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Category: RestaurantRevolution

RestaurantRevolution

  • Chipotle CEO Going Digital to Create a ‘Frictionless Experience’

    Chipotle CEO Going Digital to Create a ‘Frictionless Experience’

    Chipotle is moving in a digital direction, with their digital business up 48 percent over last year. The company has introduced a new app, digital lines, digital pickup shelves, and a mobile pickup window in an effort to create a “frictionless experience” for its customers, according to Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol.

    Brian Niccol, Chipotle Mexican Grill CEO, discussed their digital strategy this morning on CNBC:

    Chipotle App Creating a Frictionless Digital Experience

    What we’re trying to do is remove any friction and get people more access and we’re having a lot of success with that. Our digital business is now up to 11 percent, which is up 48 percent over last year. What’s really exciting is we’re seeing people continue to adopt the utilization of the app and then all the new access channels that we’re creating, whether it’s these digital pick-up-shelves or delivery, we’re just getting a tremendous response from our customers.

    Introducing Digital Lines and Shelves

    One of the things that are really powerful for our company is we’ve got what we call a Digital Make Line and it is completely separate from the Customer Facing Line. When you come into the restaurant and you go down that Customer Facing Line if you’ve placed a digital order it doesn’t get in the way of that experience. We’re also putting in place these Digital Pickup Shelves so that when you order ahead, you literally can walk in grab your food and go, a completely frictionless experience.

    Our digital line requires fewer people to run it versus the front line. The thing that’s great is what we’ve seen is this digital business is highly incremental, so the additional labor necessary to support the incremental sales it works really well for us.

    Testing a New Mobile Pickup Window

    We’ve got the new mobile pickup window in four restaurants right now. The way it works is you order ahead and you pick your time and then you know you literally come right by the restaurant, we’ve got a window, your food comes out the window and off you go. We’re seeing tremendous response to that and it’s in a market in Ohio and a market in Texas. We’re gonna start adding more restaurants in 2019, so you’re gonna see us building more restaurants that have the ability for that mobile pickup.

    Second Lines in All 2,500 Stores in 2019

    The thing that is happening right now on a broad scale basis are these second lines. We’ve digitized them, we’re in about 750 restaurants we’ll have all 2,500 restaurants done by the end of 2019. To accompany that we’re putting in these digital shelves so that literally you can skip the whole process.

  • Domino’s CEO Talks Tech – Watch Autonomous Car Deliver Pizza

    Domino’s CEO Talks Tech – Watch Autonomous Car Deliver Pizza

    Domino’s Pizza continues to implement innovative technology to maintain it’s competitive edge in the pizza business. Domino’s ran ads over the summer promoting Hotspots where you could have pizza delivered to over 150,000 locations.

    The company has also been on the cutting edge of technology in its use of autonomous vehicles that are actually delivering pizza in Las Vegas. You can watch a video from a customer of a Domino’s driverless car delivering a pizza below. Domino’s is also testing AI natural voice systems in some of its corporate stores and just recently rolled out a voice inventory app.

    Ritch Allison, CEO of Domino’s, recently discussed their strategy of innovation and technology with CNBC’s Jim Cramer:

    Pizza is a really fragmented category. We’re the market share leader in pizza but we still only sell about one out of every six pizzas in the US. We’re staying focused on our strategy, and our execution and not really on the short-term up and downs of any one particular competitor (such as Papa John’s). If we stay focused on the things that we’ve been doing then we’re going to continue to take share from competitors small and large across the industry.

    The Hotspot ads we ran this summer were terrific. It’s just another great way that we’re engaging our customers. A lot of restaurant players and a lot of players in pizza our constant members in the product of the month club and we got out of that club a long time ago and started focusing on things that were interesting and innovative that we could do to engage our customers.

    Hotspots is another one of those because it shows our customers we’re so crazy about pizza that we’re going to take their pizza to them any time, any place, they want to get it.

    We’re working on a lot of things, autonomous vehicles are certainly one thing that we’ve been working on. We’ve talked about DOM, our artificial intelligence natural voice system. We’re still piloting that in some of our corporate stores. It’s learning, it’s growing, it’s getting better.

    We just recently rolled out within our stores a voice inventory app that our team members can use for one of the most unpleasant tasks they have which are at the end of a shift they’ve got to go count the food that we have in the walk-in cooler and this makes that job easier and faster for them well.

  • Denny’s Says That Google Ads Are Bringing Customers to the Table

    Denny’s Says That Google Ads Are Bringing Customers to the Table

    The Google Ads Team recently provided an interesting profile on how Denny’s focused their marketing on digital in order to reach people as they were making decisions on where to eat. In 2018 Denny’s decided to move away from traditional print and TV advertising and instead focus on a more targeted digital approach.

    “If you look at the history of Denny’s, it’s really been focused on the family,” noted Luis Martinez, who currently leads marketing for Denny’s. “We recognize that American families are changing. They’re becoming more multicultural and more diverse. But families still value experiences and good food.”

    “Denny’s was pretty traditional in its advertising and marketing approach,” he said. “We relied very heavily on print, and very heavily on TV. The spray-and-pray approach that existed beforehand, it really was relying on the hope that you were talking to the right person with your message. Platforms like Google Ads, they remove the mystery from that.”

    “The guest is usually the one that’s telling you what it is they want,” says Martinez. “You look at something as simple as a search campaign. They’re looking for “pancakes near me” or “I want a burger.” For people who want those items, we want to make sure that we’re surfaced and relevant in that moment of consideration, whether it’s lunch or late night.”

    Google Ads Increased Our Late Night Business

    “Google Ads data let us see that our late night performance was really strong,” explained Denny’s search marketing specialists Eric and John. “So after 8:00 p.m., we adjusted our ads to call out that we were open late night, and we saw that, as a result, click-through rates really skyrocketed. Google really gives you the holistic view across all the different channels. It gives you data, it gives you insights, and it gives you a real pulse on the performance of the overall brand.”

     

    Martinez noted how working with data has really provided new insights for Denny’s. “That’s insight that is not necessarily built into a lot of other channels. It really is our responsibility to take what we learn about our guests and apply it across the entire marketing ecosystem.”

     

    Digital Has Changed Our Culture

    “Digital has changed our culture, and it’s actually changed the way we do business,” says Daniel, Denny’s restaurant manager. “Over the last year, we have experienced an increase in sales. It’s bringing in a new crowd. “You can have confidence not only in serving that right message to the right consumer but that digital marketing translates to in-store traffic,” added Martinez.

    Google Ads Are Bringing Customers to the Table

    “Ultimately it brings the customer to the table,” noted Martinez. “As Denny’s has made more investments in Google Ads, we’ve been more and more successful in bringing in a more representative sample of today’s America to set our stores up for success in the future.”

