by Paul Slack
iOS & Android on Windows Phones & Computers
Who woulda thunk it? Microsoft welcomes Apple? Well it’s true and includes Android as well – kind of.
Microsoft has announced that they will allow iOS and Android developers to place their apps right into the new Windows platform. This means that users of the Windows Phone will ultimately be able to run Android and iOS apps on both mobile devices and computers.
One of the biggest complaints about the Windows Phone has been the lack of app diversity. Developers haven’t wanted to put out the effort for just a few users when Android and iOS were already dominating the market.
First on board for the move to Windows is game-giant, King who has already brought Candy Crush Saga to the Windows Phone. New Windows Phones will have an Android subsystem so developers won’t have to double-up on programing like they have with iOS.
Windows app developers may be feeling a bit of a slap in the face as their efforts will now have to compete with the huge pile of “regular” apps.
This move is also part of the Windows 10 roll out – and these apps will integrate with desktop and laptop computers as well.
Basically, the invitation to non-Windows developers is giving the Windows Phone a chance in the mobile market. See the rest of the news at Mashable.
Point is: Mobile users who are die-hard Microsoft fans may be more interested in using mobile devices for more of their web viewing. This may bring in some more “established” (read older) users to the mobile market. Not that millennials will be left behind but the non-native tech crowd may find smart devices a bit easier to use.
https://mashable.com/2015/04/29/microsoft-android-ios-code-to-windows-10/
Facebook to Increase User Retention… As Much As Possible
Facebook just introduced the new “Instant Articles” feature which involves a partnership of certain media companies who now publish content directly to Facebook and not on their own sites.
Facebook only offers this feature on its iOS version but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it will soon move to Android. The social media site also is developing in-app search tools and ramping up their video features so that users aren’t directed to YouTube – or anywhere else.
Facebook claims that all of this is for a better user-experience, and it may be as it eliminates time-lag in switching between apps, but there is another motive – keeping you captive. They aren’t the only ones who want all of your attention either.
Remember the time when AOL keywords were everything. Since then, it has pretty much been all about Google but Facebook is moving on fast.
Google still wants a piece of you too. Once just a search engine – now with how-to instructions and info feeds at the top of searches and next…shopping. Google doesn’t want you on Facebook and Facebook doesn’t want you on Google but with 1.4 billion Facebook users, Facebook seems to have a better chance of becoming “the” Web. Check it out at Read Write.
Point is: The trend to keep visitors captive seems to be gaining traction. User retention might be a useful metric going forward for marketers and a consideration for differentiating demographics of users. The “web” maybe defined as the place a specific type of user goes to for info.
Right now, it looks like that will be Facebook, or Google – or both so right now, you have to pay attention to both.
https://readwrite.com/2015/05/13/walled-gardens-of-the-web
The New Google Buy Now Buttons. A Shopper’s Paradise. A Marketers Dream.
With the recent “Mobilegedon” update that ranks mobile-friendly sites higher on searches performed from mobile devices, Google continues on the mobile march.
Google is planning on adding a “buy” button to its mobile search ads. This would enable users to purchase advertised products without leaving Google and making shopping on Google more like shopping on Amazon.
This removes the requirement for users to relocate to a website in order to purchase a product and may make it easier for marketers to track ad effectiveness.
The ad product is reportedly “pending” and was apparently developed in response to ad agency requests but some big retailers might be slower to sign on. Analysts say that since Google will be collecting all the data, retailers might lose out on some information about their shoppers.
Large retailers like Walmart may also fear that Google will want too much information from them as they have been reluctant to give Google information like local store product availability with currently running ads.
Word is that Google may work around this but, for now, no one is really sure how this will work and true-to-nature Google is pretty much “mum” on the subject. Read more at Ad Age or even more at Internet Retailer.
Point is: This means a lot! One of the biggest challenges of Google advertising has been analyzing the click to sales ratio. This may help to eliminate complicated analytics. It may also give businesses with local products a “leg up” if big retailers don’t buy in to the “buy now” concept yet. Finally, it once again highlights the ever onward march toward mobile.
