WebProNews

Category: WebProBusiness

WebProBusiness

  • File-Sharing Giant Dropbox Reportedly Makes Plans to Go Public

    File-Sharing Giant Dropbox Reportedly Makes Plans to Go Public

    If you are one of those investors who specialize in trading shares of technology companies, you might have one more company to play with in the coming months ahead. People privy to the deal are now claiming that the next big tech company to go public will be the file-sharing giant Dropbox.

    In fact, San Francisco-based Dropbox has already filed confidentially for a U.S. IPO, according to a Bloomberg report. The publication said that the IPO plan has been confirmed by people who are familiar with the details but declined to reveal the sources’ identities because the filing has not officially been made public at the moment.

    According to the unnamed sources, Dropbox, a company privately valued at $10 billion, is gunning for IPO by the first half of 2018. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. were named as the possible institutions that will lead in the future listing. Meanwhile, other banks will be approached this month for various roles in connection with the IPO.

    At the moment, Dropbox, as well as JPMorgan Chase & Co and Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the issue.

    If Dropbox’s IPO pushes through, the company will be under close watch by investors. Naturally, the investment community will want to see how the company’s share price will fare in the post-IPO period. The upcoming IPO follows SnapChat’s disappointing performance since its IPO last March 2017. Snap’s share price had fallen 15 percent from its IPO value.

    But there are indications that Dropbox won’t be suffering the same sad fate as Snapchat. Unlike Snap, Dropbox has a positive cash flow and a gargantuan annual sales figure breaching the $1 billion mark. In addition, companies in its line of business seem to be resilient. The company called Box, Dropbox’s competitor that went public back in 2015, has been doing well since then. Box’s share price even managed to climb more than 50 percent since its IPO.

    [Featured Image via Dropbox]

  • Why Live Streaming Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy in 2018

    Why Live Streaming Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy in 2018

    More and more brands are using live streaming to reach their audience and promote their business.

    Companies like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and, Twitch have invested millions of dollars to build and improve their own live streaming platforms. The idea isn’t exactly a brand new one, as it has been around since 2011. But when Facebook launched its Facebook Live feature in 2016, live streaming was brought to the forefront.

    pasted image 0 1573

    Live streaming has rapidly grown in popularity because of its low cost and its sense of immediacy that gives viewers the feeling of being part of the action. In fact, the video streaming market is expected to grow from $30 billion in 2016 to about $ 70 billion by 2021, which makes it important for marketers to understand why it has become popular and how to use it to promote their brand. Here’s some insight:

    Live Streaming Gives Instant Gratification

    Consumers don’t want to wait a long time to enjoy their “win,” whether this is a discount, deal, or information. Live streaming gives them the instant gratification that they crave, by allowing them to interact immediately with your content.

    When users join a live stream, they can instantly start to participate in the commentary. Not only can consumers engage with the host, they can also communicate with others about the topic, the services, products, and other key content. Live streaming also gives the company instantaneous feedback regarding their content, thereby giving them an idea of the interest level of the product.

    Live Streaming Humanizes Your Company

    Businesses can use live streaming to give their customers a look behind-the-scenes. They can even introduce their teams or other employees this way. This helps give a human face to your brand and improve the relationship between your customers and you.

    Live Streaming Reaches More People

    Live streaming should be a key tool in your marketing campaign. Unlike email marketing, which only reaches people on your list, live streaming can generate leads from people you haven’t targeted. Word of mouth reviews or recommendations on social media can create interest in groups that the company wouldn’t even have thought of reaching out to.

    pasted image 0 1553

    There are endless possibilities with live streaming, and many companies have already integrated it successfully in their marketing campaigns.

    One brand that was able to leverage live streaming effectively was Kohl’s. The retail chain introduced an instant purchase feature via a live stream during New York Fashion Week. Viewers who watched the stream also had access to the different clothing featured on the host catwalk. Kohl’s masterful integration of the product links to the live feed led consumers to view relevant items and closed some sales.

    If you intend to use live streaming to promote your brand or eCommerce business, it’s important to be clear on what you want to achieve and what strategy you will use. Here are few ways to make the most of this marketing tool:

    • Product Demos: Many consumers don’t understand a product’s value until they really see how it is used. A live stream product demo can show audiences what they need to know about the product and answer their questions. Some companies have even closed sales moments after the release of a live stream demo. Brands with complex products should consider a live stream campaign to explain the principles behind their products.
    • Product Launches: Live streaming is a great way to launch new products or introduce additions to a product line. For instance, a handbag company can use Facebook Live to tease or showcase the new designs and colors of their spring collection.
    • Entertainment: Companies can live stream company rallies, debates, workout or cooking sessions, or concerts to provide clients with special entertainment. This can help boost a company’s popularity and image.
    • Q&A sessions: User-driven Q&A sessions can provide important and actionable data. It also gives brands an image of authority and credibility. These sessions can be hosted by an expert or an influencer. Getting a celebrity to appear will also be a big draw.
    • How-tos: How-to tutorials are one of the most successful strategies for content marketing, and using live streaming will boost this to a whole new level. For example, if you’re running an online bookstore, an author reading an excerpt from their upcoming book will attract a lot of views and attention.

