An announcement was made by Google today that “carousel” has been officially launched for Google’s Knowledge Graph local search results. You may have noticed the interactive band of images pop up at the top of your search intermittently for the past several months. Now it’s official – carousel is here to stay!

According to Google’s announcement “Starting today, when you search Google for restaurants, bars or other local places on your desktop, you’ll see an interactive “carousel” of local results at the top of the page.”

Not only is this new way to search aesthetically pleasing- it’s interactive and helpful too! When hovering over the one of the images you are able to see it’s location pop up on the map. Click and you’ll get extra details like address, phone and user reviews. Use the arrows to the left and right on the carousel to visually page through the search results without jumping from website to website.

Did you notice local results are gone? They ARE the results in the carousel. Also, try zooming in or out on the map…the carousel results are automatically updated to reflect what’s in the map’s viewable area.

What do you think of the new image carousel? How will this impact searches in the future? Weigh in below, I’d love to hear your opinions!

Social marketing for brands is becoming a necessity. For link building, content creation, engagement and even increasing site traffic, social media brand pages are incredibly useful and free at the basic level. Facebook and Twitter pages have been important and valuable to businesses since the social boom several years ago. Now the addition of Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts for brands, the options are limitless in how to promote and engage with your consumers through digital marketing.

Google+ Builds Brands Bigger

In recent weeks, social mediums are beginning to make it even easier to promote and track the success of their online marketing. Google+ has completed refreshed the back-end for all brand pages on their network with insights into performance of posts, audience data for customers requesting driving directions and top searches for the business. This new Google Dashboard lets page managers edit AdWords campaigns, business information and other social mediums like YouTube videos from one page.

Google+ Dashboard (see above) combines many elements onto one page to completely manage your online profile. Examples of this being the ability to share videos and photos, monitor Google+ notifications and assign page managers. Page managers can even setup a Google+ Hangout with their followers to increase engagement and give users a glimpse behind the scenes. Added benefits are access to edit business info such as website, contact information and hours of business.

Google+ is also beginning to incorporate more with the Gmail people widget to include brands and businesses, making it easier for your customers to connect with you on Google+. When enabled correctly, when people receive emails from your domain, they can follow your Google+ page directly from their inbox. Your recent Google+ posts and past emails will also show in the widget which can help with engagement and gaining followers without ever sending them to your brand page. To appear in the new Gmail widget, all your business or organization needs is a verified Google+ page and digitally-signed emails. Learn more about verifying your Google+ page for the Gmail widget.

Next step for Google+? We can only hope for an easier way to post to brand pages with a mobile app update and better integration with third-party services for mass posting.

Facebook Jumps On The Hashtag Bandwagon

Facebook started rolling out hashtag functionality to select users on Wednesday with a slow roll-out to all users over the next few weeks. This is a great first step, coinciding with Graph Search, on helping Facebook users better search the network and interests. Facebook recently stated, many of its users already use hashtags, so why not make them work? Hashtags will be both clickable and searchable, so topics that I’m interested in (#CareBears and #Kittens) will now exist and be clickable/searchable.

Hashtags from other networks liek Twitter and Instagram will be clickable as well. Users will also be able to compose posts directly from a hashtag feed and search results. Users and brands that work to automate posts and simultaneously update multiple networks now have the ability to universally use hashtags across Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Instagram.

In November 2009, Google announced Product Listing Ads (PLAs).  

Since then, PLA’s are dominating the ecommerce related searches. So much so that it is becoming obvious that PLAs are taking the lion share of qualified clicks and some advertisers are shifting to PLAs exclusively.

Text ads just can’t compete.

It is easier to ‘show’ than ‘tell’.

To even the playing field, forthcoming image extensions for AdWords are likely to become a game changer in the world of pay-per-click.

Driven by the success of PLAs, Google will make image extensions soon only available for the top ad spots.

If you are an ecommerce site, you will definitely want to include a product image. Text will provide the additional information to encourage the click.

But the text will not be the “eye trap” anymore. Visual interest will need to be spiked and having image extensions is the only option along with utilizing PLAs.

A lot can be learned from existing PLA campaigns.

Our team at Beacon has setup several PLA campaigns and we can attest to their success over rival text ads. Currently only in beta, Beacon Technologies has applied to take part in this seismic shift in pay-per-click advertising.

It was just announced that Google bought the social mapping application Waze for 1.3 billion dollars.   This is big news in the world of mapping.   Anything involving Google buying a competitive product like this is interesting for multiple reasons.    Here are my top 5 reasons why I think Google bought Waze.