     

  • Why You Should Build a Community Around Your Small Business (And How to Do It)

    Why You Should Build a Community Around Your Small Business (And How to Do It)

    Even if you already have a strong customer base, you can grow it further by building a branded community around your business. Many consumers are drawn to these communities because they offer inspiration, encouragement, and support. Your business, however, benefits by getting a boost in brand exposure and credibility, reduced need (and costs) for customer support, better customer retention, and more sales.

    But as a small business owner, you already have enough on your plate, and building a community for your brand might seem expensive and difficulty. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how you can do it.

    4 Ways to Build a Community Around Your Brand

    Provide Instant Opportunities

    Once a customer or a prospect joins your online community, you want to keep them interested and onboard. It’s similar to welcoming someone to the neighborhood. Help them get their bearings. You can direct a member to the website page that features discounts or any new deals you’re offering. After all, new members are excited about what they can get from their new community. But don’t make the mistake of overwhelming or annoying your new community members with a barrage of emails and upselling tactics.

    Develop a Loyalty Program

    A rewards or loyalty program is a simple but effective way to get repeat customers. This program is quite popular for a variety of businesses, like coffee shops, boutiques, and restaurants. A typical loyalty program would have points rewards whenever a customer makes a purchase. They would then give a prize once a certain target is hit.

    Try to come up with a unique loyalty rewards program or be more creative with the prizes. For example, instead of giving away free coffee on the customer’s 10th visit to the store, maybe they could win a cool coffee mug with your logo on it. You can also partner up with another business for the rewards. Post the names of winners on your website or do a follow-up on them about the reward they received (but make sure to ask their permission first).

    Make Allies of Other Businesses

    You can have a stronger presence or reputation within the community by developing partnerships with local businesses. Align yourself with companies that complement your business. You can even work with your competitors. For instance, if you own a boutique, you can team up with a jewelry designer or a handbag company. Or if you have an online bookstore, collaborate with other sellers and organize a book fair.

    There are many advantages to partnering with other business owners in your community. Your company gets a boost in reputation, especially if you’re working with a bigger or more established brand. You also get the chance to reach a wider audience.

    Share Your Skills and Become an Authority

    Your loyal customers and prospective clients will want to learn more about your products or services. Share your expertise with them through well-written content or by conducting seminars. Speak at local events or give a talk at the community college. It’s a way of giving back to the community. It also helps build you up as an authority in the niche.

    Companies often don’t give enough thought to the idea of building or joining a community. This can be a costly mistake as community members can have a big impact on the long-term success of your business. So take the time to develop your community and make sure to treat your members well.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Envato Expands into North America with Placeit Acquisition

    Envato Expands into North America with Placeit Acquisition

    Envato has grown its presence in North America, with the acquisition of one of the web’s fastest-growing digital mockup and templates tools, Placeit.

    Purchased for an undisclosed amount, the Mexico-based company adds to Envato’s globally renowned creative community, providing a series of responsive mockups, smart design templates and maker tools for designers of all skill levels.

    Headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city and the country’s well regarded tech hub, Placeit has grown rapidly since its inception in 2012, with more than seven million templates sold and doubling in size in the last 12 months.

    The company’s most recently recorded Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) was over $3M USD. Envato’s current subscription business Envato Elements has an ARR of $21M, and grew over 100% in the last year.

    Placeit counts companies such as Google, Facebook and Oracle as among its more than 55,000 regular paying customers, with more than 87% of these customers coming from outside Mexico each month, reflecting the global footprint it has.

    The platform currently allows users with no previous design experience to make everything from on-trend logos and branding kits for everything from restaurants to sporting clubs, through to t-shirt design templates, social media videos, high-resolution iPhone and apparel mockups and more.

    Users can do all of this very simply from their browser, without the need to purchase and learn how to use specialist design and creative software.

    Envato founder and CEO Collis Ta’eed said that the acquisition of Placeit was an exciting one.

    “Placeit extends the Envato offering in a big way. We’ve made our mark in the world helping creative professionals get inspired, work faster, and level up what they do for clients.”“With Placeit we’re opening up Envato’s creative magic to absolutely anyone. Whether it’s an entrepreneur just getting started, a marketer working on their own, or just a pro user who doesn’t want the hassle of opening Photoshop – Placeit is just plain fun and simple to use.”

    “My ‘aha’ moment with Placeit was sitting down with my kids to make a logo for their basketball team. Watching a seven year old make something that I, as a professional designer, liked was pretty special, and really solidified to me what an opportunity Placeit has to connect with a whole different design audience. Seeing something come to life that simply was not possible before is why I love working in the tech industry.” concluded Mr Ta’eed.

    Placeit founder Navid Safabakhsh said he looking forward to the company becoming an integral part of Envato’s global creative community.

    “The origin story for Placeit is very similar to the one Envato has; we came up with an online, smart solution to a very particular set of problems that many digital creatives face around the world today, anchored by hard-working local tech talent.”

    “In building a series of easy-to-use and on-trend maker tools, we’ve seen first hand just how much we’ve been able to empower creatives of all skill levels around the globe to complete their projects faster, and with better outcomes. We think it’s a perfect match for Envato, one that builds on the strengths of both companies.”

    The upgraded Placeit by Envato platform officially went live last week.

  • Microsoft Ventures Into Checkout-Free Retail, Takes on Amazon

    Microsoft Ventures Into Checkout-Free Retail, Takes on Amazon

    Microsoft is reportedly taking on Amazon, as the company ventures into retail territory. The company is said to be looking into checkout-free shopping, an innovation that Amazon has pioneered.

    Reuters reported that at least six people have talked to them about Microsoft developing technology that will give retail companies the option to have cashier and checkout-free shops. Microsoft is said to have partnered with fellow Redmond-based company AVA Retail. The company develops systems that can collate information about shoppers. This time around, it will be working with the renowned software company on innovations that could be used on brick-and-mortar stores.

    Interestingly, Microsoft will not be installing said technology in their own stores. According to the sources, it has instead reached out to Walmart about the possibility of a joint effort. If this pushes through, the two companies could give Amazon a run for its money.

    Microsoft is said to have around 10 to 15 employees working on researching and developing their new retail technology. There aren’t a lot of concrete details at the moment, but one report said the research team has explored using cameras attached to shopping carts as a means to track the customer’s purchases.

    If successful, this could potentially do away with the need for cashiers. It also means a store won’t need to put up hundreds of cameras the way that the Amazon Go pilot store did.

    This approach suggests that Microsoft is looking to offer retailers a more cost-effective system. Stepping into the checkout-free store arena would also pit the software company against retail giant Amazon. Heated competition between the two is nothing new. Microsoft’s Azure cloud service is second only to Amazon’s AWS.

    Walmart has declined to comment on the news and a Microsoft spokesman said the company “does not comment on rumors or speculations.”

    There’s no question that Amazon leads the way when it comes to changing the face of retail. If Microsoft or other businesses want to get ahead of the company, or at least be on the same standing as Amazon, they better get a move on.