    There’s a reason why big companies like Coke and Chevrolet have utilized live-stream marketing campaigns. It engages customers quickly and introduces products effectively. Live streaming will continue to be a major factor in marketing, so it’s time your business jump on the technology and uses it to your advantage.  

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Facebook Plans to Enter Home Device Market With ‘Portal’

    Facebook Plans to Enter Home Device Market With ‘Portal’

    Facebook may have pulled the plug on its digital assistant plan, but that does not mean it’s backing out entirely from the lucrative smart device market. In fact, there are indications that the social media giant could be making a big splash this year by launching a home-based, voice-enabled device—a product that could place it squarely against rivals Amazon, Apple, and Google.

    Facebook is reportedly preparing its attack on the home electronics front by launching a home video chat device later this year. Reports say that the upcoming gadget will be named Portal, a product that is similar to Amazon’s Echo Show. If reports are correct, this new device will also be competing against similar home-based devices from Google and Apple.

    Facebook will launch the product by May of 2018, according to online news site Cheddar. The launch date is slated to coincide with the company’s developer conference.

    Incidentally, Facebook announced early this week that it is pulling out from the digital assistant market. The company will be shutting down M, it’s AI-powered concierge service that was previously positioned as a competitor to Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa.

    Despite abandoning the digital assistant niche, Facebook is not yet giving up on the home-based smart electronics segment. To help it launch the upcoming Portal, the company is betting on its partnerships with Spotify and Netflix for content. Facebook has likewise inked a music licensing agreement with both Sony/ATV and Universal Music Group.

    In addition, Facebook is marketing the upcoming product a little bit differently than existing gadgets. Portal’s thrust will be on the communication and video calls side of things. This differentiates it from the voice-assisted controls and AI capability of devices like Echo, Alexa or Siri.

    While it may not be Facebook’s first venture into hardware, there are doubts that the company has what it takes to successfully launch the upcoming gadget. Back in 2013, it launched its first hardware—HTC First aka as the Facebook phone—but it was a failure in the market.

    There are also concerns that the rumored Portal may not be competitively priced. Facebook plans to price the gadget at $499, which is too hefty when compared to similar products such as the Echo Show, which is currently selling for only $229.99.

    At the moment, Facebook declined to comment on the issue.

    [Featured image via YouTube]

  • Will Amazon Acquire Target in 2018?

    Will Amazon Acquire Target in 2018?

    While Amazon currently accounts for roughly 45% of all online retail sales, the pursuit of a strong offline retail presence is part of Amazon’s long-term business strategy which is why they may now be considering an acquisition of Target. Obviously, Amazon is strong in almost all categories of online shopping, but with The Whole Foods purchase and Amazon Go, this may be the beginning of their entry into a large presence in brick and mortar commerce.

    Gene Muster, principal of research-driven Lotus Ventures, has good reasons to believe Amazon is ready to hit the streets and will be targeting a name brand retailer in 2018. Amazon’s goal is to reach more upscale consumers in order to continue both sales growth and new memberships in Amazon Prime. (Fortune)

  • 5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget

    5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget

    Every company wants to have a successful ad campaign. Unfortunately, most don’t have the big budget necessary to compete with major companies. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a losing marketing campaign. It just means your company has to be more creative and determined. If you’re using Google AdWords, you have to narrow down your campaign and opt for a more targeted approach. Here are five ways that can help you make the most of your AdWords budget.

    1. Develop Several Variations of Your Ads

    You might think that being on a budget means you have to stick with just one ad. But having a generic ad is unlikely to generate the conversions you want. It’s better if you have several variations of your ad that target various audiences.

    For instance, if you’re running an online bookstore, don’t just target all the bookworms. Tailor your ads and focus on the different types of book lovers. Target young adults by pushing the latest works of a popular YA writer. Entice art buffs with an ad showcasing the different art, design and DIY books you carry.

    2. Use Multiple Keyword Tools

    Google’s keyword tool is undeniably helpful, but it doesn’t give out the best results all the time. There are instances when long-tail keywords they recommend simply do not have any data available. Or Google simply ignores really popular keywords.