1.  Minimize the competitive threat.     Waze was growing like wildfire due to all the really interesting capabilities of the application.  Integrating live data created from actual drivers/passengers from cars around you gives a lot more information than a GPS and timestamp can.   Google doesn’t want a competitor to have a better product so instead of building from the ground up and still having to compete against Waze, just purchase them and gain the technology, the customers, and minimize the threat all at once.
2. New sets of live data for their autonomous car software.    Information is key when building an autonomous vehicle.  Currently they have traffic inputs including GPS locations and time-stamps of vehicles around them but integrating another set of information that is manually input about the conditions that can’t be described otherwise gives their autonomous vehicle software a significant advantage over competitors.  Instead of trying to build this data-stream from the ground up, they are tapping into a solid base of regularly updated information.  This in my opinion is the most exciting.    I can’t wait to get my first driver-less car.
3. Google + Integration:   Google has been slowly building their social platform up over the years.   Having another plug into a social medium/channel that people are using and is growing will allow them to continue to build the value proposition of their social platform.  Google’s social platform is slowly getting more and more attractive while Facebook is slowly getting more and more boring.
4. Ad Revenue:  With all Google products and moves, it’s all about the ad revenue.   More subscribers equals more reach, more impressions, more advertising opportunities and provides their existing advertising customers with new and innovative ways to reach their audiences.
5. Better user experience:    When it comes down to it, Google always strives to create a better user experience across their products/services.   Giving drivers more information about their travel plans including road hazards, police stops, broke down vehicles, caution areas, etc…  provides a better user experience.  One of Google’s goals is to embed itself into the lives of as many people as possible which increases a users reliance on them and can secure their long term business model.

On Thursday, June 6th IRCE officially came to a close for exhibitors and the main exhibit hall. Even though speakers and presentations lasted through Friday, Beacon had a full day at McCormick Place before shutting down the booth and heading home. After a great breakfast in downtown Chicago and packing up our suitcases we took our last shuttle trip to the convention center to talk Beacon’s SMART Web Solutions. The morning went by incredibly fast and we had wonderful opportunities to speak to some of our clients and partners who attended the event before we went our separate ways.

The Beacon team had a chance to catch up with our partners at 4Tell, Aspdotnetstorefront and Nextopia and even has a meeting with our client’s Total Wine. As the day wore on we had a chance to give away some great Google prizes and a Jambox to attendees who came by during the week and spoke with us. As the day winded down and the closing hours approached the Beacon Team began to break up as we all had our separate flights to catch back home and snap back to reality.

This year’s IRCE was a great success and we showed up with a brand new booth, a brand new look and with experience from last year’s event to draw on. We were able to hear from some of the best thought leaders in the business, talk to some our wonderful clients and partners and get to know brand new people who are interested in growing alongside of us. Thank you once again for everyone we met, spoke to and saw at this year’s conference and have a successful 2013!

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Day 2 at IRCE was extremely busy and full of breakout sessions from notable guests like Al Gore and Beacon clients/partners Bronto & Delta Apparel. The exhibit hall opened at 9:00 a.m. and after a quick breakfast Beacon team members manned the booth and started meeting attendees and giving away prizes. Our team member Annette, was helping out at our partners booth, AspDotNetStorefront, to talk about how Beacon and Aspdotnetstorefront can help businesses succeed through e-commerce.

As the day wore on, we gave away our first set of Google giveaways with some Google backpacks and laptop sleeves. Our last team member arrived in the morning as Brad Henry showed up to talk digital strategy with IRCE attendees. Around lunch time all the exhibitors begin to hit the wall and the food court starts beckoning from afar. But at Beacon, we say “When in Rome…Do As The Romans Do.” So we ordered some wonderful Lou Malnati’s pizza for some excellent local deep dish taste of Chicago. It was huge and wonderful and kept the crew moving all afternoon. Coincidentally, later on that afternoon an attendee from Lou Malnati’s picked up another great Google prize.

Beacon had wonderful opportunities to hang out with some of our wonderful vendors at IRCE. Nextopia members were able to stop by to say hello, along with our wonderful clients Delta Apparel, Superior Play, Burton & Burton and Annette was holding down the Aspdotnetstorefront booth most the day. Our Sales Director, Rick Boccard, had the wonderful opportunity to sit in on a breakout session by Delta Apparel and Bronto that helped give insights into holiday email marketing for eCommerce.

As the day winded down, Beacon was able to award our grand prize of the day, a brand new JAMBOX to our lucky winner, Tabi. After the social hours at the end of the day the Beacon team headed back to the hotel and down to dinner at a wonderful seafood restaurant just a short walk away that helped cap off a wonderful day at IRCE. Thursday is the last day of IRCE for us before we head back home to Greensboro.

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IRCE is a huge event. When I say huge, I mean HUGE. Walking into the conference you have to do a double take to make sure this is where you should be. Massive RV’s, cars, three-story booths and awesome lights are a great welcome to Chicago and McCormick Place. But wait, I am getting ahead of myself…we haven’t arrived yet.