    Amazon has already opened to the public its first cashier-less convenience store, Amazon Go, in Seattle early this year. Shoppers entering the store are required to swipe an app which enables computer-vision technology to monitor and track them and their purchases as they walk around the store. Once done with their shopping, consumers simply walk out and their purchases are charged via their Amazon app.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Small Businesses are Struggling to Find Workers Due to Low Unemployment Rate

    Small Businesses are Struggling to Find Workers Due to Low Unemployment Rate

    A recent LinkedIn employment report has revealed that the US job market is hale and hearty. The country’s unemployment rate is down across the board while hiring is 4.5% higher when compared to this same time last year. While the news certainly is encouraging, the report also underlines the challenges that small businesses are facing with regards to hiring and keeping the right people.

    Numbers Point to Good News

    Aside from the news that hiring rates are high and unemployment rates are down, the LinkedIn Workforce Report for June also revealed some interesting specifics. For instance, there’s a 12.4% increase in hiring in cities that rely heavily on the oil industry. Tech firms, financial and insurance services, architecture and engineering firms, and automotive and transportation companies are also hiring more people.

    Hiring in San Francisco Bay Area - June 2018

    However, there are also several cities where the demand for skilled workers is simply not being met. These cities include Austin, Washington DC, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Conversely, Hartford, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach have thriving communities of skilled workers, making it easy for small and big businesses to fill their employment requirements.

    The LinkedIn study isn’t the only one touting these numbers. Reuters has also reported that job growth in the US went up in May while the unemployment rate dropped to 3.8 percent, an 18-year low for the country. Total payrolls rose to 223,000 and the average hourly earnings have increased by 0.3 percent month-to-month.

    Image result for 2018 us unemployment rates

    The report does paint a rosy outlook for American households. Tom Porcelli, Chief US Economist of RBC Capital Markets admits the news about unemployment rates “literally checks off all the right boxes.” He also said that they have been looking for any negatives about the findings but admits that so far, they haven’t found anything.

    What it Means for Small Businesses

    The LinkedIn report doesn’t mean everything’s smooth sailing though. One key takeaway from it is the fact that with more businesses hiring, the labor market has become a tight one. This means companies are fighting for a workforce that’s steadily growing smaller.

    The labor shortage means that the majority of businesses will have no other option but to increase wages in order to attract the workers they need and keep the ones they want. This is good news on the side of the employees, as it implies that salary growth is picking up.

    Unfortunately, not all small businesses can go head to head with bigger and more established companies who have better financial backing. This year’s Randstad US Salary Guide says that wages have risen by as much as 3% across different industries, a rate that not all small businesses can meet.

    Low unemployment rates also mean small companies will start to lose out on business. A Federal Reserve survey showed that in some states, restaurants struggle to find waiters and cooks while construction and manufacturing companies simply can’t find workers, regardless of whether they’re skilled or not. This lack of workers has translated to rising production costs, as well as canceled or delayed projects.

    So what can small businesses do to attract skilled workers? Aside from matching the going rate, they can offer an incentive program or a profit sharing option. Work from home options and extensive training can also be used to sweeten the deal. In short, small businesses would have to be more creative with their perks.

  • Walmart May Bring Customer Service Drones to Its Stores Soon, Retailer Files Patents

    Walmart May Bring Customer Service Drones to Its Stores Soon, Retailer Files Patents

    Walmart has always been known to push boundaries. The company is continuing this innovative culture with its recent filing of patents for keeping track of inventory, a store drone and other technologies aimed at changing how customers shops.

    Walmart is no stranger to filing patents. The company has reportedly filed 1,400 patents since 2009, all of which focused on technology that enhances their customers’ in-store experience. One of the newly filed patents pertains to a sensing device designed to make smart shopping carts that can communicate with a mobile device. This can make searching for grocery items go more smoothly.

    Meanwhile, several of the patents that were filed are geared towards sensing and managing inventory levels and one that can track customers via wearables.

    Walmart has also filed two patents for autonomous technology. One is for tech that can detect items or products in containers while the other can gather vehicle information, like size, temperature, pre- and post-delivery weight, using an intricate system of sensors, an interface, and a processor.

    One patent that could drastically change how things are done at Walmart is for a drone that could assist customers as they shop in the store. According to the patent outline, a customer can call the drone through a mobile device that’s either the customer’s own or one that’s been provided by the store. The drone can be used to navigate around the store or to verify product price.

    The patent detailed how the device can control the aerial drone to guide the user to the location of the item in the store. The drone could also give a visual projection to show the shopper what direction they should take or provide audio instructions.

    There’s also the possibility of Walmart utilizing a variety of drones to perform different tasks. Each drone will reportedly have its own distinct features based on its assigned job.

    While the patents appear promising, there’s no guarantee that they will be realized. Most of the time, the patents companies file are never realized.

    However, Walmart’s recent patent filing underlines just how serious the company is in its bid to compete against Amazon and other established retailers. It has already increased the prices of products bought online and has started producing and selling its very own meal kits. Walmart has also signed an exclusive deal with Rakuten, a Japanese e-commerce company, to sell Kobo e-readers.

    Featured image via Pixabay

  • Google Introduces Shopping Actions to Help Online Retailers Take On Amazon

    Google Introduces Shopping Actions to Help Online Retailers Take On Amazon

    On Monday, Google announced a program called Shopping Actions to help retailers take on the eCommerce giant Amazon. Under the program, merchants are allowed to list their products across the search engine’s platforms—Google Search, Google Express shopping service, and Google Assistant on mobile devices and smart speakers like Google Home.

    The program gives consumers a universal shopping cart available on mobile, desktop, or voice-activated smart speakers. Features such as one-click re-ordering, personalized recommendations, and basket-building are expected to increase shopper loyalty and engagement. By linking your existing shopping account with Google, the feature will suggest other related products based on previous purchase history and browsing activities.

    Aside from a universal cart, customers can share their shopping list, or checkout instantly with saved payment credentials through the Google-hosted payment flow.

    In exchange for the sponsored listing and integration with loyalty programs, Google only gets a cut from every successful purchase, unlike its existing pay-per-click ads where businesses pay for exposure.

    Google’s move to help retailers compete against Amazon stemmed from the company’s observation of how millions of consumers sent image searches of products asking where to buy such items. In the last two years, this type of mobile searches surged by 85 percent. Daniel Alegre, Google’s president for retail and shopping, pointed out this trend in a recent interview with Reuters.

    And with most search results ending with an Amazon purchase, Google has found a way to help retail chains in keeping those customers.

    “We have taken a fundamentally different approach from the likes of Amazon because we see ourselves as an enabler of retail,” Alegre pointed out. “We see ourselves as part of a solution for retailers to be able to drive better transactions … and get closer to the consumer.”