    A better strategy would be to utilize various keyword suggestion engines or keyword planners. You should also trust your knowledge of what keywords consumers are searching for when they came upon your site. Once you have a good list of keywords, test them yourself.

    3. Create a Conversion Tracker

    You need different ads to test which keywords are successful. More importantly, you need concrete data that can be tracked on a per-ad system. Let’s say you’re running eight ads and had $500 in sales, how will you know which ads generated that conversion?

    You need a good conversion tracking system to help narrow down which ads are good and which ones are doing nothing for your campaign. AdWords has a tracking system that you can use and which can send your data directly to Google Analytics. But it’s also a good idea to look for other conversion tracking tools and apps to get even more comprehensive analytics.

    4. Be Smart About Your Ads Schedule

    If you want to get the most out of your AdWords campaign, then you should only run your ads during hours when you’ll have a better chance at conversions. For example, if your company’s office hours run from 8 am to 5 pm, then it’s not a good idea to have an ad running at midnight.

    The only way to know what schedule is best is to test. Check your data analytics to see which hours and days your ads are performing well. Once you have narrowed down the optimal hours for your campaign, you can schedule your ads better.

    5. Use AdWords Extensions Wisely

    Google AdWords extensions can help you stand out and boost your ranking. Extensions can make your ad bigger and give you more room to work. It helps draw more attention to your ad and lets you emphasize more benefits and features. There are a variety of extensions that a business can use, but a company has to choose carefully as some might not be appropriate.  

  • 4 Ways to Make Free Shipping Profitable for Your eCommerce Business

    4 Ways to Make Free Shipping Profitable for Your eCommerce Business

    One of the most crucial decisions an eCommerce business has to make is whether to offer free shipping. If the retailer does opt to provide free shipping, then other equally important decisions have to be made, like what kind of go-to-market process will be implemented.

    An online retailer’s free shipping policy can boost conversions, but it can also add to expenses. Luckily, there are several strategies open to a company.

    Here are four ways that can make free shipping profitable for your business:

    Image result for flat rate shipping1. Offer Your Clients a Flat Rate

    One of the best ways to make good use of free shipping is to offer a flat rate for all packages, or flat rates for total orders and weight ranges.

    However, this method requires intensive planning and preparation. The company has to figure out the average cost of shipping. This is to ensure that they do not overcharge or undercharge clients. When they do come up with the right cost, the price will likely be a little over or under the actual shipping cost. But this discrepancy would even out eventually.

    Retailers considering a flat rate should be aware that they would need to conduct several tests to see which would work better – pricing by weight range or order totals.

    2. Add Shipping Cost to the Product Price

    Integrating the shipping cost to the product price will also work in the company’s favor. Consider the following options:

    • Offer 1: $50 for the product + $5 for shipping
    • Offer 2: $55 with free shipping

    The majority of consumers would undoubtedly favor the second option. Studies have shown that the conversion numbers for the second offer were double that of the first offer. This method also works very well for unique products and items that are hard to find.

    So how does one incorporate the cost of shipping into the product’s price? One way is to change the price of items below the free shipping threshold so that it would include part of the expected shipping cost. For instance, you can add 13% of the expected shipping cost to items priced at $10. So from $10, the product will now cost $11.30. With this strategy, you get to offer free shipping while recouping part of the cost.

    Image result for ground shipping3. Substitute Service Types

    Thousands of online retailers have found that ground shipping is the most affordable option, so this is the most common type used in free shipping. But retailers should make it clear to customers that this is not overnight shipping and that an additional fee will be charged if they want to expedite the process.

    Ground shipping can actually reduce your shipping expenses by as much as 50% and most can easily meet 2-day expedited shipping requirements. If the product is to be delivered somewhere near the office or distribution center, then you can use the cheapest ground option available, meet the delivery window, and save money.

    Don’t be afraid that your clients will be put-off by the 2-day wait. Nearly all online buyers are willing to wait longer for a product as long as shipping is free.

    4. Exclude Specific Products From Free Shipping

    Another way to reduce the negative impact of free shipping is to exclude specific products from the service. Companies can exclude large and heavy items with high shipping cost and products with low margins from free shipping. They can also just offer the free service exclusively to high volume products with low shipping costs.

    Do not look at free shipping as a financial black hole. Savvy retailers can utilize free shipping as leverage to boost conversions and average orders while reducing any negative impact it might have on revenue.

