From TV to Meerkat: Redefining Media

From Newsweek ending its print run in 2012, to the emergence of new digital media like Periscope and Meerkat this year, we are experiencing a drastic shift from well-curated and polished brand generated content to raw, often times unedited user generated content and the latter is gaining more and more momentum as well as criticism. 

Interestingly, brands take different - sometimes opposing - stances in allowing users to broadcast their events. Take MLB and NHL for example, just two weeks after MLB announced that "the MLB has no intention of limiting the fan’s ability to cover their sport", NHL Deputy Commissioner said "any streaming of footage (is) in violation of the NHL’s Broadcast Guidelines (including, for example, live-streaming inside the arena less than 30 minutes before the start of the game) and Media Access Policy is expressly prohibited". NHL has its own official account on Periscope and the above statement clearly shows that they do not want fans to stream hockey games on their own. Will sports fans think of MLB and NHL differently knowing their stance on level of content broadcasting governance? Are live stream video apps the new frenemy of TV, or a foe? 

There are also legal concerns. As HBO recently learned, the apps can pose a piracy threat. When dozens of viewers began live streaming the season premiere of Game of Thrones via Periscope–essentially allowing people who don't subscribe to the channel to watch for free–HBO sent Periscope take-down notices. HBO added that "We feel developers should have tools which proactively prevent mass copyright infringement from occurring on their apps and not be solely reliant upon notification." Does the concept of a sharing community not exist in media then? I think current regulations need some update to reflect the nature of growing user generated content and perhaps even draw new lines of copyright infringement, instead of blankly treating them as simple violations.

I have not had a TV set ever since I was in college and I get all the information I need from online sources, mostly in the form of text (articles, tweets, Reddit, etc) and sometimes in videos. For our generation that thrive on the Internet, live video platforms like Periscope and Meerkat speak a more natural language than CNN or NYTimes, and I believe as long as the piracy battle is settled, social media will really become the mainstream.

5 Ways for Effective B2B Marketing

This topic speaks truly to me: I have been working in sales & marketing operations in B2B companies for the past 4 years and I see B2B marketing failures and mistakes every day. In this post, I will dissect - based on what I have seen - the five most effective ways for B2B marketing from this D&B infographic.

In-Person Events

Nothing beats a face-to-face conversation and this is one tactic where B2B companies can greatly leverage and influence. Do you host marketing events and invite your clients and prospects? (example: Salesforce.com hosts Dreamforce every year in San Francisco and it is a blast every time, I'm going this year in September and I cannot wait to see what new features and products they are introducing)

Webinars

One step down from in-person events - lower cost, larger reach with lower lead conversion - is company-hosted webinars. Webinar is only a format, you can play with what you want to communicate to your target audience depending on the ask. Some of the examples that I have seen includes: inviting your customer to speak about how they use your product to prospects, topics around current events (e.g. online security software hosting a webinar on cyber security after the Sony hack). Hubspot has a nice checklist of tasks that make your webinar great.

Videos

Instead of live events, videos that demonstrate how your product work in real life are even more affordable to produce, and very informative when the lead is just entering the top of the funnel. One thing to avoid though is rambling on and on about the technical specs with little or no mention of real life application. You want to make product videos thinking from the buyer's perspective, not simply to showcase how complex your product is - unless that is relevant to the decision maker. Even then, make it short and sweet.

Blogs

This should go without saying. Compared to whitepapers, blogs feel a tad more personal and gives you the option to read further into the company and its products after you get a feeling from videos and webinars. A well-maintained and curated company blog makes it stands out among competitors and educate potential buyers. 

Case Studies

Companies want to see how other similar companies use this product and what they say about it. Case studies are usually requested further down the sales conversation and the request in itself demonstrates great interest and intent from the buyer. Why do you want to waste your time reading another company's story if you are not considering buying? Therefore, getting great testimonials from your clients is very important. 

In fact, last month our company was able to seal a deal with a financial services company after we provided them with a list of clients within their vertical with similar revenue level. Sometimes, just the fact that others similar to your business is using the product is convincing enough. 

Top 3 e-Commerce Gamification examples

As shopping went online, a lot of the fun, interactive, and social experiences of shopping disappeared. However, it opened up a whole new world of other fun and exciting activities that could make shopping even more addictive than ever – except this time within the comforts of my home, and I can achieve my win-states much more often.

There is where e-Commerce Gamification comes in place. Who doesn't love a little extra fun while shopping? Gamification applies basic game thinking and game mechanics to a non-gaming context. Many gamification models reward users for participating, completing defined user tasks, or achieving goals. Here I provide you with 3 examples that I personally love (read: fall into) and I wish more brands, and even companies do.

LinkedIn

For LinkedIn, its product is only as good as the quality of the data that its members upload.

So to encourage users to maintain accurate profiles it gives you a different status based on the amount of data you’ve included. Personally I’m an All-Star, but there’s still room for improvement and my competitive nature cannot stop but desperately try to find out how I can fill that tiny little white space at the top!

This is obviously only a small feature, but it’s one that could be implemented on e-commerce sites to encourage customers to part with more personal data, especially when that data is where your product and thus revenue is based on.

