Blog
News, insight and tips from the social web.
The Hoop blog covers the evolving digital landscape, social media, mobile communications, content marketing and also includes 5 top finds and Fish on Friday. Feel free to make comments.
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Responsive web design: another fad in design and development? »
There are high hopes that responsive web design will lead to great online experiences. We take a look at the method of the moment.
Think about the devices you use to access the web. Chances are you use a desktop or laptop computer. But you might also access it through a smartphone, tablet PC, games console or TV. Do each of these devices give you the same useful experience visiting your favourite websites? If not, why not?
The web, up until now, has been designed from a uniform perspective. Taking its lead from print design, web design has strived to reproduce templates across all of the devices that you might use. This was good for a time. But this "must look the same" approach missed the true potential of the medium.
Unlocking the potential of the web
Responsive Web Design is causing great excitement in the industry as it promises to unlock new digital ideas and experiences. RWD is the method of the moment, but before it came Graceful Degradation, Progressive Enhancement and many other design methods aimed at pushing the medium forward. The difference this time is that, where previous approaches chipped away at the surface of pixel perfection, RWD demands a completely new understanding of how a web page works.
RWD increases the value of web content, no matter what device you use to look at it. Value to the visitor is determined by the content, interaction or tasks they can complete. Think of your favourite social network. A responsive version of it would adapt to your device, making it easy and intuitive to catch up on news, find new friends or contacts and update your profile. If the website was not responsive you would need to zoom into the page on a mobile device and struggle with buttons designed for desktop interaction – giving you a poor experience and bad impression of the brand.
The potential for RWD goes beyond mobile. However, the rapid increase in the use of mobile devices, with different resolutions and features like touch screens, has been a key driving force in the return to some of the founding principles of the web. Content is king and, combined with well structured code, you can use it to make your website support your brand values. As many businesses and organisations have found in the digital age; brand value is not about appearance, it is about user experience.
So where do we go from here?
The latest responsive site we launched has seen a surge in traffic from mobile devices. iPhone increased by 275%, Android by 484% and an astonishing 1040% on iPad. There was a clear business case for creating a responsive website in this case. Perhaps there's one for yours?
We're convinced responsive website design delivers a better user and brand experience and we're currently working on new responsive websites for clients and ourselves. If you think your customers deserve a great online experience get in touch.
Categories: Insight
Tags: Business strategy, Content strategy, Digital strategy, HTML5, Mobile, Mobile First, Reputation, thisishoop, User centred thinking, User Experience
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It all adds up to mobile first »
Here's some big numbers: Google estimate that mobile advertisers spent $1bn this year, a figure set to significantly increase to $4.4bn by 2015.
Businesses that ignore the growth in the numbers of mobile using customers are in danger of being ignored.
If you've been following the Hoop blog over the past few months, you'll have seen how important we think mobile devices are. Smartphones and tablet devices are changing the way businesses market their content, advertise to consumers and are leading to a more user-centered approach to digital strategy. That is, one that recognises the change in human behaviour and doesn't fight against it.
But if you still need convincing that you should be thinking mobile first, we've compiled a selection of awesome infographics that might just bring you round. Simply click the links to view the full infographic.
The size of the mobile market should not be underestimated (via iStrategy)...
Mobile devices are changing the way we buy things (courtesy of Microsoft Tag)...
They're changing the way we interact with each other on social networks (thanks Flowtown)...
And (American) small businesses are relying on mobile devices and connectivity to survive (via Intuit for Mashable)...
The markets are increasingly embracing mobile technology. And if Econsultancy's recent Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing is anything to go by, businesses are starting to realise that if they don't start thinking mobile first they'll be left behind.
We recently applied this 'Mobile First' methodology to a new client website with a design that is responsive to the end-users' device. Feedback so far has been fantastic. If your business needs help developing a digital strategy that puts mobile first, why not get in touch?
Categories: Insight
Tags: Content strategy, Digital strategy, Mobile, Mobile First, User centred thinking
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Search goes social »
What is social search and why is it important?
