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Have a Conversation with Your Computer: The New Google Search

posted on May 16, 2013

io conference escalatorIt’s Day Two of the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco and the new features and ideas just keep on coming. Look at this photo from the first day. It’s like Comic-Con! But I must ask, where are the women? Surely there are at least a few females in the developer trade?

Gender issues aside, I love the idea behind this event because it’s not just a set of PR announcements, it’s a community coming together to create amazing new tech goodies for you and me. I also love that the official agenda includes a time slot for “Bike and Coat Check.” That makes me smile.

Anyway, let’s get down to business – search business with a look at some of the new things coming your way.

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Google+ Updates from Google I/O

posted on May 16, 2013

Google-Plus-Glossy-IconThe news was flying fast and furious out of the Google I/O event yesterday. If you missed Matt McGee’s live blogging you missed more than a few chuckles but hey, that’s the way the Google Glass crumbles (yup, that was awful).

As we often do here at Marketing Pilgrim, we will turn over some of the reporting to Google itself regarding changes in Google+. Until these changes are realized by all it seems pointless to analyze or predict what they do or don’t mean. Besides, my crystal ball is in the shop following it’s prediction that Justin Timberlake would make MySpace relevant again.

So here is a series of videos to bring you up to speed on the new and improved Google+. Enjoy.

First up from the Google+ blog post about the changes covers

A multi-column layout. You’ll see one, two, or three columns of content depending on your screen size and orientation.

Awesome-sized media. Photos and videos can fill the entire width of the stream, making it easier to scan, and nicer to look at.

Delightful animations. The sharebox bounces, the menus slide, and the cards flip and fade — just to name a few.

Next up is a look at related hashtag implementation

Channel Sponsors

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[Infographic] In a Mobile World Customer Reviews Matter More Than Ever Before

posted on May 16, 2013

customer-feedback-matters-previewThe Internet world is indeed a mobile world. There is no longer proof needed for that to agreed to amongst any marketers.

What that mobile world has created, however, is a brave new world for the consumer who now wields more power than ever. That power comes mostly in the form of reviews of a business’ products and services. It all leads to a customer who can voice great joy or great dissatisfaction with a business and that is power.

According to Gib Olander, CEO, Local Viewpoints,

Word-of-mouth advertising has long been recognized as the primary factor behind 20% to 50% of all purchasing decisions; in today’s mobile friendly, digital world, consumer testimonials and online reviews have become the default way within search results for consumers to judge the viability of a business to meet their needs.

The folks at Local Viewpoints put together an infographic to help further explain this reality of today’s online world.

Here it is.

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Google’s New Map App Could Be a Win for You or Your Competitor

posted on May 15, 2013

This morning, Google posed a question: “What if we told you that during your lifetime, Google could create millions of custom maps…each one just for you?”

You’d say, “Of course you can! You’re Google!”

We’ve sipped the Kool-Aid and it tastes good.

Introducing (insert fanfare here) the new Google Maps!!

google map

This nifty number isn’t just about how to get from here to there. No, no. Like its big brother the search engine, Google Maps is all about discovery. That’s a huge plus for anyone running a brick and mortar location – except when it’s not.

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Pinterest Adds Duplicate Warnings on Site and Search Features on Mobile

posted on May 15, 2013

Want to know something Pinteresting? America’s favorite image pinning site just added a bunch of new features on the web and on the mobile app!

Okay, I can’t take credit for the whole “pinteresting” usage, but it’s cute, it works, so let’s run with it. . . straight to the website.

pinterest repeat

This is Pinterest’s new duplicate warning system. It will pop up and warn you when you’re about to pin something you already pinned. Pinterest says users have been asking for this feature which is funny because there are billions of images in the world, so what are the chances that you’d accidentally pin the same image twice?

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Square Stand Making Payments Easier and Cooler for Merchants

posted on May 15, 2013

Square is a revolution in the way that merchants of all sizes (but especially the smaller ones) take payments for their products and services. Even in the little town I live in I can count several ‘main street’ merchants using the Square system to make their payment processing direct and easy. You pay on what you process and there are no extra hoops to jump through etc etc.

The one trouble has been that the process can be a little less than quick for any variety of reasons. It can be somewhat clumsy depending on the user. There’s is nothing worse than the panicked high school kid at the register having trouble processing a payment and looking at an impatient line of customers. I feel sympathy for them (in most cases) but there are many others that feel scorn and impatience. Don’t misconstrue this. It doesn’t happen much with Square but it can just like any other payment processing system.

So what has Square come up with for an improvement? Ta-da! The Square Stand.

Square Stand

Slate tells us more.

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[Infographic] Do Facebook Friend Recommendations Influence Purchasing?

posted on May 15, 2013

Our friends at PPC Associates have put together an infographic to hopefully clear up the age old (as in the social media age) question about the importance of recommendations in the purchase process.

We don’t know for sure but we sure do ‘like’ this infographic and we hope you do as well.

facebook-purchasing-infographic-final-791x1024