A new social shopping site is in beta test and already it looks set to redefine things for Internet retailers. Called Crowdstorm it allows shoppers to find out what is being sold, where, what’s good about it and so on. In other words shoppers can find out the best deals and … Read more
Microsoft has been developing a new search engine, it has called Microsoft Live in order to stave off the competition from Google and Yahoo. Microsoft Live follows quickly after the company revamped its MSN Search as a result of falling market share in the search arena. However, MSN Search failed … Read more
Each day I see on my Personalised Google Home Page a set of quotes. I noticed today that one is from Albert Einstein: “Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.” Now, each day I also get a ton of stuff from “gurus” … Read more
On September 11th 2001 I was on holiday with my wife Cathy and my son Elliot, who was nearly two years old at the time. We had been out to lunch and got back at just after 2pm. Elliot wanted to watch a video, so we switched on the TV … Read more
Chinese censors are tightening the rules about the distribution of news within China. According to The Times, news organisations, such as Reuters, mist first get their material approved by the Chinese authorities prior to distribution. Restricting access to news is fairly typical in authoritarian states or in countries running under … Read more
So, Intel has announced that 10% of its worldwide workforce – or 10,500 people – are to lose their jobs. The aim is to make the company more competitive and save money. In recent years, Intel’s main competitor, AMD, has been a real force to be reckoned with. However, what’s … Read more
Rupert Murdoch’s News International launched a free newspaper in London, called The London Paper. There are already several free newspapers handed out to commuters on the rail networks and on the streets. There is also a paid-for evening newspaper in London, the Evening Standard. Clearly News International wants a piece … Read more
Two new surveys have come my way in the last few days. One showed that less than 25% of all businesses offer their products and services for sale via the Internet. The other survey suggested that 71% of people buy goods and services online. Indeed, by 2010 in the UK … Read more
A study of teachers in the UK has confirmed the educational benefits of the Internet. The research has shown that the use of the Internet in the classroom helped all pupils, regardless of ability. Furthermore, teachers believe that the Internet has helped pupils gain better exam results. The reasons behind … Read more
Today is International Blogging Day. The idea is that it brings more of a high profile to blogging. Apparently we are all meant to link to five other blogs today so that we can spread the word of blogging. But there is more to it than this. If you are … Read more
In a traditional shop everything you do is controlled by the retailer. The route you take through the store has been pre-planned. Retail psychologists observer shopper behaviour and help retailers maximise their sales by having the right offers in the right place. It is no coincidence that most supermarkets are … Read more
Yesterday one of my clients called me about Wordtracker. She was using Wordtracker to try and find keywords she could use in one of her web sites. However, she was having difficulty in finding any words that had reasonable numbers of searches or little competition. Discussing things with her I … Read more
Recently I was interviewed for my local TV station in the Thames Valley. You can watch the full interview online at: http://www.thamesvalleypod.tv/
Research on Internet dating could help Internet marketers. The study, conducted at Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, shows that people who use online dating sites attempt to present their real selves, rather than an idealised or false self. Earlier studies on the use of chat rooms showed that people who … Read more
New psychology research at Princeton University provides a clue to Internet marketers about what they need to concentrate on. The study was conducted to find out how long we need to make up our mind about a person by looking at their face. It has been known for some time … Read more
Recent research suggests people leave a web site 50 milliseconds after they enter it, unless they see some reason to linger. In other words, people are making an instant decision as to whether or not your site provides them with what they want even before they’ve had a chance to … Read more
Several psychological studies have shown that there is a social feature of human beings which psychologists call “the rule of reciprocity”. What this means is that if I meet you in a social situation and offer to get you a coffee, for example, you feel more positive towards me. If … Read more
At the moment I’m in Orlando, Florida, USA, attending the annual convention of the National Speakers Association. There are 1,700 people here and much of the coffee-room chat is about maximising the use of the Internet for the speaking business. But one delegate, Mike Stewart (The Internet Audio Guy) said … Read more
One day in Edinburgh may be all you need to help you discover how you can make more money online. Internet marketing experts will be on hand during a unique event called “Internet Inspiration” which is being held this October in the heart of the Scottish Capital. You’ll be able … Read more
As more and more people take up blogging, recruiters will use blogs to pre-select candidates. Human resources specialists will be able to search blogs to find out what kind of person you are. They will be able to use blog profiling tools and services to work out which is the … Read more