Google doesn't like Facebook and the feeling's mutual. Both Silicon Valley heavyweights are competing for supremacy and, to start with, it looked like Facebook had won the first round. But we're not writing Google off just yet...
Facebook are without a doubt one of the biggest companies in the technology space. They've got the biggest social network in the world with 800m active users – and they predict they'll be the world's first 1bn-strong network by the end of 2011. Facebook were (and, to an extent, still are) pretty much unrivalled in the social space until Google launched their latest attempt at a social network in July.
Prior to launching their social network, Google rolled out the '+1' this April – which was seen by many as an attempt to compete with Facebook's 'Like' button (which, after being released in April 2010, is currently used on around 2bn posts a day).
Google described the '+1' as:
"...digital shorthand for "this is pretty cool." To recommend something, all you have to do is click +1 on a webpage or ad you find useful. These +1's will then start appearing in Google's search results."
Earlier this week, Google announced that their '+1' button is being "served 2bn times a day", which may not match Facebook's 'Like' button statistics (the 'Like' button is actually being used 2.3bn times a day) – but it's close. This isn't just Google encroaching on Facebook's social space; the '+1' button hints at something bigger.
Google+ has only been open to the public for just over a month, but it's already doubled its user base from 25m to 50m and is growing at 4% a day (with a predicted 2m new users signing up every day). Admittedly, Google+ is quite a way off Facebook's numbers, but Google might not be after Facebook's crown after all. When we first covered the social network on the Hoop blog we said:
"If Google can fit the rest of their portfolio (search, advertising, mobile, video, blogging to name but a few of their other services) into this social venture, they'll have something that none of the other networks have. A truly social all-web encompassing experience."
Google aren't pinning all of their hopes and dreams on Google+ (although it's fair to say it's important to them). The social network will do them well, but it won't ever become their primary source of income. Advertising is, and, for the foreseeable future, will continue to be.
It's the '+1' button that is going to make or break their attempt to become social. Google+ is just a novel way to encourage people to sign up for a Google profile – which then gives Google access to users' social data but more importantly the '+1' in search. A 'truly social' search experience.
Google thinks this is the future; personalised results to each and every search query – with results (paid and organic) ranked using recommendations from people in your social circles.
Because, after all, you're just asking Google a question. And they want to give you the right answer.
So is the +1 button the key to unlocking Google's future; or is social search a flash in the pan? Feel free to leave us a comment below or let us know in via email or Twitter.
Categories: Insight
Tags: Content management, Content strategy, Digital strategy, facebook, Google, Google+, SEO, Social search, User centred thinking
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What's next for Twitter? »
In the first post in a new series of blogposts (about the future of social media, its impact on business and the potential for innovation), we take a look at Twitter's revenue model.
In just a few short years, social media has changed the way we interact with each other – as consumers, as businesses and as individuals. But there's more to come. We've been covering areas of social interest for a while now here on the Hoop blog, but have yet to discuss where we think the potential for innovation lies.
So we've picked a few of the areas where we think there is room for further innovation...
Twitter needs to start generating (more) revenue
Twitter recently announced they had hit 100m users, who send roughly 5bn tweets every month. To date, the company is valued at $8.4bn after recently closing a funding round that generated $800m. Which is all good and well on the one hand, but not so great when you consider the company doesn't yet have a definitive strategy for monetisation.
Luckily, they have a few options. Twitter currently licenses the 'firehose' – which allow tweets to be searchable in real time – to search engines such as Microsoft's Bing. Twitter did have the sameagreement with Google but it recently fell through. But the firehose surely can't generate enough to cover Twitter's current valuation? So the company needs to also be looking at other revenue generating models.
Arguably the next biggest option would be the potential revenue generated from advertising, be that promoted tweets or trending topics etc. When the model was launched last year, many were happy – as long as the advertising was targeted. Which it was; initially promoted or paid-for tweets were only seen in Twitter search from accounts the user followed. Users seem to like promoted content; with a recent survey showing that around 20% of surveyed users have either used a discount from a promoted tweet or discovered a new brand from one.