    Based on early results of the Shopping Actions tool, merchants noticed that the average size of a customer’s shopping basket increased by 30 percent, pointing to a more convenient, seamless shopping experience. Ulta Beauty has seen its average order value jump by 35 percent after its partnership with Google. After partnering for six months, Target said that its Google Express baskets have expanded by almost 20 percent.

    Furthermore, retailers are eager to join the growing voice shopping market – the next step for eCommerce – currently dominated by Amazon’s Echo devices. Prior to Shopping Actions, retailers Target and Walmart have teamed up with the search giant to allow voice-based shopping through Google Assistant and integration with Google Express.

    Google has partnered with big retailers such as Target, Walmart, Costco, Ulta Beauty, and Home Depot for this program. Shopping Actions is available to any retailer in the US.

    [Featured image via Google]

  • Will Trump Tax Cuts Benefit Your Small Business?

    Will Trump Tax Cuts Benefit Your Small Business?

    Small businesses are feeling very optimistic these days, with a record number believing it’s the perfect time to expand. The positive outlook has reportedly been fueled by the changes instituted by the Trump administration’s tax-reform package.

    Survey Says It’s a Good Time for Small Businesses

    According to a survey released by the CNBC and Survey Monkey, the Small Business Confidence Index for Q1 saw numbers rise from 57 to 62. The five-point increase is the largest move per quarter that the index has seen since the two companies started measuring in 2017.

    The CNBC/SurveyMonkey Survey also highlighted several key takeaways. For instance, 47 percent of small businesses stated that on the whole, business conditions are good. Only 44 percent believed that last quarter. The survey also revealed that 32 percent of small business owners are planning to add more full-time workers in 2018.

    How the New Tax Law Affects Small Businesses

    It should be pointed out that the Q1 survey is the first done since President Donald Trump enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) on December 22, 2017. The rise in optimism and confidence is quite the surprise, considering that in the Q4 2017 survey, small-business owners were split in the middle regarding the effect the tax law would have on their business. Now it seems that 46 percent of those surveyed believe Trump’s tax policy will have a positive impact; an impressive jump from the 38 percent of last quarter.

    What kind of impact will the new tax law have on SMBs? The final iteration of the bill allow pass-throughs of as much as 20 percent of the income. However, these deductions depend on the type of business.

    In personal service businesses, like lawyers, architects, and brokers, the 20 percent deduction is only permitted for married partners that filed joint incomes of as much as $315,000. Meanwhile, the deduction is allowed for single taxpayers with incomes of up to $157,000.

    For businesses that are employee intensive, like manufacturers and restaurants, the deductions depend on the payroll. The 20 percent deduction is actually confined to 50 percent of the payroll. So companies with a lot of workers get a big break. The new tax law basically gives these businesses a good reason to expand and hire new people.

    Last December, Adam Looney of the Tax Policy Center was interviewed on PBS’s News Hour where he explained how the ‘pass-throughs’ would work for small business.

    Benefits of Tax Cuts to Small and Medium Sized Businesses

    The TCJA appears to have a trickle-down effect on consumers and small businesses. The higher take-home pay and bonuses resulting from the new tax law have given consumers more spending confidence. This was clearly seen during last year’s holiday season.

    This consumer confidence is a good sign for small and medium-sized business. With increased spending, these companies can generate more revenue that they can use to either improve the business or pay off creditors. For instance, savvy business owners can take steps to improve their credit rating, like paying their bills immediately.

    Companies with improved credit ratings have access to more capital. This can be beneficial to owners thinking of expanding operations, improving an office, buying new equipment, or refinancing a debt.

    More importantly, a positive credit score makes it possible for entrepreneurs to apply for small business funding with banks. These traditional lenders typically look more closely at credit scores. They can also offer small businesses better terms and rates. For example, instead of paying 20 percent interest on a credit card, a businessman can get capital at 8 percent interest which can be used to pay off debt and place the company in a healthier space, finance wise.

    Small businesses certainly have a lot to look forward to now that the TCJA is in effect. However, the changes introduced in this new law can be challenging to navigate. Some of the new rules are just so complicated that tax experts might have trouble processing them. So it’s a good idea for small businesses to invest in reliable tax advisers this year.  

    [Featured image via YouTube]

  • Google Tests ‘Smart Reply,’ Sends Contextual Replies to All Your Favorite Chat Apps

    Google Tests ‘Smart Reply,’ Sends Contextual Replies to All Your Favorite Chat Apps

    Replying to common messages received via your Android device will soon be a lot easier. Google is developing an app that will give you a selection of preformatted responses allowing you to reply with just one click of a button.

    The new project is aptly named “Reply,” which can be viewed as the mobile version of Google’s Smart Reply feature that is available in Gmail and Allo. The upcoming app, which will be initially available to Android users, will use artificial intelligence to automatically create response suggestions to inbound messages.

    The “Reply” app aims to enable users to make faster responses to simple questions instead of typing out the entirety of their replies. For instance, users will be given the reply options “Yes,” “No,” or “I am here” when they receive questions such as “Are you at the restaurant?” or “When can you be home?” The AI-powered app will also take into account your current location when crafting an appropriate response.

    [Image via Android Police]

    The app is currently in development by Google’s Area 120 team. However, the company does not plan on limiting the useful feature only to its messaging apps. The team announced that the plan is for the upcoming app to work with other mainstream messaging apps.

    In fact, it’s not necessary to change apps to enjoy the convenience of the upcoming “Reply” app at all. The Area 120 team is aiming for the app to have support among major messaging apps such as Hangouts, Allo, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Android Messages, Skype, Twitter DMs, and Slack.

    Aside from offering reply suggestions, the “Reply” app will also introduce other smart features. It comes with a Do Not Disturb mode which can be particularly useful when you are driving as it will silence your smartphone and automatically send a responses message saying that you can’t chat at the moment. 

    At the moment, Team 120 is not disclosing any launch date estimate.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Facebook Tightens the Noose on Local Marketers and this is a HUGE Mistake

    Facebook Tightens the Noose on Local Marketers and this is a HUGE Mistake

    As of this writing Facebook’s stock price is down nearly 4 percent today after its co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook is going to deemphasize news and marketing posts in order to make the social platform more social. This is taking Facebook back to its roots of friends connecting with each other and not so much as a place where news is shared and local businesses promote themselves to whoever followed them.

    Local Businesses Made Facebook $$$

    Unfortunately, it’s local businesses that have made Facebook financially successful beyond even Zuck’s wildest dreams, not individual users. Once Facebook became the platform for communities to communicate Facebook started making money and the platform exploded with new users around the world. If Zuckerberg thinks that Facebook is primarily a place to share baby videos and to view Aunt Jane’s cruise ship photos he’s sadly mistaken. Facebook is much more than that! It is the primary platform in free countries worldwide for community sharing.

    Facebook is the Platform for Community Sharing

    Where and when is the local Farmers Market? I follow them because I want to stay in the loop and I’ll read the comments like an FAQ to get further details and I may even ask a question myself and it will be answered by someone who is in the know. Where else can this happen if not Facebook?

