WebProNews are reporting that new Twitter accounts are on the decline for the fourth month on the run. At risk of sounding extremely old-fashioned, Twitter are yet to reveal how they’re actually going to make money. Yet if or when they do finally start producing revenue, there’s little doubt that only a very small percentage of their user base will … Read More
Is Google wave only a ripple?
I recently asked for a Google Wave invite through my Twitter account, and had a surprising number of people send them my way. Thanks to all who responded. But I have to admit to being disappointed. While I haven’t spent that much time in Wave, from what I’ve seen so far, I’m less than impressed. Firstly I’m baffled. I really … Read More
Death through attention to detail: the curse of the small business.
You’re probably already familiar with the story of the tortoise and the hare. A hare mocks a tortoise and challenges him to a race. The hare is over confident, and keeps resting, sleeping and checking his email. What happens? The tortoise wins the race. The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. It’s a good … Read More
Clarity: -=+
We’re all busy and we’re all overloaded. So get to the point. What can you do for me? What solution do you sell? I know what my company sells. We sell money at a lower price. You pay me $1,000 and I generate $1,500 in sales. I sell expertise that generates cash. I sell sales. What do you have for … Read More
The only four letter word that improves sales
I can’t think of a single product or service that isn’t improved by easy. Easy doesn’t mean simple, doesn’t mean basic and doesn’t mean less. It means that whatever you want to achieve can be accomplished with minimal effort. Easy doesn’t threaten quality, power, efficiency, functionality or speed. It’s one of the most effective four letter words that you can … Read More
Play before you Pay – Blackberry’s missed opportunity
When Marcus Tettmar (creator of the astonishing Macro Scheduler) showed me his BlackBerry a few years ago, it took me about 48 hours until I had my own. I won’t ramble and drool here; suffice to say that I know of no-one who has downgraded from a BlackBerry to an iPhone… As a (then) new BlackBerry user, I was a … Read More
Pricing gestures that go a long way – one step further than delighted with Amazon
Amazon finally made the Kindle available to the rest of the world a few days ago. Obviously I’d pre-ordered it weeks ago, and am now the delighted owner of a truly remarkable device. When I ordered it, there were three options available: Kindle US, Kindle International and Kindle DX (larger). As of today, Amazon appeared to have merged the US … Read More
Google vs. Yahoo – the pyramid of realism
Google recently announced a year-on-year 7% increase in revenue, with profits up $25 million. Not bad for a recession. Yahoo, meanwhile, just announced (or tried not to) a 12% decline in quarterly revenue, with a 19% decline in search-ad revenue year-on-year. Paid search appears to have three contenders, in theory. Yet the charts speak for themselves: Google: Microsoft: Yahoo: At … Read More
Marketing Q & A plus free exposure
In 24 days I’ll be speaking once again at the European Software Conference in Berlin, this time on Google AdWords and also the subject of online marketing. I’ve been working in online marketing since 1997, and have spoken at conferences in the United States, Russia, Germany, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. As I’ve had the pleasure of working with … Read More
Unleash your quivering headlines on an unsuspecting world
When your new product is ready, will you release or unleash it? Google displays 470 million results for release, and only 8 million for unleash. And this is in the age of sensationalism. By coincidence, a search in Google News for the two words shows two different reports: Health insurers to release report projecting rising premiums Los Angeles Times EC … Read More