Promoted content you didn't ask for
But, at the end of last month, Twitter announced it was rolling out promoted tweets from accounts users don't follow. We were a little uncertain at first – how would this work? How would it be targeted? But then Twitter released a bit more information. These promoted tweets would occur in a user's stream if they followed an account that was subject to these ads. Or, according to All Things D;
In discussions with ad buyers, Twitter is describing the concept, which will roll out to a small subset of users by the end of September, as "Promoted Tweets to users like your followers".
This is a process employed on Facebook when you 'like' a brand's page; you're then subject to advertising from brands that Facebook deems to be similar to the one you've just become a fan of.
So, to justify Twitter's currently large valuation (which will only increase), we reckon we'll be seeing a significant increase in advertising on the social network. Will users cope being subjected from adverts from brands they're not following? If users start leaving the network, what other options will Twitter have to generate revenue instead?
Are there other options?
We'd love to see the site say no to an ad-based model and do something a little different.
Why not use the 5bn tweets a month – a veritable treasure chest of content – as a research tool and turn Twitter into something like a crowdsourced information platform? Or aggregate users and the content they generate into interest groups and sell access to them to advertisers/brands?
Change is coming to the twittersphere, change that will mark a new chapter in the company's history. The outcome is far from certain.
Do you think Twitter will change for better or worse once they finish rolling out the promoted content? Have you got any suggestions or points we may have missed in our discussion about Twitter's future? Feel free to leave us a comment below, via email or of course on Twitter.
Categories: Insight
Tags: Business strategy, Google, Mobile, Social media, Twitter, User centred thinking
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Google+ or minus? »
Does Google's latest social venture follow their past (failed) endeavours or is it 'the new Facebook'?
There's one thing that Google has always struggled with. The company is primarily built around search, its complex algorithms and engineering (although their repertoire has grown significantly since their stint in a Silicon Valley garage) – so it's no surprise they've never really nailed social.
However, we think that's now changed. It's worth noting that not everyone shares this view – but we think Google have made a decent (if not awesome) attempt at producing their own social network. And as we've already mentioned, the numbers seem to be backing this up.
A month ago, on Tuesday 28th June, Google rolled out the first few invites to their new social network; the rumoured half a billion dollar Google+.
It's fair to say Google+ is the topic of many a conversation. The above video (courtesy of the talented people over at Epipheo) surfaced on the web at the end of last week and is one of the best introductions to the new Google+ product we've seen. Even Paypal's co-founding CEO and Facebook angel investor Peter Thiel has been writing about it.
So, first thoughts when using Google+.
Award-winning developer Andy Hertzfeld (of 1980s Apple Macintosh fame) was part of the UX team behind the product's development, so it's no surprise that using Google+ is a pleasant experience. Its killer feature is Circles – Hertzfeld's primary contribution. Facebook has become the go to social network, with 750 million active users, but anyone and everyone is on there. Yes, the functionality to group Facebook friends into select lists does exist, but like the FB privacy settings quagmire, the whole process is more pain that it's worth.
Google+ circumvents the lists issue by making it simple – a theme that runs throughout the product. When creating an account, you simply drag and drop contacts together into friendship Circles who you can then share content with. So instead of sharing content with every contact you have, as on Facebook, you simply choose which Circles you want to share with. You can also view each of your Circles' content via the Google+ Stream (a bit like the Facebook News Feed). There have already been a few arguments about privacy and content sharing (oh, and plagiarism) but, in our opinion, G+ trumps FB on this one.
There are other standout features from Google+ which promise to be extremely useful once the floodgates are opened to the masses (G+ is still on a closed field trial) – and all the bugs are ironed out.
Hangouts – video chat for up to ten people (which could be hugely useful for companies who can't afford expensive videoconferencing software), and Huddles – a group chat messaging service via the Google+ mobile app (currently Android and iOS) are just two of the impressive functions Google+ has.
