwide reach of more than 117 million unique viewers, or 13.8% of the total worldwide Internet audience.

The use of widgets on photo-sharing Web sites is not surprising, since such sites are a vibrant and growing sector of the user-generated economy.

The number of US Internet users who posted photos online more than doubled between 2003 and 2006, according to the USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future's "2007 Digital Future Project," published in November 2006.

comScore noted that Facebook's overtures to third-party widget developers would likely spur activity in the sector as well.

Learn where all those photos are being posted online. Read the eMarketer User-Generated Content: Will Web 2.0 Pay Its Way? report.

We Celebrate!

I have the distinct pleasure of working for a really great company. Here's some video of the cool people that I work with being recognized for an amazing amount work and a job well done on our CMS build. Personal Shopper ROCKS!

Web Wins for Women Shopping Online - eMarketer

via eMarketer
Web Wins for Women Shopping Online
Women visit fewer sites to learn what they want.

Over half of US female Internet users ages 25 and older say the Internet is their main research source for checking out potential product purchases, according to Burst Media's "Online Insight" report, published June 2007.

The Internet was named far more often than other methods. Around 10% or fewer of respondents said they got their information from "asking family and friends," newspapers and magazines, television or other sources.

Over half of women said they had shopped online in the past six months. Online shopping increased with household income. About half of respondents with annual incomes of less than $35,000 had bought something online in the past six months, while 68% of households with annual incomes of $100,000 or more had done so.

Major online buying categories for women in the past six months included travel, adult clothing and health and beauty products.

Although women consider the Internet a prime source for product information, they use slightly fewer Web sites on average in their research than men, according to Frank About Women's "Understanding Online Shopping Behavior Topline Summary," published in March 2006.

Adult female Internet users typically visited four or more Web sites in the course of doing product research, while men used an average of nearly five.

Learn more about marketing for women with the Web. Read the eMarketer Women Online: Taking a New Look report.

Reviewing Social Shopping Sites

Get Elastic posted a great list of social shopping sites a while back. I've been in the process of reviewing them. I've just started, but my take so far is as follows:

Stylefeeder: Totally love the experience, really easy to get set up and they have a fun and engaging site. Easy to install plug in for Firefox captures the url and photo of the item you want to add to your "feed" - this rocks.

Kaboodle: These guys do a good job too. Nice plug in for Firefox also but isn't quite up to par with Stylefeeder.

Stylehive: Hate them. This is a total miss for me. The sign up process is lacking in direction and isn't at all smooth. I had to search forever to find their "bookmark" thingy for Firefox...finally found it and was disappointed to say the least. They're a "no go". Boo!

I would love feedback on Social Shopping sites that you like and why. Talk to me!

Facebook vs. MySpace...no contest

This via my fav must read on a daily basis - Download Squad

Your social network preference might say more about you than you realize. This blog essay lays out a strong case that Facebook is beating Myspace on a socio-economic level, if not just yet on a pageview/users level.

It makes sense. Facebook started as a college and university only platform, which right off the bat adds a significant gap between the haves and have-nots. Add a pinch of irritation that users with an IQ above 80 feel when confronted with abhorent Myspace layouts and you have a recipe for the great unwashed to rally around Myspace, leaving the rest of us who can string a few words together as Facebook planted refugees from the ills and distaste of Myspace.

Ouch! Burn!

Song of the Day

Winds of Change...they're blowin'

Movin' from Finance to Marketing...this should be interesting. Marcy leaves the "Office of Strategery".

Wish me luck! Email me at marcyannekessler at gmail - you know the rest.
Cheers!

Personalizaton

I was asked about Personalization today and specifically this question: If you had a crystal ball, where would you see personalization in 2010?

And I answered thusly...
I feel that the level of personalization online is directly linked to the level of trust being established between businesses and consumers and it will have reached a whole new level by 2010. The level of trust needed for truly exceptional personalization is born out of relationship. In a time when social commerce is just beginning to peak I’m seeing more and more retailers grasping the notion that what customers are after is a collaborative and participatory experience online. They want to be given the tools to create their own experience not have that experience dictated to them by the retailer.

In a world where it’s being reported by Gartner that by 2011 80% of Internet users will have a “second life” or a presence in a virtual world, “personalization” takes on a whole new meaning. It’s getting darn personal when you’re living your life online.

I went on to say...

Time. It’s all about saving time. If I can engage with a solution that offers me the opportunity to express the stuff that I like, lets me participate in a fun and engaging community of other consumers (friends), and then consistently delivers on the tailored product offering so that I don’t have to do the work of searching, then that becomes my favorite hang out.

