Some statistics

Ofcom has recently published its 9th annual communications report which covers both traditional (including good old letters) and digital communications in the UK. It's a long report, but here are some key findings:

80% of the population has home internet access
76% have broadband
Each household has on average, three different types of device to access the internet

39% of adults have smartphones, of which 40% prefer to access the internet via their mobile device.
57% use their smartphones to shop online
22% use their smartphones to watch TV and film content online

Online shopping is now worth £2.6bn a year and has increased 30% year on year
Companies now spend more on advertising online than any other category (yes, more than TV and more than print)

What does this mean?

On a personal note, when looking at Google Analytics for my clients, there has been a big increase in the number of visits from smartphones (in many cases over 10% of hits), in particular the iPhone. So, it is time to be aware of the growth of accessing your website via a smartphone.

The key questions are:

1) Can people use your website easily on a smartphone?
2) Does the page load quickly enough (some people will access your website in areas where the phone network is weak).
3) Is your mobile website focused on the type of content a smartphone user will want to access quickly?

If you would like any advice on making your website mobile friendly, please do get in contact.

A new photo project

As you may know, I am a keen photographer. One of the ways to keep going out and taking photos is to have a project. My latest project is called Fragments etc.

As Sherlock Holmes once said to Dr Watson "you see, but you do not observe." Photography helps you observe your surroundings. To search for things that you wouldn't normally notice. 

This is a project about fragments. Fragments from cities. Fragments that are perhaps down side streets, or above the eye line. Fragments that have interesting shapes, colours and textures.

These photos are predominantly taken with Kodak Elite Chrome slide film. Kodak recently announced that they would stop production. This is a shame, as slide film produces the most beautiful colours and detail. It has something about it that no digital camera can quite reproduce. 

The other advantage of using film is that it costs you money every time you click the shutter and so I am more careful with my shots. I think about them more.

I have managed to buy quite a few rolls in advance of its imminent delisting from the Kodak range.

Here is a selection of some images.

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%.