  • Facebook Tests Splitting Its News Feed but Insists It Won’t Be Rolled Out Globally

    Facebook Tests Splitting Its News Feed but Insists It Won’t Be Rolled Out Globally

    Publishers and content creators may soon be facing a new challenge if they want to broaden or even maintain the organic reach of their Facebook posts. The Facebook is currently testing out new changes that will drastically alter the way its news feed works.

    And it may not be a good change for publishers at all, at least for those who rely on organic methods for their posts’ social media reach. Apparently, Facebook is testing out a new news feed algorithm which basically splits the news feed a user will see on his or her account upon opening it. The regular news feed will now only contain posts and updates made by Facebook friends or family members as well as paid advertisements. The rest of the posts, which will include all content that is not promoted on Facebook, will now be shown in a secondary post. Dubbed the Facebook Explore Feed, the move aims to enhance the visibility of promoted posts over those merely relying on organic reach.

    Thankfully, for now that is, the news feed algorithm is still being tested only in a handful of locations. The new feature is being rolled out to six countries including Bolivia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Serbia, Slovakia and Sri Lanka, a testing phase that might take months to complete.

    While it still remains to be seen if the news feed algorithm will be rolled out system-wide, initial results from the test are a bit worrying for online publishers and content creators. Apparently, user engagement on Facebook pages where the test is being conducted alarmingly dropped down to between 60 to 80 percent, a trend that might put small publishers out of business if the news feed changes get implemented worldwide.

    The algorithm change seems to have affected publishers or ‘Buzzfeed-like’ sites which heavily rely on social media reach to drive traffic, according to Slovakian newspaper Dennik N journalist Filip Struhárik. On the other hand, larger sites were least affected due to their more diverse ways to secure readership.

    Reacting to some concerns raised about the possible implications of the dual-news feed system, Facebook recently clarified that the company does not plan to roll the test out globally. As Facebook puts it, “The goal of this test is to understand if people prefer to have separate places for personal and public content.” Apparently, the company does not want the public to interpret the dual-feed system as a way to force publishers to shell out some cash to buy their way back into the much-coveted Facebook News Feed.

    [Featured Image by Pixabay]

  • Oculus Rift Goes After Business Sector With New VR Bundle

    Oculus Rift Goes After Business Sector With New VR Bundle

    Oculus VR is now trying to tap into a new market to boost the sales of its high-end virtual reality device. The company is now launching Oculus Business, effectively sweetening the deal for companies to snap up its Oculus Rift bundle.

    Oculus vice president Hugo Barra made the announcement of its business bundle during the Oculus Connect conference in San Jose, Tech Crunch reported. The Oculus for Business package costs $900 and includes the hardware package, dedicated customer support, full VR license and enterprise-grade warranties.

    The hardware package consists of the Oculus Rift headset, three room sensors, three Rift Fits and Oculus Touch Controllers, according to The Verge. Altogether, the hardware only costs $574, but the $900 price of the business bundle is still considered a great deal, given the warranty, commercial license and preferential customer support that go with it.

    While virtual reality is still a relatively new technology, businesses can harness its potential to improve their reach and exposure as well as streamline their operations. For instance, VR can be utilized to aid personnel training and even allow potential customers to examine products in great detail in the virtual world. In the future, VR could be indispensable to a host of industries such as construction, manufacturing, education, tourism, and health.

    In fact, the German automobile manufacturer Audi is one of the launch partners of the Oculus for Business. The carmaker harnessed VR to build virtual showrooms where potential buyers can configure a car and even walk around it to assist them in the selection and customization process.

    Aside from Oculus VR, other virtual technology manufacturers such as Apple have been pitching their VR hardware as a business tool. Admittedly, the market for VR gear among individuals is a bit limited, as the price of the gadgets is a bit too steep for the average consumer. In addition, setting up a VR rig inside a home also requires some expertise. Businesses, however, have bigger budgets and tech-savvy staff at their disposal which makes it easier for them to buy and install VR equipment.

    [Featured Image by YouTube]

  • Lyft Partners With Google’s Waymo to Challenge Uber

    Lyft Partners With Google’s Waymo to Challenge Uber

    Tesla is still the recognized leader in the autonomous vehicle concept on the strength of its Model S and Model X. But the new partnership between Google’s Waymo and Lyft aims to give Elon Musk a run for his money.

    The two Silicon Valley companies have agreed to unify their resources and expertise to commercialize self-driving cars.

    A spokesperson for Lyft said, “Waymo holds today’s best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world’s best transportation.”

    The partnership was also confirmed by a spokesperson for Waymo who remarked, “Lyft’s vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo’s self-driving technology reach more people, in more places.”

    Waymo may possess the “best technology” since its self-driving cars are already averaging 5,000 miles without any human help, according to a report from the California DMV. In contrast, GM’s Cruise Automation is only averaging in the “hundreds of miles.”