Then there's Sparks – a way of filtering search content that is relevant to you. Sparks is one of the big clues of how Google could actually make Google+ work – and beat all the other social networks into second place.
So is Google+ a Facebook killer? No, in its current iteration it isn't, and the lack of open access is one of its biggest weaknesses. We've noticed a lot of the platform's current users are already complaining about a lack of other users – which may drive them away from the product before it's properly ready.
As Matthew Ingram on GigaOm points out, Google+ is more likely to damage Twitter than it is Facebook. Google+ is also currently hampered by a lack of integration into other social networks (although given the recent Facebook vs. Google spat that's unsurprising) – which will slow its uptake to the mainstream.
The incentive (or lack of) to entice users away from Facebook, Twitter and other social networks of note will make or break Google+.
So how does Google do that?
If Google can fit the rest of their portfolio (search, advertising, mobile, video, blogging to name but a few of their other services) into this social venture, they'll have something that none of the other networks have. A truly social all-web encompassing experience. The future of the internet or a step into the world of 1984?
If you have any thoughts on Google+, or anything else you've seen on the Hoop blog, let us know via email, Twitter or in the comments below.
Categories: Insight
Tags: Apple, Digital strategy, facebook, Google+, iPhone, Mobile, Social media, Social search, User centred thinking, User Experience, User Interface Design
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Why you need to be thinking about mobile. »
"The future of the web is digital... And the future of digital is mobile". So says the Business Development Manager for Mobile (EMEA) at Google – and we're inclined to agree with her.
It's hard to remember a time when it wasn't instantly possible to connect to the web (signal depending of course) straight out of you pocket. With the release of the original iPhone – arguably the first smartphone to be embraced by the general public – back in 2007, the number of mobile users has increased exponentially. The dramatic rise in smartphone owners has been accompanied by an even bigger increase in the consumption of mobile internet.
In 2009, roughly 8% of the internet's users were on a mobile device. Today, that number sits at around 23% – an increase of almost 300% in just two years. The jaw-dropping facts don't stop there; three weeks ago American cloud networking provider Meraki announced that in the 12 months between Q1-2 of 2010 and 2011, mobile device usage had jumped 26% to become the greatest consumer of wifi network data. Mobile devices currently account for over half (58%) of the devices accessing US wifi networks, with desktops lagging behind on a lowly 36%.
At the end of last year, market research firm IDC published findings showing that for the first time ever, the sales of mobile devices were projected to overtake and significantly exceed the sales of desktops (it's worth noting that, in 2010, the sales of smartphones increased by 87.2%, compared with 5.5% for PCs).
In another American study published this week, Pew Internet surveyed 2,277 American adults about smartphones. 35% of the adults surveyed owned a smartphone and of that 35%, 25% said they would rather access the web via their smartphone than their desktop. Yes, the study's sample size isn't huge so we can't draw too many certain conclusions, but that's a fairly good indication of where the market is heading.
According to Amanda Rosenberg, Google's Business Development Manager for Mobile, mobile device users aren't just surfing the web. They're shopping – a massive 28% of UK smartphone users have made a purchase on their device, gambling and going hyperlocal.
You can see Amanda's presentation on how Google are focusing on mobile here and here.
The evidence is pointing overwhelmingly at a move towards mobile over desktop when it comes to consumption of internet data. But as Ian Carrington, mobile advertising sales director at Google, recently wrote; "only 17% of UK businesses report having mobile optimised sites". There's a glaringly obvious lag between what internet users are doing and what businesses are doing to keep up.
You need to start thinking about mobile. Or you'll be left behind on dial up whilst your users speed off into the distance on fibre optic broadband.
If you have any thoughts on mobile, or anything else you've seen on the Hoop blog, let us know via email, Twitter or in the comments below.
Categories: Insight
Tags: Business strategy, Digital strategy, iPhone, Mobile, Twitter, User centred thinking