Dropbox

Cloud storage supplier Dropbox has included an element of gamification in its platform by offering additional storage space if users complete certain tasks. 

A free account gives you access to 2GB of storage, but you can earn an extra 250MB just by taking a tour of Dropbox’s services.

There’s also 125MB up for grabs for connecting your account to either Twitter or Facebook, following Dropbox on Twitter or leaving feedback.

But the biggest rewards are reserved for referring friends just like credit card referrals – 500MB for each referral up to a maximum of 16GB.

Foursquare

It was a good feeling to get points for going about your daily life before Foursquare replaced itself with Swarm, which omit the points system. Take a look at the two screenshots below – one from Foursquare (with points) and one from Swarm (without). You may ask "who cares?", but it was fun to me and it puts a smile on me when my weekly check-in score puts me on top of the leaderboard among my friends. 

As you can see, Swarm still has the ‘fun facts’ about check-ins, but it lacks the points and the leaderboard. 

Again, user data fuels the product. LinkedIn and Foursquare rely on their users diligently either update their profiles or checking in wherever they go so they can prove out their business model to investors. 

Tips and Tricks on E-commerce User Experience

Nowadays, e-commerce sites are changing how they look dramatically. But what is the reason? User Experience. I have attended a UX crash course at General Assembly, and I have to admit, as someone who used to not care about UX as much, I am definitely convinced that good UX can lead to more sales and paying more attention to how websites are designed. Here are some tips I find useful when browsing and shopping online.

Navigation

Navigation is critical when you have a lot of categories, variable products or products with many options. Nothing is more frustrating than a cumbersome menu. The quicker people can find what they want, the quicker you can move them through to the checkout process.

The purpose of a navigation menu is to get people where they want to go and sometimes it's easy to lose that focus.  Here is a breakdown of what you should address:

Primary Navigation Menu Do’s

1. Limit top menu to 7 choices or less.
2. Use a secondary navigation at the top right for items like About Us
3. Use a multi-column menu that organizes categories and sub categories.
4. Show high quality images of your product.
5. Make your navigation menu prominent with contrasting colors.
6. Cross reference products into multiple categories. Someone looking for a USB drive may look under Laptop, Accessories, Or Computers.

Primary Navigation Menu Dont’s

1. Have a single drop down that takes up a long column.
2. Show empty category pages to main navigation.
3. Over-classify products. If there is only one product in a sub-category, remove the category and reclassify the product.
4. Don’t use vague options like “more.”

This ambiguous menu creates a lot of hesitation.

Product Details Page

Full product details are critical for SEO and for user experience. Internal links boost SEO and help the user navigate back to the product listings page.  A user friendly layout will have essential product information above the fold.

Product pages are the meat of your site, they need to be persuasive. If  your customer has to select an option before adding to cart, display an error message when the “Add to Cart” button is clicked.

Product Page Content Layering

Your product page can quickly suffer from information overload. You want the right level of product information for people that already know what they want to buy, but also cater to shoppers that need every last product detail. By layering your information, you can cater to both types of buyers.

Product Page Content Layering Do’s

1. Provide a short product summary at the top of the page or next to the photo or consider having a "quick view" pop-up option in PLP.
2. Add a border or shaded background to your “action area” – where people select options and click your button.
3. Present the ordering options near the top in the action area
4. Have pixel trackers on the product pages.
5. Put product details, reviews, data, etc. below the product image and CTA area.

Samsung’s add to cart button is unmissable.

After the button is clicked, it is very clear the product was added. Users are sent right to the cart page.

Product Page Content Layering Dont’s

1. Put a large block of copy near or above the CTA button.
2. Hide your add to cart button until someone makes a selection.
3. Make availability information an extra click away.
4. Have a subtle change when someone clicks your add to cart button. People will miss your “Successfully added” message.

Why Hide The Most Important Button?

Most Popular Payment Systems for e-commerce

As an integral part of e-commerce, ways to accept payment and topics around payment security have always been a hot topic. In this blog post, I will review some of the most popular payment systems that I have either personally used or have had friends used.

Paypal

PayPal is the world’s most widely used payment acquirer, processing over $4 billion in payments in 2011. a PayPal account could be funded with an electronic debit from a bank accountor by a credit card at the payer’s choice. I have had Paypal for over 8 years, signed up when I wanted to buy - and then later sell - on Ebay. I have seen iterations and versions of Paypal, and I like where the company is going with it. I feel secure checking out using Paypal knowing that I do not disclose my credit card information with the merchant, especially around the time people are scared by the Target credit card breach in 2013.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay operates out of the iPhone’s Passbook app and lets a customer add a credit or debit card from an iTunes account by entering the card’s security code. A customer can also add a new card by using the phone’s camera to capture all the information.

To pay, a customer selects the “Apple Pay” button on the checkout screen. That’s it.

For now, the feature is limited to in-store purchases using the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch or in-app payments on those devices, but Apple has announced an API for developers. As popularity of mobile commerce rises, it’ll be interesting to see whether this feature makes its way to on-site payments. I have used Apple Pay in stores that accept the payment form, and the process is fast, simple and easy. I may end up spending more due to the convenience factor but that's another problem to worry about.