    However, Waymo does not have the knowledge on transportation networking to really make the jump between the deployment of its automated cars and mass commercialization. This is where Lyft will come in.

    For those who are not familiar with Lyft, it’s similar to Uber but targets ordinary drivers looking to make some extra buck as partners. Customers also pay through the company’s app, but while the tip is already integrated into the final cost for Uber, Lyft asks users to add the tip through its app.

    By the end of the year, Lyft will be available in 300 key US cities.

    But this partnership will be beneficial not just for Google’s Waymo, but Lyft as well. It’s not an accident that people have not heard about Lyft because it comes a distant second to Uber. For instance, the company only has a $5 billion market valuation compared to Uber’s $68 billion.

    The problem with ride-sharing networks is their heavy dependence on their partner drivers in order to scale up their business. In fact, drivers—along with the vehicles and fuel—make up 85% of the cost. Uber has the money to invest on a grand scale to cut the difference, a luxury that Lyft does not possess.

    One solution is to cut the human drivers and go fully automated, the report said. Instead of sharing the revenues with their human partners, they can quickly recoup their investments by operating an automated fleet.

  • Squarespace Goes After GoDaddy with Squarespace Domains

    Squarespace just announced the launch of Squarespace Domains enabling customers to start their website building process by buying a domain directly from Squarespace.

    In case you think the “goes after GoDaddy” headline is too dramatic, the company is being pretty clear about this being the intent. A spokesperson for Squarespace said in an email the launch allows them to “compete directly with companies like GoDaddy and tap into an adjacent, multi-billion dollar market.”

    “Now, our customers will be able to purchase a domain, create a website, build an online store, connect to Google Apps for a custom email, and more, all in one place and with zero configuration,” the spokesperson says.

    Users can go to Squarespace.com/domains and enter terms or browse over 200 top-level domains, which start at $20/year.

    “Unlike some of our competitors, Squarespace Domains includes WHOIS Privacy at no extra charge, a beautiful ad-free parking page, a same-rate guarantee for renewals, and no hidden fees,” the company tells us. “We’ll also soon be offering SSL certificates and domain transfers at no additional cost.”

    Squarespace says it will introduce additional features for Squarespace Domains in the coming months. You can find more info about the service in this help guide.

    Image via Squarespace

  • Google Tag Manager Fundamentals Now More Widely Available

    Last summer, Google launched a training course for marketers, analysts, and developers to teach them about Google Tag Manager and how it can simplify tag implementation and management. It’s part of Google’s Analytics Academy learning program. On Thursday, the company announced that it is expanding this Google Tag Manager Fundamentals course to a total of fourteen languages.

    The course is now available in Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

    Lizzie Pace from the Google Analytics education team explains, “Google Tag Manager Fundamentals shows you how to use tools like Google Analytics and Google AdWords to improve your data collection process and advertising strategies including: the core concepts and principles of tag management using Google Tag Manager; how to create website tags and manage firing rules; how to enhance your Google Analytics implementation; the importance of using the Data Layer to collect valuable data for analysis; and how to configure other marketing tags, like AdWords Conversion Tracking and Dynamic Remarketing.”

    The course is made up of four units, covering how to get started, setting up Tag Manager, collecting data using the data layer, variables, and events, and using additional tags for marketing and remarketing. Each of these is broken up into three or four lessons a piece.

    You can get started with the free course here.

  • Google Analytics Adds User Explorer Reporting (And More)

    Google Analytics Adds User Explorer Reporting (And More)

    Google’s latest release notes for Google Analytics reveal some interesting new features including a new set of reporting called User Explorer Reporting. This lets customers anonymously analyze individual interactions to their site.

    Google explains in the notes, “User Explorer utilizes your existing anonymous Google Analytics data to deliver incremental insights helps marketers obtain valuable insights need to improve and optimize their site.”

    User Explorer can be found in the Audience sections. The report will surface Anonymous Client ID and User ID information including a history of activity. Marketing Land has a good look at the report.

    Also found in the release notes are: deeplinking into AdWords from the AdWords reporting section in GA; [Attribution 360] Data Studio integration; google-analytics.com traffic moved to SSL; [Analyics 360] custom tables: align regex interpretation; flexible auto-tagging override for GA-AdWords linking; AdWords final URL dimension; new sitelinks report in AdWords reporting section in GA; [Analytics 360] Add Experiment Fields to GA’s BigQuery Export; and Google Analytics Reporting API V4.

    Go here for descriptions on all of these item.