    The local television station just posted a video about a car that crashed into a restaurant that I go to. I’m interested in that and want details. I not only watch the video and follow the link to a related article but I read the comments on Facebook from people who saw the accident. Where else but Facebook?

    A bar regularly posts about their happy hour and next music act. I follow the bar to see these posts because I am interested and want their posts to appear in my newsfeed where I will see them, not buried 10 pages deep. The bar owner knows that his bars followers want this information. Because of how effective Facebook is for helping him reach his customers the bar owner pays Facebook to reach other non-followers with posts.

    Additionally, the bar owner back in the day spent a lot of money on Facebook to help attract followers in the first place. It’s clearly not fair to the bar owner for Facebook to have taken his money to promote his bars followers to now make the bars posts invisible to most of them. Also, the bars followers want to see the bars posts and if they don’t they will unfollow.

    Facebook Friends are NOT More Important than Community Connections

    Yes, Facebook will live and die on use by individuals but individuals want to see posts that are relevant from their community, not just their Facebook friends and long lost relatives. Facebook and Zuckerberg must realize that almost everybody has what are commonly known as Facebook Friends, which are people that the person never communicates with in person but they silently like posts and notice updates from on the Facebook platform. There is nothing wrong with a Facebook Friend but those friends who may account for 80% of a persons friends on the platform are not what the platform is truly about.

    Facebook is about community connections which may be from your close friends and relatives, your local church group, your local business, your local charity and your local news organizations.

    It’s a HUGE Mistake for Facebook to Disconnect it’s Users From Their Communities

    I think it is a huge mistake for Facebook to disconnect us from our communities even if their goal is a noble one, connecting us with our friends. Our friends live with us in a community of geography and interests and we all go to the same yoga classes, gyms, bars, restaurants and stores. We help plant trees for charities and provide spare jackets to the homeless.

    We connect as a community with Facebook and that makes Facebook important and that’s why businesses invest their marketing dollars on the platform… and that is good.

  • 5 Brands That Used Influencer Marketing to Raise Their Profile

    5 Brands That Used Influencer Marketing to Raise Their Profile

    Influencer marketing is more than just a marketing buzzword these days. More companies are utilizing this marketing method to boost sales and grow their brands.

    For those still confused about what influencer marketing is, it’s simply the act of promoting or selling products or services via influencers, or people who have the ability to affect a brand. Where the main influencers before were celebrities and industry leaders, today’s influencers are more varied. Nowadays, top brands are seeking out bloggers, food critics, makeup mavens and celebrities who rose to fame on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

    Brands that Benefited from Influencer Marketing

    Influencer marketing provides a lot of benefits. Brands can reach the relevant demographic and enjoy high levels of engagement. It’s also affordable and can help retain a brand’s authenticity. Numerous companies have already successfully leveraged these people to give their brand a boost.

    Clinique for Men

    Clinique is renowned for its hypoallergenic skincare for women. When the iconic cosmetic company launched a men’s line, they raised product awareness by partnering with a disparate group of male influencers from various professions. These influencers consisted of filmmakers, outdoorsmen, stylists, and lifestyle bloggers, each representing a group of men who would be interested in using Clinique for Men. Every post used in the campaign was unique and defined the influencer. For instance, surfer Mikey de Temple posted a photo of himself wearing his surf gear, with his surfboard in the background, along with a Clinique product.

    Clinique’s campaign was golden for several reasons. One, the company’s choice of influencers were so diverse that it expanded the product’s reach. Also, the posts integrated the product smoothly into a setting that was so natural to the influencer. This helped create a more organic interest in Clinique’s men’s line.

    Fashion Nova

    One brand that has truly embraced influencer marketing is Fashion Nova. According to the company’s founder and CEO, Richard Saghian, Fashion Nova is a viral store that works with 3,000 to 5,000 influencers. Its aggressive marketing efforts rely on lots of model and celebrity influencers, like Kylie Jenner and beauty vlogger Blissful Brii. The former has 93.8 million followers on Instagram while the latter has 93 thousand subscribers on YouTube. These two influencers alone have garnered millions of engagements, likes, and comments for the company.

    While other brands go for low-key but very relatable influencers, Fashion Nova went for the celebrities. While this will obviously net a company high-levels of engagement, it can also be costly. But as Fashion Nova has proven, it’s a worthwhile investment.

    Lagavulin’s Whiskey Yule Log

    This is a magnificent example of how an influencer marketing campaign made a product culturally relevant to a generation. Young people might not have a taste for single malt whiskey, but Lagavulin’s 2016 campaign featuring Nick Offerman changed that. Offerman’s iconic Parks and Rec character, Ron Swanson, is known for his love of whisky. Lagavulin’s 45-minute video took inspiration from YouTube’s yule log videos and simply showed Offerman quietly sipping and enjoying his whiskey next to a fireplace.

    The campaign was a success because Lagavulin found the perfect influencer for its brand. Offerman’s character proved to be a critical match for the target audience. As a matter of fact, the campaign was so good that it won an award for Best Influencer & Celebrity Campaign.

    Zafferano

    Zafferano does not have the same name recall as Nobu or other famous restaurants. But this Singapore-based establishment is a prime example of how social media can be used to boost audience engagement. The company tapped 11 Instagram influencers who are popular in the lifestyle and food category. They invited them to the restaurant for a special meal and in turn, they shared photos of the dishes on Instagram. The influencers also described the dishes and their dining experience. Details like price and availability were also included.

    Zafferano’s campaign is notable because of the experience it created for the influencers. This, in turn, helped them come up with authentic and sincere reviews. Since the campaign had such a genuine feel, it encouraged followers to interact and engage with the posts.

    Zara

    Clothing powerhouse Zara was one of the most profitable companies in 2015, and that’s partly because of its successful influencer marketing campaign. The company’s social media marketing campaign got some help from several top fashion-forward Instagrammers. The Instagram posts shared by these popular influencers showcased Zara’s clothing lines and their followers used these photos to get ideas on what’s currently trending as well as tips on how to work a particular style.

    Related image

    Zara’s campaign was a success because the company handed the control over to the fashion influencers, the people that customers looked to for fashion advice. The content that was used in the campaign was subtle and useful, which made it even more valuable to the influencers’ thousands of followers.

    [Featured image via YouTube]

  • How to Get Shoppers to Download and Use Your Retail App

    How to Get Shoppers to Download and Use Your Retail App

    Now that the holiday season is fast approaching, retailers are doing everything they can to attract consumers. But what they’re not doing is getting consumers to shop using their retail apps.

    According to the latest Pulse of the Online Shopper report from UPS, four out of every five shoppers around the world have used a retailer’s app. The numbers are not so surprising as the rise of millennial shoppers mean that more purchases will be done on a mobile device.Image result for time spent on app by us consumer 2017

    It’s a fact that people are on their mobile devices longer now and a huge chunk of that time is dedicated to shopping-related tasks. For instance, 72% of the time is used to track an order delivery while 69% is used to compare prices among various retailers. But despite these impressive numbers, a small segment of consumers are actually using a retailer’s mobile app, much to the consternation of these companies.

