Tablets: the perfect shopping device
Modern tablets have only been on the market for less than two years, but they have quickly become potent shopping tools that generate an outsized effect on online commerce. Last year was the year that the tablet became an online retailer’s best friend as it emerged as the preferred device for many shoppers to make their purchases.
The latest data came earlier this week from Adobe Digital Marketing Insights (pdf), which found that tablet users spend over 50 percent more for each transaction at an online retailer compared to smartphone users and 20 percent more than traditional computer users. Adobe found that the average order value for tablet users was $123 on average per purchase, 54 percent more than smartphone users ($80) and 21 percent more than computer users ($102).
Adobe also found that tablet users were three times more likely to buy something than smartphone users and nearly as likely to convert to a purchase as traditional computer users. Tablet users now make up 4 percent of all total web visits to retailers, up from 1 percent a year ago. Adobe gathered the data from 16.2 billion visits to the websites of more than 150 retailers in 2011.
The data is consistent with other findings in the previous months that indicate just how tablets are able to create a bigger commerce effect despite its smaller reach. Last year Forrester reported that tablets accounted for 20 percent of e-commerce sales, even though only 9 percent of shoppers own tablets.
Source: GiGAOM
A Tweeting Cabbie’s Growing Business
| special to arstechnica
“Can you pick me up at my place in 15 minutes? Text me when you get here.” No, this isn’t a text message to a friend or a call to a car service—it’s a direct message sent through Twitter to a driver of a Chicago cab. Rashid Temuri, who goes by “Chicago Cabbie” online (@ChicagoCabbie on Twitter) has taken what would otherwise be considered a traditional taxi business and integrated it with social media in a way that is still exceedingly rare in the service industry. How much better can it be interacting your clients through Twitter, FourSquare, Facebook, or Google Latitude? Apparently a lot—Temuri is not only seeing success from his social media strategy, he’s building a loyal repeat customer base because of it.
Here’s how Temuri works: he, like most other licensed cabs in the US, works through a dispatching company (in this case, Flash Cabs). Normally he would put himself “on call” when he’s on duty, meaning the company can send him to pick someone up when the client calls in. But instead of doing that, he has been posting when he’s available on Twitter—for example, here’s one of his recent tweets:
“Good morning #Chicago!! It’s a wet wet day here. 41°. Take $5 OFF the meter from now till 2PM to any airport from anywhere. :-) #ORD #MDW”
In addition to tweeting, he also allows clients (or potential clients, as the case may be) to follow him on Google Latitude or Find My Friends so that people know wherever he is at any given time and can contact him when they need a ride. He offers free WiFi within his cab for iPhone and iPad users (“Don’t use your limited data!” he says), and plans to soon offer free WiFi for regular laptop users. Sometimes, as seen in the tweet above, Temuri gives discounts for his social media followers, and he always remembers who everyone is.
Students’ Lives are Mobile and Social
Click to enlarge the infographic
Surveys show students want learning and schools to follow suit.
The challenge:
How can schools harness this social force for learning while attending to some persistent concerns?
12 predictions for Africa Tech Scene in 2012
It has been a banner year for the Africa technology scene as the world begins to turn to the continent – The Economist Africa rising cover story article was for many, a big validation in the future opportunities as well as challenges for Africa.
Here is a list of 12 predictions compiled by Mbwana Alliy for Afrinnovator
1) Feature phone to Smartphone + a touch of Tablet: Smartphone adoption will grow among Africa’s emerging middle class as entry prices for an unlocked phone continue to dip below $100. Nokia/Microsoft Symbian/Windows Phone and Google/Samsung Android will battle for smartphone dominance- Nokia’s strong brand and feature phone momentum will prove to be an advantage. But affordable Chinese smartphones led by Huawei’s Ideos will continue to tempt Africans to upgrade. Tablet usage will begin growing as prices drop below $200 starting within education sector. Check out the Nigerian tablet from Encipher based on Android, locally designed hardware customized to a big local market like Nigeria is a smart strategy if prices are kept in check. RIM’s Blackberry will continue to be adopted by the elite and corporate circles- one of the last bright spots for RIM’s declining dominance who initially popularized the smartphone category.