    Image via Google

  • Facebook Gives Developers Tools To Build Messenger Chatbots, Should Change How Businesses Is Done on Facebook

    Facebook Gives Developers Tools To Build Messenger Chatbots, Should Change How Businesses Is Done on Facebook

    Well, we knew it was bound to be a big day for Messenger news with Facebook’s developer conference F8 kicking off, and it has so far been just that. Within its first hour, Facebook made a slew of announcements about Messenger and otherwise.

    In short, Messenger is about to become a lot more than most people are used to. It’s going to be a communication path for many more businesses and people are going to be interacting with artificial intelligence a whole lot more. Both of these scenarios will often be simultaneous.

    At last year’s event, Facebook announced Messenger Platform, but now it’s getting a full beta launch, and with it, businesses and developers get tools to build their own chatbots to interact with people.

    You can use bots and live-messaging tools to create custom experiences for customer service, e-commerce or whatever you come up with. These experiences can be integrated with Messenger plugins (buttons for your site, emails, etc.), or Messenger codes and links introduced last week.

    Facebook is allowing for customer matching so what you’ve been sending through SMS can now be sent through Messenger. There’s a tool that lets you match optex in customer phone numbers to a messenger account.

    Soon, there will be the ability to buy News Feed ads that will take people directly to your bot in Messenger. According to the company this will help with new users acquisition as well as retention.

    The company showed off three bots from early partners including Spring, Poncho, and CNN.

    Messenger lead David Marcus demonstrated buying a pair of shoes through Messenger with Spring. He specified what kind of shoe he wanted, his price range, and was presented with a carousel of results to choose from. This is a clear illustration of how this could be a game changer for ecommerce.

    “I can guarantee you you’re going to spend way more than you want with this,” Marcus said. “It’s really addictive.”

    He demonstrated Poncho the weather cat, a bot that has a “dry and witty” sense of humor that it uses to give you weather info in a fun way. He says it feels like a real conversation.

    They’re experimenting with ways businesses can reconnect with people, but are giving users the ability to block businesses as well.

    The company launched a new Send/Receive API that’s available today to help you build bots. For more complex bots, they’re opening up a tool called Bot Engine based on what it has learned from “M” to enable you to build high-end self-learning bots.

    Some companies are already announcing their new offerings resulting from all of this. SparkCentral announced a customer care agent, for example. Salesforce announced the Salesforce for Messenger Platform.

    “Together, the companies are empowering companies to engage their customers through dynamic experiences around products, brands and moments—all connected to their business,” the company said. “Powered by Salesforce Lightning, the proven platform for more than 150,000 companies and millions of users, Salesforce for Messenger will deliver personalized engagement at scale with CRM data.”

    You can get started building your bot with the documentation and resources available here. There will of course be sessions on all of this at the conference, and Facebook is making some sessions available online at the F8 site.

    Facebook also discusses the news more in a blog post here.

  • AdSense Gains Support For Language Spoken By Millions

    Google announced on Monday that it has just added Filipino to its list of supported languages for AdSense.

    This is spoken by millions of people in the Philippines and around the world, so it’s a little surprising it wasn’t already supported, but better late than never. Here’s a look at the languages currently supported:

    Screen Shot 2016-04-11 at 12.06.34 PM

    Those with an “*” are only supported for ad serving. The product interface and help center are not supported for these.

    “To start monetizing your Filipino content website with Google AdSense,” Google says. “Check the AdSense program policies and make sure your website is compliant.Sign up for an AdSense account, [and] add the AdSense code to start displaying relevant ads to your users.”

    Image via Google

  • Yahoo Said To Be Giving Interested Parties Longer For Opening Bids

    On Thursday, a report from Bloomberg came out indicating that Verizon is poised to make a first-round bid for Yahoo and that Google parent Alphabet is considering doing the same.

    The report also said that AT&T and Comcast, and Microsoft have all decided not to bid at this time, and that Time Inc., Bain, TPG, and others are still in the cards. IAC/Interactive Corp., News Corp, and Disney have all been mentioned as potential suitors at one time or another.

    The due date for first-round bids had been reported as April 11, but Kara Swisher at Re/code is now reporting that Yahoo has moved the deadline to April 18, giving suitors another week. Swisher, who has reported much Yahoo insider info over the years, cites sources close to the situation and “blabby bankers” as her sources here. Here’s what she says about Google:

    Hey, over there, Google is sure interested. (The truth is, its M&A unit crunched the numbers as they should, but an offer is highly unlikely!)

    After the regulatory difficulty Google has had in partnering with Yahoo in the past, it’s unclear how these things would work if Google were to try and move forward with such an acquisition.

    Stay tuned.