Just as I might gather with friends on a Saturday afternoon for some shopping and a cup of coffee, as a virtual girl in a virtual world I get to gather with my “friends” and go shopping and chat and exchange ideas online. I have the luxury of engaging in that online community as much or as little as my time permits.

and...

I think it’s important to create an environment that demonstrates that you’re really listening. It just goes back to that trust issue. I’m volunteering a lot of personal information, and I want to feel like you’re paying attention. Technologically speaking, the means for getting there lies in AI development. But you can’t neglect the human development. Creating a machine to pay attention isn’t enough, the people minding the store need to pay attention too.

Google Getting Creepy?

I don't know. I'm just not sure where I land on this yet. Google has built some amazing trust and loyalty. I'm greatly dependent on my Googling ability in the work that I do, but do I want them enabling the world to visit the windows of my house? I'm caught in the middle. I love details, I love all information at all times. I guess in living a life online I've accepted that the planet is becoming a smaller and smaller place.

via CNET News

Saturday, the British activist group Privacy International released a scathing report that said the company is "hostile to privacy" and ranked it the lowest out of nearly two dozen major Web sites when it comes to privacy issues.

Google Maps Street View was singled out. "Techniques and technologies (are) frequently rolled out without adequate public consultation (e.g. Street level view)." Google also has a "track history of ignoring privacy concerns," the report said. "Every corporate announcement involves some new practice involving surveillance."

In addition to Google's "aggressive use of invasive or potentially invasive technologies and techniques," the bad grade was given because of the "diversity and specificity" of Google's products and the ability to share data between them, as well as the company's market dominance and number of users.

Under 7, and packin' CE

This is interesting. Hmmm. My 7 year old daughter is certainly in the group that's packin' some serious CE. For Christmas this year she got a cell phone, MP3 player, digital camera and just recently got her own laptop. She's also recently started her own blog. She's become much more interested in "geeking out" at the computer than watching TV.

This via emarketer

Children Younger Than 7 Use Electronics

US children now start using consumer electronics (CE) at an average age of 6.7, down from 8.1 in 2005, according to the NPD Group's "Kids and Consumer Electronics Trends III" report, conducted March 16-22, 2007.

Kids start with TVs and PCs first, typically at age 4 or 5. Children get acquainted with satellite radios and portable digital media players last, usually around age 9.

Although children are becoming familiar with CE devices earlier, actual ownership and use has dropped slightly over the past two years, both for kids and their households. About a quarter of households said they had not bought any CE devices within the past 12 months.

About three-quarters of parents surveyed in 2007 said they would be interested in a branded kids' version of an electronic device, down from 83% who said so in 2006.

Kids use CE devices about three days a week on average. They use TVs nearly six days a week, and mobile phones and DVRs just over four days a week each.

Tag-Based Customer Reviews

Check this via DMNews, patent pending Tag-Based Customer Reviews from Power Reviews - improves natural search.

Lillian Vernon recently launched tag-based customer reviews from PowerReviews on its Web site at www.lillianvernon.com.

The PowerReviews’ customer review service uses a patent-pending tag-based approach that offers Review Snapshots designed to make it easier for shoppers to reach a purchase decision.

According to the company, PowerReviews identifies reviews that are written by “verified buyers,” provides assistance from actual product users to help shoppers narrow the product selection on a Web site and gives recommendations from “people like them” to help shoppers make decisions that suit their needs.

PowerReviews also sends customers a post-purchase invitation to review the product that they ordered and creates keyword-intense pages for each product that can help drive natural search optimization results.

PowerTags, from , Millbrae, CA, captures customer opinions in their own words and makes reviews more useful for shoppers.

Widgets, widgets, widgets

Pop quiz: What technology is on the cusp of changing the face of Internet advertising as we know it?

Answer: Widgets.

Read more here.

Google snags Feedburner

Via DMNews: "Search engine Google Inc. has acquired FeedBurner, a provider of media distribution and audience engagement services for blogs and RSS feeds.

Web-based tools help bloggers, podcasters and commercial publishers promote, deliver and profit from their content on the Internet. This acquisition makes sense for Google given that it is constantly looking for ways to identify and offer new tools for content creators and website publishers."

The companies are not disclosing the financial terms of the agreement.

Dad's Day Data

via Center for Media Research

Dads Are Recognized With Almost Ten Billion Dollars of Gifts This Year

According to NRF's 2007 Father's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, consumers are expected to spend $9.9 billion on dads this year, with the average person spending $98.34 on the holiday, up from $88.80 last year. Men will still be spending more than women this year with men planning to spend $100.72 on average versus women's average of $96.09.