    Reasons Why Shoppers are Not Using Retail Apps

    The sad truth is that while many shoppers are willing to download retailer mobile apps, they are quickly abandoned or forgotten. Here are the reasons why:

    Shoppers Don’t Know Their Favorite Retailer Has a Mobile AppRetail Mobile Apps

    It would appear that one major reason why shoppers are not using retail apps is that they’re not aware their favorite shop has one. Business Insider mentioned that 64% of American consumers are in the dark about this issue. This is a big blow for retailers who have focused time and money on mobile apps because they give higher conversion rates than mobile browsers.

    It’s imperative for retailers to find a way to get around this visibility issue. Failure to do so will lead to the industry’s stagnation and can cause companies to miss out on the $285 million that consumers are expected to spend on mobile purchases by 2020.

    Consumers Prefer Using Retailer’s Website

    The UPS report also revealed that 53% of shoppers around the world prefer using a brand’s mobile website rather than the mobile retailer app. As a matter of fact, only 8% of shoppers actually use a retailer’s app in-store. The main reason for this is that these apps do not offer anything different from the brand’s mobile site. Shoppers want retailer apps that will give them a better shopping experience but they usually just receive the same incentives or discounts that they would get from the mobile site.

    Shoppers are Worried About Online Security

    It’s not surprising that a lot of people (31% according to the UPS report) are wary of using retailer mobile apps because of security concerns. Shoppers are worried because they don’t know how the stored information retailers will receive will be used.

    Retails Apps are Difficult to Use or not Working

    An app that’s not user-friendly or doesn’t work will definitely cause users to lose interest. This particularly holds trueLeading Reasons that US iPhone Owners Delete Retailers' Mobile Apps, May 2016 (% of respondents) for retailer apps. The problem is compounded by retail brands not investing enough in these apps, with multiple companies outright dropping their retail apps from the App Store or from Google Play. Meanwhile, other retailer apps have not even been updated since 2016.

    There are also complaints about how retail apps are not optimized for mobile devices or how shoppers can’t access these apps in-store because of connectivity issues. One survey showed that 92% iPhone users deleted retailer apps because the program was too slow or it crashed or froze.

    What Can Retailers do to Improve App Download and Use

    While it’s a sad fact that many companies have not been able to utilize retail apps to their full advantage, luxury brand Gucci have figured out how to make sales through their app.

    Gucci has invested heavily in its retailer app and has used it to successfully integrate customers’ online and offline shopping experiences. Just recently, the fashion giant unveiled a new feature called the “Cabinet of Curiosities.” App users would have to scan a mobile sticker in Gucci’s store window displays to activate digital artist Ignasi Monreal’s latest masterpiece. Once done, shoppers can check out the brand’s 2017 gifts selection. Gucci is also using fun elements like stickers, emojis, and VR videos to attract consumers and boost the odds of securing direct purchases.

    If retailers want to emulate Gucci’s success, there are certain steps they can take to optimize their retail apps:

    • Push for Wish Lists: Entice app users by offering deals that they can’t find on the mobile website or anywhere else online, like exclusive Wish Lists. Providing customized gift ideas, complete with price alerts and stock numbers could interest consumers into using the retail app.
    • Reward Loyal Customers: Make your hard-core customers feel even special by giving them special information or early access to seasonal deals. This will stoke their desire to keep using your app and continue their dedication to your brand.
    • Give Easy Access with Touch ID: Making it simpler and easier for customers to access their Wish Lists, Shopping Cart or Checkout will draw more in more users. Integrating a Touch ID feature will help with cart conversions.  

    Getting your customers to download your business app and make purchases is a challenge. However, identifying your app’s weaknesses and employing effective strategies to make it fun and useful to the customer could yield the boost in revenue your business needs this holiday season.

    [Featured image via Techno Softwares]

  • 5 Ways Retailers Can Beat Amazon This Holiday Season

    5 Ways Retailers Can Beat Amazon This Holiday Season

    There’s no denying that when it comes to holiday shopping, Amazon is the company to beat. The past few years saw the retail giant’s sales figures going up, especially during the holidays, as thousands of consumers opt to shop online because of convenience. As a matter of fact, the internet retailer accounted for 33.8% of online visits during the last two months of 2016.

    While retailers and small businesses can’t hope to match Amazon’s numbers this year, they can still do something to beat it at its own game. Here are ways that retailers can get a leg up on Amazon:

    Capture Consumers Attention During Vital Shopping Days

    Amazon will always be in the minds of countless shoppers during the holiday season, mainly because of convenience and fast delivery. So how can retailers compete with this? By finding a way to capture the consumer’s attention and imagination. One of the best ways to do this is to come up with a marketing campaign that highlights the company’s values in order to target loyal and high-converting clients.

    Image result for #optoutside

    Companies like REI did this by closing its doors on Thanksgiving and Black Friday and encouraging customers to spend the day outside instead with its #optoutside campaign. The movement inspired state parks to waive their entry fees and saw companies like Subaru and Outdoor Research teaming up REI to promote outdoor recreation. And even though REI closed its doors on Black Friday, the campaign generated a 26% boost in online traffic on that day.

    Treat Each Shopper as a Unique Individual

    One of Amazon’s weaknesses is its one-size-fits-all approach to its consumers. This means everyone gets the same deals and prices. But retailers can go in the opposite direction and show consumers that their unique and individual needs are taken seriously. They can come up with customized offers for different types of shoppers, like loyal consumers, senior shoppers or first-time buyers. Retailers can also ensure that the content and offers in their email ads are designed for each particular group of shoppers.

    Streamline Your Shopping Cart

    There’s no question that the ease that someone can order from Amazon is a contributing factor to its popularity. In order to compete in the same league as Amazon, retailers should take a critical look at their shopping cart and see what their customers’ experience. They should pay particular attention to details like the number of steps it takes to fill their cart, the number of decisions that the customer must make during the checkout stage (ex. gift wrapping, shipping) and whether every step is necessary. Retailers should consider whether some steps can be streamlined by combining decisions and actions. After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than spending more than 10 minutes just trying to pay for something you want.

    Offer Worry-Free Shipping and Returns

    Free shipping is now the norm.While this might be a huge obstacle for some companies, there’s no denying that it’s what customers are now expecting from online retailers. There’s no better way to drive your customers to Amazon than by having high shipping costs during the holiday season. But aside from implementing this strategy, retailers should also ensure that they push this message to their consumers, like through the company’s homepage, pop-ups and social media ads. Promoting free shipping to your website’s visitors will also give them an additional incentive to browse through and hopefully purchase something.