    Image via Yahoo (Twitter)

  • Google Parent May Try to Buy Yahoo?

    Google parent Alphabet (formerly Google) is considering bidding on Yahoo as the deadline for first-round bids approaches. This is particularly interesting considering that regulators shut down a potential Google/Yahoo partnership years ago.

    Bloomberg reports that Verizon intends to make a first-round bid next week, and citing a different source, shares the Google news (which comes from a different, unnamed source).

    Citing yet another source, it says AT&T, Comcast, and Microsoft have all decided not to bid for now. The report says:

    Time Inc. is still evaluating a bid, while private equity funds Bain and TPG — among others — are also planning to make a run at the business, either alone or by backing a strategic acquirer, the people said. While the buyout firms haven’t yet paired themselves with a strategic buyer, they are open to the idea of doing so, the people said.

    IAC/Interactive Corp., News Corp, and Disney have all been mentioned as potential suitors at one time or another.

    The due date for first-round bids is April 11.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Facebook Suggests Businesses To Users in Messenger

    Facebook Suggests Businesses To Users in Messenger

    The Information recently discovered code in Facebook Messenger pointing to how Facebook intends to turn the app into a marketplace, including an unreleased feature which would let people use the app to purchase items in stores and pay directly in Messenger when they pick up an item, effectively turning Messenger into a Wallet service. It’s likely that it would integrate with other payment services such as Apple Pay.

    Also found in the code was a reference to “suggested businesses,” and now Business Insider’s Biz Carson has spotted this very feature right in the app. As many as 20 businesses reportedly show up under the search bar for people and groups.

    Facebook has added an extra line of 20 suggested businesses that you could chat with as well — although it’s hard to tell why those businesses are ones you’d want to talk to at all.

    When I tried talking to ride-hailing service Lyft, the company told me chat wasn’t an option. ClassPass did say “hi there” back to me, and Chase told me they could handle any requests I have. The rest of the companies on my list of 20 were a mix of small town newspapers that I have no connection to or organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center.

    She notes that it could be just a test rather than a new feature that’s rolling out. I’ve been unable to replicate it myself.

    It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see this become a feature as Facebook is obviously hoping to turn Messenger into a tool for B2C (and C2B) communication. This began at F8 last year when Facebook announced related features. This year’s event is around the corner, so we’ll see what they have to say about business use of Messenger.

    A December report found that Messenger is the fastest growing of the top apps in the U.S. It has 800 million people using it each month.

  • Salesforce Acquires MetaMind To Add AI to Services

    Salesforce Acquires MetaMind To Add AI to Services

    Artificial intelligence startup MetaMind launched in late 2014 with $8 million in funding from Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff and Khosla Ventures. Now, Salesforce has has acquired it.

    Salesforce will integrate MetaMind’s technology into its services.

    “With MetaMind and Salesforce coming together, we’ll be able to offer customers real AI solutions with breakthrough capabilities that further automate and personalize customer support, marketing automation, and many other business processes,” says MetaMind co-founder and CEO Richard Socher. “We’ll extend Salesforce’s data science capabilities by embedding deep learning within the Salesforce platform.”

    “Over the past year and a half, we’ve been on a mission to empower business users with state of the art deep learning technology to simplify, improve and automate decision making,” he says. “And now, we’ll be able to continue our journey at Salesforce on a much larger scale, with the resources and ecosystem of one of the world’s most innovative and influential enterprise software companies.”

    While under Salesforce, MetaMind intends to continue its AI research. According to Socher, they’ll be publishing “groundbreaking discoveries” that advance the technology. They’re also hiring.

    MetaMind’s products will be discontinued on May 4 for unpaid web users with June 4 being the end date for recurring monthly users. The company says all user data will be deleted “promptly” after closing.

    Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

  • Groupon Grabs $250M Investment, Comcast Partnership

    Groupon announced that it has secured a new $250 million investment from independent private company Atairos, which supports growth-oriented businesses. Michael Angelakis, Chairman and CEO of Atairos, will also join Groupon’s Board of Directors.

    Atairos laucnhed earlier this year with $4 billion in committed capital. It’s led by Angelakis, who is the former Vice Chairman and CFO of Comcast.

    “We are excited to be partnering with Groupon, the undisputed global leader in hyper-local commerce with nearly 50 million active customers,” he said. “Since creating the market in 2008, Groupon has redefined local commerce by increasing consumer buying power and changing the way businesses attract customers using modern mobile technology. We look forward to working closely with Groupon’s Board and management team as they pursue their strategic growth objectives.”