The most popular gift for dad will be a greeting card (69.9% of buyers), but other planned gifts include:

• Dinner out (42.7%)
• Apparel (37.1%)
• Gift certificate or gift card (29.9%)
• Electronics or computer related accessories (17.8%)
• Sporting goods or leisure items (13.9%)
• Tools or appliances (13.6%)
• Home improvement or gardening tools (12.4%)

NRF President and CEO, Tracy Mullin, says "Gas prices have little effect on what consumers spend for those who matter most."

This year, consumers are planning to shop for Father's Day gifts at:

• Department store (34.2%)
• Discount stores (28.7%)
• Electronics or greeting card stores (29.6%)
• Specialty clothing stores (7.3%)
• Online shopping (18.7%)

Though most shoppers will buy gifts for their father or stepfather (50.1%) this year, buying for other family members and friends is also popular:

• 28% will buy a gift for their husband and
• 7.7% will spend on their son
• 3.8% will buy for their grandfathers
• 4.6% for brothers
• 1.1% for godfathers

Social Networking and Ecommerce - Download Squad

Social Networking and Ecommerce - Download Squad

Blogging important for our business? Uh, yeah.

I'm a Virtual Girl in a Virtual World

via BloggersBlog

Gartner Says 50 Million in Virtual Worlds by 2011

Gartner is predicting that by 2011 80% of Internet users will have a "second life" or a presence in a virtual world. A GigaOm article puts the figure in the 50-60 million range. The press release also lists these five laws for companies trying to participate in the virtual world..

First Law: Virtual worlds are not games, but neither are they a parallel universe (yet). The initial reaction of many business leaders when faced with virtual worlds is to dismiss them as a mere "game" of no benefit to the enterprise and something to be banned for wasting compute resources and time. Many of those that see beyond the gaming elements immediately veer toward questions such as "How do we exploit this as a sales channel?" This reaction is equally incorrect and potentially even more damaging to the enterprise. "Growth in virtual worlds is significant but lower than it appears; the overall population of non-game virtual worlds is still small compared to massively multi-user online games (MMOGs) and the totality of community-oriented and niche-targeted environments," Mr. Prentice said.

Second Law: Behind every avatar is a real person. Gartner said people can’t be fooled by the fantasy elements in the virtual world. There are unwritten rules and expectations for behavior and culture are developing. Enterprise users must consider their corporate reputations.

Third Law: Be relevant and add value. Many commercial companies have established a virtual world presence, but none have converted it into an effective, profitable sales channel. There has been criticism of early corporate entries into the virtual world, Second Life, related to the showrooms usually being empty and lacking atmosphere. While there have been a limited number of individuals who have earned more than $5,000 per year from their virtual world businesses, most corporations will see minimal revenue gains in the market at this time. "Do not expect to undertake profitable commercial activities inside most virtual worlds in the next three years," Mr. Prentice said.

Fourth Law: Understand and contain the downside. Enterprises face serious questions, such as "Could activities in the virtual world undermine or influence my organization/brand in the real world?" With significant portions of the virtual economy based on adult oriented activities, questions of appropriate behavior and ethics also arrive. In-world behavior can be a problem in public areas; annoying interruptions can range from unintentional arrivals and erratic behavior from new residents whose avatar control is still suspect to misdemeanors such as graffiti, to more-concerted protest activities designed to disrupt.

Fifth Law: This is a long haul. Today’s multiplicity of virtual environments has developed through the convergence of social networking, simulation and online gaming. There are many new entrants, whose stability and scalability are not yet established. There is significant probability that, over time, market pressures will lead to a merging of current virtual worlds into a smaller number of open-sourced environments that support the free transfer of assets and avatars from one to another with the use of a single, universal client.

So there is not much profitability there yet for businesses but it is important for corporations to start building a presence in some of these virtual worlds because they could become a serious profit sources down the road. The second law mentioned by Gartner "behind every avatar is a real person" may turn out to be incorrect. Complex programming may make for some very realistic non-player characters in these virtual worlds that people may enjoy interacting with as long as they are not being misled into thinking it is a human. These is something very significant going in the virtual kingdom and new computing technologies like Microsoft’s surface computing could make them even more exciting and significant.

CBS Buys Last.fm

CBS Corporation is buying the popular music social network Last.fm. The BBC says that the $280 million price tag makes CBS’ Last.fm aquisition the largest UK Web 2.0 acquisition ever. The BBC also says Last.fm was founded five years ago and has 15 million users. CBS Leslie Moonves liked Last.fm’s young demographics and its rapid growth rate.

via BloggersBlog