    Retailers should also take advantage of Amazon’s less than stellar reputation when it comes to returns. Designing a system where shipping and returns won’t become a thorn on the shopper’s mind will definitely give a retailer an edge over Amazon.

    Provide Special Touches

    Image result for gift wrapping

    Customers will definitely love the special touches that companies offer, particularly during the busy holiday season. A simple gift-wrapping service or a program for storing items purchased ahead of time and to be delivered close to the holidays will be appreciated. Knowing that the company has taken the time to make life easier during this busy season will be more than enough to keep them coming back.

    Amazon might be an eCommerce behemoth, but small retailers can still hold their own against it. Remember that the best way to compete with such a big company is to look at the details it neglects and to give customers a truly personalized experience.   

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • Microsoft Plans to Bring Cortana to Skype

    Microsoft Plans to Bring Cortana to Skype

    Prepare for your Skype experience to be a little more productive. Microsoft has started integrating its digital assistant Cortana into Skype.

    However, don’t be surprised if Cortana is not showing in any of your Skype sessions just yet. Apparently, Microsoft is rolling it out gradually which means that the digital assistant may not be available to all Skype users simultaneously, The Verge reported. However, integration will be made available for both iOS and Android devices in the coming weeks.

    So just how helpful will Cortana be once fully integrated into Skype? You can think of it as your invisible—but hopefully, not-too-intrusive— smart friend that supplies you with the information you need to keep the conversation going with your real friends. You know, things like movie times, restaurant hours, movie reviews and pretty much everything you can find out for yourself if you bother looking it up on the web, according to PC Mag. The integration of Cortana will allow users to perform a search engine query without stalling their conversation on Skype.

    “Looking for information often requires interrupting the conversation, even if briefly, and switching apps to find what we’re looking for and bring it back into the conversation,” explains Skype’s blog post. “But shouldn’t technology make our lives easier and truly bring the answers we need to our fingertips?”

    Cortana’s integration into Skype is not exactly news; Microsoft already revealed the plan more than a year ago. While Skype users will no doubt find the integration useful, it was not explained why it took so long to implement the plan after it was announced.

    Meanwhile, there are reports saying that Microsoft may soon be challenging Amazon’s highly successful Echo, an established product in the smart speaker niche. Unveiled earlier this year, Microsoft’s Cortana-enabled smart speaker may hit the markets soon, according to a Business Insider report.

    The latest hint comes from an early Microsoft store listing which shows the smart speaker priced at $199. The speaker is developed in a partnership with Harman Kardon, an audio equipment manufacturer which Samsung acquired earlier this year.

    [Featured Image via YouTube]

  • How Retail Must Adapt to Compete with eCommerce

    How Retail Must Adapt to Compete with eCommerce

    The number of eCommerce businesses has doubled in the past five years. The rise of the industry has admittedly caused less foot traffic and some brick and mortar businesses to suffer closure. But contrary to popular belief, retailers are not going out easily. Studies have shown that the majority of shoppers still prefer to go to physical establishments.

    To ensure that they do remain relevant, retail has to adapt in order to compete with eCommerce. This means targeting the right demographic and merging what consumers want based on their shopping preferences and experience, both online and offline. This fusion has already started to manifest in the services offered by some companies.

    Shoppers Still Want to Get Physical

    One advantage that stores have is the tactile experience they provide. Even though eCommerce stores can boast of features like high-resolution images or 360-degree visualizations, people still prefer to touch, smell, and feel products when they go shopping. As a matter of fact, about 78% of shoppers prefer a physical engagement with a product over a virtual experience. Being able to physically touch a product can affect a person’s purchasing decision.

    Image result for 78% percentage of shoppers prefer physical store

    In a study that had participants think abstractly and concretely about buying a coffee cup, those that were able to touch the cup were found to be more willing to make a purchase as opposed to those who just looked at the product. Retailers can take advantage of that by utilizing consumer research data obtained from online retailers to recognize customers who value a more tactile approach to shopping and focus their marketing strategies on them.

    Highlight Instant Gratification

    Another feature that physical stores can continue to play up to their advantage is the instant gratification they can give their customers. People shopping at department stores can immediately buy and take home whatever it is that catches their eyes, something that online sites are still working to provide.

    Retailers are also starting to integrate artificial intelligence to allow them to better compete with their virtual counterparts. AI can be used to help customers identify products they need to purchase without having to spend hours browsing online. For instance, a user can post a picture of an item they’re looking for and brands with AI technology can display similar products that they have in their inventory.

    AI technology can also help combine the efficiency often associated with online browsing with the immediate access physical stores provide. For example, groceries can utilize mobile apps that would allow clients to check what they need online, scan a barcode, order the products and check them out without having to go through the checkout line. This type of efficiency allows busy shoppers to finish their task with no interruptions and will undoubtedly keep them going back to that store.

    Shopping Becomes Personal Again

    Businesses like Amazon might appear to be the future of shopping, what with the store’s vast product offerings, availability, speedy delivery and even the proposed usage of drones. However, that doesn’t mean it’s what all shoppers want. As a matter of fact, a majority of shoppers still prefer to have in-store experiences. Millennials, in particular, are looking for unique shopping encounters.

    Some traditional fashion and beauty companies are now providing their customers with personalized shopping experiences inspired by online retailers. Beauty giant Sephora is one such store. The cosmetics company tracks their customer’s purchase preferences using their Beauty Insider card. Once a customer goes to a Sephora store, the Visual Artist, an augmented reality 3D facial recognition program, uses the customer’s buying history to give suggestions on beauty products they might be interested in. Meanwhile, fashion stalwart Ralph Lauren is experimenting with smart mirrors that can adjust the lighting in fitting rooms, recommend pieces that complement the customer or suggest an alternative color or size.

    Though eCommerce might tempt shoppers with convenience, drone deliveries or robot customer service officers, people will keep going back to brick-and-mortar stores. However, retailers should continue to find ways to adapt and give their customers a memorable shopping experience if they want them to keep returning.

    [image via Pixabay]

  • AI Learns to Write Convincing Fake Reviews on Yelp

    Savvy netizens have learned to be a bit distrustful of online reviews. For one thing, fake reviews glowingly recommending a service or a product can be easily bought. On the other hand, there are those reviews that seem genuine enough but ultimately reflect the particular biases of the reviewer.

    However, there is another type of review that modern consumers need to be wary of. Besides biased and sometimes untruthful people, technology has now spawned AI bots that churn out reviews like it was nothing. And the worst part is, according to researchers, you can’t tell the difference between fake reviews done by a robot against one written by a human.

    Researchers from the University of Chicago have just trained an AI system to write convincing fake Yelp reviews, Engadget reported. The team harnessed a deep learning program called recurrent neural network (RNN), teaching bots to craft quality short written prose. While the team admits that the AI may mess up when writing longer articles, the usually short reviews on Yelp prove to be no challenge. In fact, the fake reviews churned out by the AI bot proved to be so convincing that they fooled the human test subjects who rated them.