    Groupon CEO Rich Williams said, “Our partnership with Atairos will help accelerate our transformation while better positioning us to execute on our strategy and mission to build the daily habit in local commerce — which we continued to make progress on in the first quarter. I am extremely pleased that a respected, long-term oriented partner like Atairos shares our view about the vast opportunity ahead for Groupon.”

    “The reputation, strategic insights and operational acumen of Michael and his team will be a welcome addition to our company,” added Groupon Chairman and co-founder Eric Lefkofsky. “Michael joins a talented and dedicated Board, and brings a valuable perspective as we continue to scale our local business.”

    Comcast will actually now work with Groupon and “implement potential strategic partnership opportunities.” The plan is to use Groupon’s local expertise with Comcast’s subscriber and advertiser network, though the details are yet to be announced.

    Groupon will use the investment for “general corporate purposes” including stock repurchasing and a $200 million increase to its existing share repurchase program, which has been extended through April 2018.

    Groupon announced in late February that it had sold its billionth Groupon and released this infographic breaking down some stats:

    Last month, the company announced new merchant tools including a new tablet app. More on these here.

    Images via Groupon

  • Google Wallet Card Is Going Away

    Google launched the Wallet Card in 2013 as a physical card for paying for things with your Google Wallet balance. The company is now alerting cardholders that it will end support on June 30.

    Google says it has decided to end support after careful consideration, saying it wants to focus on making it easier than ever to send and receive money with the Google Wallet app.

    Cardholders can make purchases with the card until June 30, but will no longer be able to add money to the balance from a debit card or bank account after May 1. Money you receive from other will still be added to your balance of course. If you still have money in your balance after May 1, you can keep it there, send it to others, or cash out at anytime for free.

    Google says an email:

    If you’re interested in finding a replacement for your Wallet Card, both American Express and Simple offer debit accounts with similar features, including a card. Plus, we’ve teamed up with them so that Wallet Card users will get an added bonus after signing up.

    As we wind down support for the Wallet Card, we’re excited to continue enhancing Google Wallet to give you the best possible experience when paying friends and family. We’re hard at work on new features, so keep an eye out for those in the coming months.

    Google addresses some frequently asked questions on the subject here.

    Image via Google

  • For ROI, Email Marketing Makes Big Leap Over Last Year

    For ROI, Email Marketing Makes Big Leap Over Last Year

    Salesforce released its 2016 State of Marketing Report, finding that marketers are seeing increased ROI with email, mobile, and social media marketing. The report is based on a survey of about 4,000 marketers from around the world.

    Of those who use email marketing, 80% agree it is core to their business. Nearly half of them say it’s directly linked to their business’ primary revenue source. That’s up 140% from last year’s report. 79% of marketers, according to this year’s, say email generates ROI, which is a 48% increase year-over-year.

    Salesforce Reports Email Data

    The report says that intelligent email is driving higher revenue.

    “As email personalization capabilities grow more sophisticated, the channel becomes even more integral for marketers to deliver a holistic customer journey,” it reads. “Eighty percent of marketers agree that email is core to their business.”

    “Predictive technology is breathing new life into established marketing channels such as email,” the report adds. “Top teams are 4.2x more likely than underperformers to leverage predictive intelligence or data science to create personalized emails.”

    Salesforce email data

    What’s interesting is the diversity in the types of campaigns found to be effective. Take a look:

    salesforce email data

    The high-performing marketers, Salesforce says, are 2.3x more likely to trigger personalized emails in real time based on events. The high performers in general take a “more sophisticated” approach to email, it says.

    sophisticated email marketing

    75% of marketers using social report that it’s generating ROI, which is a 166% increase from last year’s report. Unsurprisingly, Facebook is found to be the most effective social channel for high-performing teams. This is followed by Twitter, YouTube, Google+, and then Instagram. Considering that advertising on Instagram is in its early days, it’s likely it will gain significance if you ask me.

    In terms of mobile, adoption of location-based mobile tracking saw a 149% increase while mobile push notifications saw a 145% increase. Mobile text messaging adoption saw an 111% increase, and mobile app adoption saw a 98% increase. More importantly, 77% of those who use mobile as part of their marketing strategy say it actively generates ROI, up 147% from lat year’s report.

    The report found that 65% of high-performing marketers say they’ve adopted a customer journey strategy. 88% say such a strategy is critical to their marketing success.

    The study found that 58% of high-performing marketing teams strongly agree they’re implementing digital transformations across the company. This compares to just 8% of underperformers. 63% of the high-performers also say they’re excellent at creating personalized, omnichannel customer experiences across all business units. It’s just 2% for the underperformers.

    You can find the full 2016 State of Marketing Report here.

    All charts via Salesforce