2) Evolution & Maturity of Mobile Money: Mobile money will begin to grow with other mobile operators in other countries (emulating Safaricom’s M-PESA success in Kenya) after operators refine and adapt their marketing and customer education programs
Travel Marketing Pros Plan to Increase Mobile Spending in 2012
According to an annual survey, travel marketing pros plan to increase their mobile efforts in 2012. This study included airlines, agents, tour operators, hotels, tourist boards, car rental, rail, travel insurance, publishing and cruise companies. It found that, while 20% of travel companies will keep mobile spending the same, 54% will be raising the bar. Here are some additional quick stats from the research:
Upcoming Priorities:
- 83% of travel marketing professionals report they are increasing overall digital marketing spend
- The biggest priority in content development for nearly a third of them is driving conversions (32%) and attracting search traffic (27%)
- Building brand is a top priority for their content by 16% in 2012
Mobile Apps:
- 79% of travel marketing professionals plan to develop iPhone apps in 2012
- Nearly half of the travel marketing companies already have an iPhone app
- Another 30% of companies will support the platform
- 39% already have an iPad app; 36% will support one in 2012
- Only 35% of travel marketers currently support Android smartphones; 33% plan to
Although mobile spending is projected to grow in 2012, it is still only the third most popular are for growth plans for travel marketing investments. Even more likely to see greater investment dollars include social media marketing (65%) and brand content (55%).
Mobile Technology Leads to Better Customer Experience
Motorola Solutions Survey shows 67% of shoppers agree emerging in-store technologies heighten overall satisfaction.
The rising availability of shopping-assisted options across all shopping channels has raised customer service expectations for shoppers and retail associates. According to the survey, more than eight in 10 (83.3%) surveyed retail associates and managers believe that shoppers can easily find a better deal so customer service is more important than ever. From a shopper perspective, 33% of shopping trips ended with shoppers leaving before satisfying their intent to purchase, costing an average of $125 per trip. Of those lost opportunities, more than 73% did not complete their purchases with the original retailer.
While shopper activity and spend remains higher in-store than online, retailers need to continue to address the needs of the omni-channel shopper. Online purchases swelled by more than 18% compared to 2010 and 63% of surveyed shoppers with smartphones downloaded some type of shopping application.
Increasing online spend has created variances in satisfaction between offline and online experiences – almost 41% of shoppers were not satisfied with the ability to receive in-stock status in-store compared to 20% online. Approximately 27% of shoppers were not satisfied with the ease of finding correct prices in-store versus approximately 14% online; and 42% of shoppers were not satisfied with the check-out process in-store compared to 15% online. Online shoppers cited a much higher dissatisfaction rate (41% compared to 25%) for the return/exchange process, providing a significant advantage for in-store retailers…Continue reading at CSD
Technology 2012: Four tech trends to watch
By Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, Special to the Christian Science Monitor
Technological innovations lay at the heart of many of last year’s biggest stories — from citizen-recorded videos that fanned the flames of the Arab Spring to the social-media organized Occupy movement. So what new technologies – and unexpected uses of them – will change social habits and relationships this year? Here are four 2012 technology trends that are sure to play a role:
1. Mobile technologies in 2012 will free us – and save lives
2. Generation hashtag: Social technologies will continue to inform and inspire
3. Video technology: Beware what you televise
4. Robot technology: The future walks among us
Continue reading the entire story at the Christian Science Monitor
mHealth: Closing the Gap Between Promise and Adoption
Stakeholders at last week’s third annual mHealth Summit in the Washington, D.C., area touted the potential of mobile health technology to improve health care quality, increase patient centeredness and reduce costs. However, they also acknowledged that while mobile tools have helped revolutionize nearly every other industry in the U.S., the health care field has lagged behind.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius — one of the summit’s keynote speakers — said, “Virtually every American today has a cellphone. … And every year, our phones have more features and computing power.” She added, “As our phones get more powerful, they are becoming our primary tools for doing everything from getting directions to deciding where to eat. And, increasingly, that includes using our phones to track, manage and improve our health.”
The promise of mobile health is not new. Health care leaders for several years have advocated for increasing use of mobile tools to help improve preventive health care, reduce unnecessary physician visits, curb rising health care costs and empower patients. Yet, widespread mobile health adoption has remained elusive.
Sebelius said, “Over the last few decades, we’ve seen information technology improve the consumer experience in almost every area of our lives. We’ve gone from waiting until a bank opened to make a deposit to 24-hour ATMs and paying bills online,” adding, “But health care has stubbornly held onto its cabinets and hanging files.”…Continue reading
Mobile Passes Print in Time-Spent Among US Adults
NEW YORK (December 12, 2011)—US adults now spend more time on mobile devices each day than they do with print media, according to a new forecast by eMarketer. Meanwhile, time spent watching traditional TV—whether live or recorded on a DVR or DVD—is also increasing, despite industry fears of online encroachment and consumer “cord-cutting.”
The average adult consumer has spent 4 hours and 34 minutes each day watching TV and video on a traditional television set this year, up 10 minutes from last year, eMarketer estimates.
Time spent with the internet and mobile phones was also up—by 7.7% and 30%, respectively—and while adults are spending less time than last year with radio and print publications, the increases to TV and digital also mean an increase in total time spent with media, to 11 hours and 33 minutes.
Mobile’s 30% jump from 2010 helped propel it past the 1-hour-per-day mark, compared to just 44 minutes with print magazines and newspapers combined…Continue
Americans and Mobile Computing: Key Trends in Consumer Research