Beacon started off from Greensboro, went through Charlotte and then onto Chicago on Tuesday morning. After a smooth ride and great shuttle service to the hotel, the Beacon team (Rick, Emily & Jordan) picked up the booth and supplies and took the complimentary shuttle to McCormick Place (America’s largest convention center…think airport size). After setting up everything, Beacon was able to unveil the new look of our brand, at booth 545, and approach through SMART Web Solutions with brand new materials and a backdrop to set the booth off.

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The exhibit hall opened at 4:00 p.m. and Beacon started off meeting the huge 9,500-attendee crowd. Shortly after the event kicked off we were welcomed by the rest of our team, Annette and Mark! Beacon is giving away some great prizes over the three-day conference and exhibit and started the contest to see who will take home some Google bags, lava lamps and a Jawbone JAWBOX. We even ran into one of our partners, Nextopia, who are right next to the our booth. The event shut down at 7:00 but the party continued as Beacon took part in a conference kickoff event with great food and entertainment.

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Later on that evening, Beacon took to downtown, a short walk from the hotel, to go watch the Chicago Blackhawks play downtown and enjoy some good food and catch up after a very long day of travel and work. Stay tuned for a recap of day 2 and 3 at the conference and see some of the winners of the contest and meet some of our great partners who are at the event!

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s herding. People shouldn’t allow themselves to be influenced by what others are doing without understanding why. The same holds true for businesses. Herding causes a lot of problems because it’s dumb decision making. It lacks thoughtfulness, strategy, and analysis—all major ingredients for a successful company.

So what does that have to do with responsive Website design? First of all, everyone’s talking about it. Loads of companies are pouring more money into mobile.₁ But not everyone fully understands the costs and benefits, which creates false expectations. I think you absolutely should have a mobile site, but I think you should know your options and what you’re getting into.

Why You Should Go Mobile:

1. Because consumers are judgmental

You may think that teens are the most active mobile users, but they aren’t. It’s women, between the ages of 35 to 54.₂ Consequently the biggest Farmville demographic as well. In any case, why does that matter? Because women are now the household decision makers.₃ They are the ones looking for you online, whether they need directions to your store, want to purchase a product, or just browse some reviews. If you can’t give them what they want, they’ll go elsewhere (and that’s true for anyone). One study found that 61% of mobile users will go on to another site if they don’t find what they want; whereas, 67% of users are more likely to buy from a mobile-friendly site.₄ Why is that?

2. Because consumers want their needs met

This is an age of instant gratification. People more willingly reward companies that meet and exceed their expectations, and they punish those that don’t. Companies like Zappos and Yum Brands (check out Taco Bell’s Twitter feed when you get a chance) set the expectation in consumer’s minds that even big name companies aren’t above interacting with their customers one-on-one. They listen and give the people what they want: a great experience. The reward is loyalty, which translates to huge revenues over time.

3. Because people will rely more on their phones than their desktops

It is expected that by 2014, the amount of time spent on mobile internet will exceed desktop internet time.₅ This is the digital equivalent of the old adage: location, location, location. You have to be where your customers are.

So now we’ve established that it’s time to get a mobile site. In my next post, I’ll cover the pros and cons of Responsive Web design and having a dedicated mobile site.

Sources

1. mashable.com
2. tag.microsoft.com
3. telegraph.co.uk
4. googlemobileads.blogspot.com
5. tag.microsoft.com

Over the past few months Pinterest has been introducing tools to help your business capitalize on the rapidly growing social media site. Pinterest kicked off “Pinterest for Business” by allowing businesses to verify their website. This step shows pinners you’re a credible source.  Once verified, if you haven’t already, you’ll be prompted to switch to the new look. When you make the switch you’ll notice larger images, rearranged navigation and new ways to discover pins. With this new look also comes Pinterest Web Analytics. With this basic set of analytics you can see what people are pinning from your website.

But perhaps the largest of all the changes is the introduction of Rich Pins. These pins dynamically pull website information like price and availability and display the information right on the pin. This allows brands to drive more revenue right from Pinterest. See ModCloth’s example below. Pinners can see immediately that the shoes are in stock and currently listed for $64.99.

Currently Pinterest is offering three types of Rich Pins for businesses:  movies, recipes and products. Movie pins will pull in user reviews and ratings. Recipe pins will include things like ingredients and serving info. Product pins will have item availability and price. These pins are also mobile-ready, making it easy for customers to purchase on the go. To enable Rich Pins you’ll need to install a bit of code on your site. The code is retroactive after you include the meta information on your website. Check out Pinterest’s  developers page for details. What do you think of the changes Pinterest is making for businesses? Can you see this social media platform helping to grow your business?