Another nail in the coffin for Flash

The Guardian is reporting today that Adobe will no longer support Flash on the Android mobile operating system.

This is five years after Steve Jobs announced that Flash would not be compatible on the iPhone. This caused much consternation amongst users at the time.

I am pleased to say that I never bothered to learn Flash. It certainly made great effects for websites; but it was not accessible to Google and so harmed your search engine rankings; nor did it comply with web standards.

So, inevitably, Flash will be neglected and become yesterdays technology very soon. Its effects can now be replicated by better and more accessible methods. If your website has Flash, I suggest you look into replacing it now.

Here is a link to the Guardian article.

Google Places is now Google+ Local

Since the launch of Google+ a few months ago, there have been many mutterings about its relevance. It was thought to be competing with Facbook head on; but with each new iteration, it is clear that Google has something much bigger and more integral to life on the web than first thought.

The announcement that Google Places is now becoming integrated within Google+ is further proof and one that will benefit both local businesses and improve the experience for your customers.

I have always recommended that my clients who depend on local customers, register their business in Google Places. It is an integral part of improving the rankings of your business in local searches and helps users easily get past those directory websites that could otherwise dominate local search.

Previously I have also suggested to clients that they try out Google+ but was unsure how relevant it would be in the short term.

However, I will now revise my advice and urge all businesses to set up a Google+ Page and ensure that your information is up to date and relevant. This will have a massive impact on your online presence....

For more information on this development:

Here is Google's page on Google+ Local.

Here is an article explaining the changes in detail.

Finally, here is a link to a Google+ Local search so you can see how it looks.

For advice on the above, please do contact me and I will be happy to help.

Andrew

 

 

Kingston Mill Photo Book

Since moving to Bradford on Avon in 2006, I have been documenting the changes in the Kingston Mill site right in the heart of the town.

Kingston Mill stood derelict for around fifteen years after it had been vacated by Avon in the 1990's.

Eventually work started to develop houses, offices, restaurants and shops in 2009.

This book, which you can preview and buy below, is a record of the changes that took place - from demolition to completion of the site.

Kingston Mill by Photographs by Andrew Eberlin | Make Your Own Book

Your website visitors won't wait

A recent study in the US, as reported by Mashable, shows how important it is to have fast page load times. Quite simply, your customers will not wait for your pages to load. If they take too long they will go elsewhere.


Here are the key findings:


-  1 in 4 people abandon web pages that take longer than 4 seconds to load.
-  Half of mobile users will abandon a website if it takes longer than 10 seconds to load 
-  ... and 60% of them won't return.
-  In the US 25% of mobile web users only browse the internet on their phone.
-  79% of mobile users shop online.... 40% will only wait 3 seconds before they give up.

Browser Market Shares

I haven't written about the latest market shares of web browsers, so here they for February 2012 as recorded by NetMarketShare

Desktop


Internet Explorer still leads the pack at 52.8%


Firefox retains second place with a share of 20.9%


Google's Chrome is in third place with a share of 18.9% and rising all the time. It is likely to overtake Firefox soon.


Apple's Safari is hovering around the 5% mark.


Mobile


However, for mobile browsing, Safari dominates thanks to the ubiquity of the iPhone and iPad. It stands at 61% in February 2012.


Android has just under 19%, while Blackberry languishes at under 1.7%.

Is Pinterest useful?

Pinterest is the latest in a long line of social media platforms that is getting a fair bit of press at the moment.

What is Pinterset?

It is a place to thematically share images that you like, or find inspiring on the internet.

On their about page, Pinterest describe themselves as a "virtual pinboard." 

"Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests."

Is it any good and is worth spending some time on?


As with all social media platforms, it depends on how many people are using it, and whether you can engage with them effectively. 


I have quickly built up a few followers from my usual circle of 'early adopter' suspects and I am enjoying using it to collect favourite and inspirational images. 


Will Pinterest be of use? That remains to be seen, but there is some interesting research suggesting it may have a bright future.


Driving traffic to your website


According to market data carried out by Shareaholic in January, Pinterest provides more referral traffic than YouTube,  LinkedIn and Google+. It is also growing its share rapidly (up 2.5% to 3.6% between December 2011 and January 2012). It now sits just behind Twitter in the league table.


However, Facebook still dominates referral traffic (26.4% in January).


Using Pinterest to promote your business


Pinterest could provide much potential to visually inspire and engage with your customers...


You could use it to get feedback from customers about the look and feel of your new product or design or shop layout.


Or, showcase how your customers are using your products. A clothing store could have a picture of one of their customers in one of their outfits. This gives potential customers inspiration and make existing ones who are 'pinned,' feel special.


Find out more


Here is a good beginners guide provided by those fine people at Mashable explaining a bit more about Pinterest and how you can use it.


You are also welcome to email me or give me a call to discuss ways to integrate Pinterest within your online marketing strategy.

A quotation on photography

“[photography] is, of course, a lucky miracle of timing. But when you see an unbelievable confluence of chance in a photograph, remember that the operator was there, booted and spurred.”

So said Walker Evans in 1969 when discussing the work of Helen Levitt.