Google Wallet

Google Checkout is an online payment processing service provided by Google aimed at simplifying the process of paying for online purchases. Users store their credit ordebit card and shipping information in their Google Account, so that they can purchase at participating stores by clicking an on-screen button. I first signed up for the service years ago but did not see many merchants accepting Google Wallet besides Google Shopping Express, so I did not get to use it as often as Paypal. I am confident however that my credit card information will be safe with Google than sitting in a merchant database.

Square

Square supplies a free card-reader dongle that you plug into your smartphone. Link it to your bank account, then simply swipe a credit card to collect money. It even e-mails receipts. Square charges a fee of 2.75 percent per swipe. I see Square more and more in newly established small businesses, and the transactions have been smooth. I have not tried it online to buy but have paid my friend using the app. It was easy to use and money was transferred very quickly.

Amazon Payments

Amazon Payments is a way for customers to purchase goods and services at websites across the internet using the payment methods in their Amazon.com accounts, such as their Visa or MasterCard. Popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter uses Amazon Payments. This is a tricky one. I tried to sell my old textbooks on Half.com and signed up for Amazon Payments thinking it will be easier to collect money. However, the signup process was very confusing and I remember spending a good 30 minutes on figuring out where to put my bank account information. Full disclosure, I signed up 2 years ago, the process may have improved in the meantime.

Stripe

Stripe is a simple way to accept payments online. Stripe provides an excellent payment solution for web developers who would like to integrate a payment system into their projects using Stripe’s robust API. Stripe powers commerce for thousands of sites across the web. I have not noticed sites taking Stripe as a payment option on the sites that I frequently shop at online, but I have heard great things about Stripe and how it takes a lower transaction fee than big payment systems and credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard.

Luxury E-commerce: Chanel Goes Online

French couture fashion brands are mainly strangers to the e-commerce scene. One brave endeavor, Chanel is making attempts at taking their products online. Certainly makeup and fragrance have been available online for a while through retailers, but only until recently, Chanel - one of the most prestigious fashion house - is taking a big step forward with fine jewelery.

For the first time ever, some of the Paris-based brand’s jewelry will be available online via high-end fashion retail site Net-a-Porter, it was announced late last week (April 10). Via The Telegraph, the limited-edition Coco Crush collection will only be available on Net-a-Porter for three weeks beginning April 15. Coco Crush is a six-piece collection consisting of five rings and one cuff, available in 18-carat white and yellow gold. The price of the jewelry will range from $2,049 to $19,762.

Note that the capsule collection is only available online for a limited 3 week time. The sense of exclusivity will drive even more hype and drive more fans to buy them. I find the target audience rather interesting when Chanel chose to partner with Net-a-Porter: they are the fashion forward, modern 30-45 affluent and highly connected people, based on Net-a-Porter's own media kit.

Chanel is eyeing this market but needs a channel. Instead of building their own jewelry e-commerce site, they tested water with this pop-up shop within Net-a-Porter. It is a safe bet with measurable KPIs: website traffic, order volume, social media traction, etc. 

I admire the steps Chanel is taking towards e-commerce, because for a brand that has been standing behind a long history and the legendary Coco Chanel, you can never be too cautious when expanding your presence online, which is increasingly becoming more of a necessity than a nice-to-have. 

Impact of Net Neutrality on E-commerce

Besides House of Cards season 3 being released on Netflix, the most exciting news this past week is probably on FCC's decision regarding net neutrality on Thursday. 

What is Net Neutrality?

Net neutrality is a concept or principle that simply states that all data transmitted on the Internet should be treated the same, and that Internet infrastructure providers like broadband ISPs, should not discriminate against any kind of data source or any kind of data and should not charge different prices for services based on the user, provider, or content. The heated discussion comes from a case where Comcast allegedly give broadband capacity from peer-to-peer network to other websites ("throttled traffic"), and as a result Netflix reluctantly agreed to pay extra for their traffic. The video below from John Oliver's HBO show Last Week Tonight sums it up pretty well. 

It is widely believed that in the absence of net neutrality rules, broadband ISPs could and would treat connections to websites differently based on whether or not the ISP liked a website or network or had a business relationship with a particular website or network.

Why do we care?

Now that we have laid the basics of what the term means, let's see why it matters to E-commerce.

Hypothetically, smaller e-commerce and startup companies who could not afford the extra payments to get on the "fast lane" would suffer from a slower Internet connectivity, which may drive the customer away, especially if the said customer has experienced faster speed from bigger merchants like Amazon.com and major retailers. Overtime, polarizing the net may end up limiting the diversity of e-commerce options. 

Bloggers are another aspect of e-commerce to be affected. Marketers have been using social media, especially famous bloggers to showcase products and generate buzz. Most bloggers will probably face difficulties without Net Neutrality watching their back. In one sense, this means that brands will have less content competition. On the other hand, the bridge to consumers provided by bloggers will be harder to come by.
In conclusion, the passing of Net Neutrality is good news, especially for us netizens and smaller businesses trying to establish their presence online.