Poorly designed websites cost retailers hundreds of millions of pounds per year in missed sales, according to research published today. The study suggests that they have lost a combined total of £500m over a three-year period as frustrated consumers log off.
Bad Websites Cost Retailers £500m
September 27th, 2011 by steveCookie Legislation and Your Website
September 21st, 2011 by steveYou may be aware European legislation has been passed concerning the use of cookies on websites. Cookies are small text files used to identify and store information on website users.
From 26th May 2011 European laws insist that users must give “explicit consent” to websites that wish to use cookies. The UK Government has given businesses another year until May 2012 to comply with the legislation.
A huge number of websites use cookies and there are serious questions about the enforceability or desirability of this legislation. That said, these laws are now in place and businesses need to decide on their response.
It is possible that browser manufacturers will add tools to Internet Explorer, Firefox and other internet browsers giving users the necessary controls in time for next May. It is also possible that the legislation or its implementation may be watered down somewhat. Neither of these outcomes are guaranteed however, and In the light of potential large fines it seems prudent for businesses to take some action now.
Field Fisher Waterhouse, a European law firm specializing in the technology industry is advising its clients to do the following:
1 – Identify all cookies used on your website
2 – Assess their necessity and intrusiveness
3 – Make clear and prominent disclosures on your website about cookie use
4 – Consider potential strategies for giving users control over them.
ThinkMonkeys are able to carry out these steps on your behalf to make sure that your website is compliant. If you would like us to provide this service then please contact us at your convenience for further information.
An App or a Mobile Website?
October 10th, 2010 by steveApps work on the phones they were specifically designed for. Whereas, mobile websites can be designed to work on any device equipped with a mobile browser.
So, if you want your content to reach the mass market, then a mobile browser may be the best option for you. However, if you’re interested in appealing to a niche market characterised by using a specific handset and operating system, then perhaps the mobile app would be more appropriate.
Another thing to consider is the type of content you want to deliver. Mobile apps can provide more ‘feature-rich’ functionality using the devices built-in apps (such as GPS and camera) and they don’t necessarily require an internet connection in order to work.
On the other hand, mobile websites are better for delivering content such as catalogs and shopping functions, as that content is accessible by search engines.
Naturally, the biggest e-tailers such as Amazon, eBay and Best Buy offer both a mobile website and native apps.
But if you’re short on time and financial resources, the best option would be to offer a mobile version of your website, optimised for all mobile and hand held devices. You would then have the advantage of reaching the mass market.
Then, when you are able to gather research and statistics on the types of devices used to access your mobile web site by your target market, you can look to develop a native app or apps for these users.
Thinkmonkeys are able to build iPhone apps, Android apps and mobile optimised websites. Feel free to contact us to discuss your requirements.
Are you ready for M-Commerce?
October 10th, 2010 by steveThere is much research suggesting an exponential growth in mobile browsing already, and while M-commerce (purchases made online using a mobile device) is still in its infancy the figures are already startling.
According to eBay, one item is purchased every 2 seconds using the eBay app and in 2009, over $600 million in goods were sold via its mobile app. The app notifies bidders with push alerts and SMS notifications when they have been outbid and allows them to place another bid or keep track of ending auctions.
Paypal has seen dramatic growth in mobile transactions increasing from $25 million in 2008 to $141 in 2009. They expect to see that figure rise to over $500 million by the end of 2010.
So as retailers gear up for the busiest time of year – is your site equipped to deal with browsing and purchasing ‘on the hoof’?
Is your site optimised to make M-Commerce a pleasurable user experience ensuring repeat visits with loyal and happy customers?
Promoting Your Travel Business on the Internet
June 24th, 2010 by sarah
This is a presentation given by Thinkmonkeys’ Steve Carson in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The event was to help local businesses make the best use of the web and was sponsored by SKAL, THA and Amazing Thailand.
Promoting Your Travel Business on the Internet
View more presentations from geoffTheFish.
5 Surprising Social Media Business Success Stories
June 7th, 2010 by steveAn Equine Dentist, a Steel Building Manufacturer, Paint Sellers, Paper Sellers and an Aviatino Maintenance Company are all successfully using Social Media – Facebook, Twitter etc to market themselves. Could your company benefit from a Social Media campaign?
5 ways small businesses can use technology to save money
May 17th, 2010 by steveInteresting tips from Mashable
China Online: self-censorship is key
October 30th, 2009 by adminContinuing with our China Online theme, we will firstly look at the popular websites visited by the Chinese. While some of the top internet brands are there,the domestic brands are more popular for the moment. Search engines, news and blogs are key features of these sites, however, content needs to be carefully considered so as not to impinge on the ever increasing list of banned words identified by the Chinese government.
Top 10 websites
Take a look at some of these sites and see how they compare to their Western equivalents.
1 Baidu.com
The leading Chinese language search engine, provides a simple and reliable search experience, strong in Chinese language and multi-media content including MP3 music and movies, the first to offer WAP and PDA-based mobile search in China.
2 QQ.com
The most popular free instant messaging site in Mainland China, and the world’s third most popular IM service. Aside from the chat program, QQ has also developed many subfeatures including games, pets, ringtone downloads, etc.