    For instance, the AI wrote the following fake review about a New York restaurant, which could easily pass for the real thing:

    “My family and I are huge fans of this place. The staff is super nice and the food is great. The chicken is very good and the garlic sauce is perfect. Ice cream topped with fruit is delicious too. Highly recommended!”

    And here is another AI manufactured review as reported in the NY Post:

    “I love this place. I have been going here for years and it is a great place to hang out with friends and family. I love the food and service. I have never had a bad experience when I am there.”

    Of course, Yelp assured The Verge that AI generated fake reviews will not become a problem for the rating site. While the bots did manage to create seemingly authentic reviews, Yelp’s own recommendation software claims to use signals other than mere textual content to recommend a particular review.

    [Featured Image via Yelp]

  • Microsoft’s New Outlook Sports Smarter Features and Customization Options

    Microsoft’s New Outlook Sports Smarter Features and Customization Options

    On Tuesday, Microsoft launched its new Outlook.com beta, which sports a new design and comes packed with new features users might find useful. For instance, the search interface has been relocated, email attachments can be previewed and the new inbox comes with a ton of smart features designed to give users an easier way to tag useful information with their emails.

    The redesigned Outlook.com may be activated by clicking on the “try the beta” toggle. Since the new features of the beta—which are still being tested and may be improved on—might take some getting used to, Outlook users can simply revert back to the old format by clicking on the toggle again.

    One of the more noticeable changes brought by the beta is the placement of the search interface, which is now located at the top portion of the inbox rather than the side. But the search interface’s change is more than mere aesthetics as email and people are now included in its search results.

    Another interesting change in the Outlook beta is the conversations view. Files and photos in the conversations may now be previewed which makes it easier to take a quick peek into email contents while browsing through ones’ emails.

    In addition, the new Outlook beta allows for a greater degree of personalization with the new options found in the conversations view, according to Tech Crunch. For instance, users can pin at the sidebar shortcuts to important emails. In addition, the inclusion of emojis and GIFs inside the new Outlook beta makes it easier to add some personal touch to one’s emails to close friends.

    The new beta version also introduced a smart new feature called Quick Suggestion. Placing tags on emails regarding restaurant location, flight details, and even sports teams’ schedules is now a breeze with the new feature in place.

    Of course, the purpose of the Outlook.com beta is to gauge customer reception and gain important feedback on the new changes. Things could still change for the better as the Outlook team announced that “based on your feedback we’ll iterate, improve, refine, or discard them.”

    Want to try the beta version of Outlook right now? Follow the link below:

    https://outlook.live.com/mail/#/inbox

    [Featured Image by Outlook]

  • Latest Chart Shows How Quickly Amazon is “Eating the Retail World”

    Latest Chart Shows How Quickly Amazon is “Eating the Retail World”

    CNBC is reporting that MKM Partners analyst Rob Sanderson’s latest chart shows a striking gap that has widened between Amazon and store-based retailers (Wal-Mart, Taraget, Costco, Home Depot, etc.) over the past year. While Amazon still only boasts a 5 percent share of total retail sales, excluding food, across the country, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Sanderson’s chart shows Amazon, in the categories that the company serves, growing its market share, as brick-and-mortar retail sales are on the decline.

    The median growth for what MKM Partners calls the top-20 U.S. retailers was 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016, 0.8 percent during the first quarter of 2017, and is forecast to decline by 0.2 percent in the second quarter this year, the firm said.

    Notice how the gap completely shifted starting from 2013.

    The latest hike in Amazon’s share price is “becoming large enough to make an impact,” Sanderson wrote. “This [trend] does not end well for traditional retailers and many will go the way of Borders and Circuit City, leaders in the first two large categories disrupted by Amazon.com.”

    Sanderson states simply that Amazon is the “best long-term growth story available to investors today”

    With an Amazon-Whole Foods deal in the making, pressure is about to hit traditional grocers head-on, as an internet giant takes on the “high-frequency” fresh foods market, MKM Partners added. “[P]ressures on traditional retailers will only get worse.”

  • Don’t Overlook Voice Search in Your Online Marketing Campaign

    Don’t Overlook Voice Search in Your Online Marketing Campaign

    The popularity of voice-activated smart assistants is gaining traction, especially with Apple hopping on the bandwagon with its Siri speaker due to be released soon. This is why businesses should include voice search in their online marketing campaign, rather than focus solely on text-based searches.

    In fact, voice search marketing is described as the new norm, which would have been unheard of just five years ago. One major factor is the increasing efficiency of machine-learning technology in finding user patterns to anticipate their needs.

    For instance, Amazon’s Alexa is billed to be capable of performing over 12,000 tasks, which is why it’s still the undisputed king in this increasingly competitive industry.

    A Different Beast

    In the past six months, 40% of mobile users have tried voice commands in asking questions or searching for products and services. Analysts believe this number will only continue to rise until such time when people won’t even be able to imagine how they survived without voice-activated apps in the first place, similar to how they feel about mobile phones today.

    When it reaches this critical mass, Google will surely introduce an update to its algorithm that will take into account voice search in order to rank your page.

    Voice search use among smartphone users in the U.S., as of October 2015*

    For marketers, this would be an entirely different beast altogether. Whereas text-related keyword searches are much easier to document, recording how many people are looking for “best pulled pork sandwiches, Lexington, KY” using voice search will be a tall feat.

    This will really turn the search engine optimization dynamic—which is the direct result of years of honing and polishing—up on its head.

    Better Results

    Unlike text queries, voice search will yield more accurate results. It basically pulls down the curtains, allowing internet users to skip one step. Instead of searching for “pulled pork sandwiches,” they can just go ahead and order the food from the best restaurant based on customer and critic reviews.

    Instead of searching for a particular song you can’t get out of your head, it may be possible in the future to hum the lyrics and the smart speaker will play the whole song for you. This brings convenience to a whole new level, unlike in text searches where you have to choose and phrase your words in a specific manner to get the most relevant results—and still having to go to that particular website to order food.

    Here are some quick tips to cope with the changes from text to voice search marketing:

    Mobile Optimization –  As voice search apps are gradually perfected, mobile optimization will become even more crucial. Website built with Flash will need to be redesigned and all websites will need to be responsive. Marketers will need to advise their clients of this major shift from traditional search to voice search. Another way to optimize the mobile experience is to make sure that their sites load fast. There’s no faster way to lose customers than a website that takes forever to display.

    Snippets – In voice searches, snippets are short descriptions about the company or the brand. This gives the users a little bit of information before they move along or move forward. Using traditional SEO techniques, you will need to optimize so you end up high on the search engine results page for snippets.

    Long-Tail Keywords – Voice search is different from text search in the sense that internet users will often talk normally as they would in a conversation, as opposed to using key phrases or keywords when they type on Google. This is where long-tail keywords are crucial because you can still reach your target market even with this major shift in the way people do their search.