3 Sina.com.cn
Largest Chinese language infotainment web portal. It provides news, information, infotainment and email services with localized content plus celebrity blogs.
4 Google.cn
Chinese language google service.
5 Taobao.com
Online auction website
6 163.com
Web portal operated by Netease
7 Google.com
8 Yahoo.com
9 Sohu.com
Search engine, online multi-player gaming and other services.
10 Youku.com
Online video sharing website.
Issues of Censorship
China has the world’s largest net-using population, yet the Internet in China is kept under tight control. The government monitors the internet using a mix of filtering technologies, cyber-police surveillance and propaganda, in all of which China invests heavily. Its censorship hones in on anything to do with human rights, democracy and freedom of belief. The victims of this censorship are the Internet users, bloggers, independent journalists and ISPs.
Extensive forms of communication have been established between the leading commercial websites and the Internet supervisory bodies, including phone, email, text, web platforms and weekly meetings. The supervisory body will instruct sites to not publish an article, to not cover an event, or to put a stop to certain comments. Weekly meetings are held to to determine the subjects to be covered in the coming week, articles to be written under their supervision and articles to be removed. Furthermore, online companies have to strictly monitor all postings, blogs, comments, articles and other messages on their sites. Sensitive content is immediately masked or erased and the username or IP address of the person who posted it is also blocked.
Censorship using key words
This tight control on information has led web sites to practice self-censorship and to use filters to block “key-words” including:
• masked words – words replaced by an asterisk
• sensitive words – words needed to be checked by a moderator
• taboo words – words that cannot be posted or appear in an article’s content
Filters not only have to block the “key-words” but also their synonyms and homonyms culminating in the number of banned key-words to be around 500 words.
It is therefore paramount for any company with an online presence in China to keep up to date with policies and procedures regarding censorship. Sites with blogs and forums need to monitor carefully messages and comments left by users.
For assistance in creating your web presence in China, and helping you understand further the dynamics of the internet in China including how best for your company to reach it’s target audience, contact Thinkmonkeys.com.
Thinkmonkeys.com is a web design and development company based in the UK, Australia and Thailand. We specialise in professional sites ranging in functionality and sophistication. Look at some of our work here.
China Online – untapped potential?
September 24th, 2009 by sarahFor the last 20 years the Chinese economy has been been growing at a staggering 9.5% per annum. Add to this its relatively young population, high savings and the amount of catching up it still needs to do, some economists believe that China will continue with an annual growth rate of around 7-8% per year for decades to come. This is an exciting and evolving market with an increasingly sophisticated consumer base.
How best for companies to harness the potential of this growing market and maximise profits? One way would be to establish an online presence that understands and caters for this evolving and dynamic market.
China has the world’s largest online population, and yet that online audience accounts for just 19% of the Chinese population. Without doubt, these numbers are set to grow considerably over the next coming years. But while the internet in China continues to expand and evolve, it’s important to gauge where these users are going and what they are doing, as well as understanding how internet content is monitored and regulated under the tight control of government censorship.
For assistance in creating your web presence in China, and helping you understand further the dynamics of the internet in China including how best for your company to reach it’s target audience, contact Thinkmonkeys.com.
Internet usage stats
In 2008, there were 253 million users of the internet, accounting for just 19% of the population. 214 million of these users had broadband access. 29% of these users accessed the internet using their mobile phone. 68% of internet users are aged 30 or under. The large proportion of young internet users has exerted great influence on the shape of the Chinese internet which is largely dominated by entertainment websites.
The number of websites in China has reached 1.919 million, with an annual growth rate of 46.3%.
Popular Internet applications
Online music sites dominate online activity followed by news sites. The rise in online news is believed to be connected to the rise of a number of major news events concerning China, for example the economy and the Beijing Olympics. Instant message, search engine and email are also in the top ten rankings and with usage at over 60% illustrates that basic internet applications remain important activities to the Chinese internet user. The table below ranks the internet applications.
Internet application using rate and size of users
| Internet Application | Proportion | No. of users (10,000) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Internet Application | Search engine | 69.2% | 17,508 |
| 62.6% | 15,838 | ||
| Instant Message | 77.2% | 19,536 | |
| Digital Entertainment | Online music | 84.5% | 21,366 |
| Online video | 71% | 17,963 | |
| Online game | 58.3% | 14,746 | |
| Network Media | Online news | 81.5% | 20,620 |
| Have blog/personal space | 42.3% | 10,706 | |
| Upgrading blog/personal space | 28% | 7,092 | |
| E-commerce | Online shopping | 25% | 6,329 |
| Online payment | 22.5% | 5,697 | |
| Online Community | Forum /BBS access | 38.8% | 9,822 |
| Publishing on forum/BBS | 23.4% | 5,931 | |
| Other | Online banking | 23.4% | 5,931 |
| Online stock/fund transaction | 16.9% | 4,288 | |
| Online education | 18.5% | 3,775 | |
| Online job hunting | 14.9% | 4,669 |
UK internet shopping to double in value by 2011
September 7th, 2009 by stevePayPal’s UK Online Retail Report, conducted by Experian, forecasts that online shopping by Brits will double in value from the current £8.9 billion to £21.3 billion in annual sales by the end of 2011.
This is great news for all of ThinkMonkeys‘ clients for whom we have built E-commerce sites.
