Ray Gillespie

Blog

  • Buying Products via Twitter Could Soon be a Reality

    Social media giants have long struggled to get users to engage with activities outside their core social functions. Facebook, for instance, has faced challenges in convincing users to take ads seriously. When people log in, they’re generally not looking to book vacations or shop—they’re there to share and interact. While integrating ads into the news feed has seen some success, Facebook has had to continually tweak its approach to maintain engagement.

    Now, Twitter is exploring its own strategies to boost revenue and, hopefully, achieve profitability—a milestone that has eluded the platform for years. According to a report from re/code, Twitter is nearing a deal with the payments startup Stripe to enable credit and debit card transactions on the platform. While Twitter has remained tight-lipped about the details, this move suggests that the company is inching closer to integrating e-commerce directly into its service.

    One potential application could involve companies listing products directly on Twitter, allowing users to make purchases without leaving the platform. This would be a natural extension of the current practice of tweeting links to products. By offering direct purchases, companies could reach a much wider audience, trading some website traffic for the broader exposure—similar to the model behind Amazon Marketplace’s success.

    Whatever form this integration takes, it’s clear that Twitter is doubling down on diversifying its revenue streams. Following its IPO last year, the pressure to deliver profitability has only intensified, and e-commerce integration could represent a significant step toward achieving that goal.

  • How Google is Changing the Web – For the Better

    If you’ve had any search engine optimization (SEO) work done in recent years, you’ve likely noticed a shift in both strategy and terminology. Once the go-to buzzword in online marketing, “SEO” is increasingly being overshadowed by “content marketing.” Alongside this, the phrase “content is king” has become a ubiquitous mantra, underscoring the rising importance of quality website content.

    What’s behind this shift? The driving force is Google, particularly its recent updates—Penguin, Panda, and, to a lesser extent, Hummingbird. These updates have prompted a significant rethink of SEO strategies. For some marketers, they’ve been a wake-up call, while for others relying on outdated tactics, they’ve spelled disaster. Essentially, Google has become smarter at detecting manipulative SEO practices and is now heavily prioritizing content quality as a key factor in search rankings. This shift aligns with Google’s broader goal of improving user experience by promoting websites that offer valuable, engaging content.

    Why does Google care about user experience on other websites? The straightforward answer is money. By ensuring users find helpful content through its search engine, Google maintains its dominance in the search market. Happy users are more likely to continue using Google, and some will click on sponsored ads along the way—earning Google revenue with every click.

    There are two key takeaways from this evolution. First, diversify your marketing strategy so you’re not overly reliant on Google for traffic. Second, prioritise your visitors over technical tricks. No matter what changes Google implements, focusing on delivering a great experience for your audience is a winning strategy from the outset.

  • Twitter Rolls Back ‘Block User’ Update

    Yesterday, Twitter introduced a controversial update to its blocking feature, effectively transforming it into more of a “mute” function. Under the new system, blocked users could still view the profiles of those who blocked them and even reply to their tweets—though these replies would be invisible to the blocker but visible to everyone else. The change was intended to hide activity rather than outright prevent it.

    Unsurprisingly, the update sparked a massive backlash from users, many of whom voiced their frustration under the trending hashtag #RestoreTheBlock. Given Twitter’s ongoing battle with abusive trolls, it’s no wonder users reacted so strongly to what seemed like a watering down of a vital safety feature. In an unexpected turn, Twitter listened to the outcry and reversed the change within a day.

    While social media platforms have a history of rolling out unpopular updates, the recent public listings of Twitter and Facebook seem to have made these companies more sensitive to user feedback. Twitter isn’t done addressing the challenges surrounding blocking and harassment, but for now, the feature will remain unchanged. How it might evolve is uncertain, but one thing is clear: when user dissatisfaction threatens to impact stock performance, the decision-makers pay attention.

  • Free to Play Apps are Officially Taking Over

    Everyone loves a free app, right? It seems so—according to a report by Flurry, “free-to-play” apps now generate more revenue than “premium” apps. The report highlights how the proportion of free apps on the iTunes Store has grown from 39% in January to 65% last month. Interestingly, despite their dominance, 90% of users don’t spend a penny on these apps. This figure is likely skewed by users who download free apps out of curiosity, only to delete them soon after if they don’t meet expectations.

    In hindsight, it’s not surprising that free-to-play apps have surpassed premium ones, but the bigger question remains: is this model sustainable, or could premium apps make a comeback? Having encountered several “free” apps that operate more like virtual coin-op machines, I’ve become wary of the model. Personally, I’d rather pay £2.99 upfront than get drawn into endless microtransactions that quickly add up to much more.

    The backlash against in-app purchases, often centered around stories of children racking up massive bills on their parents’ devices, underscores the irony: “free” apps can often cost more in the long run. As the market matures and more people recognize this, will the pendulum swing back toward premium apps? For now, as long as free-to-play remains so profitable, developers are unlikely to abandon the model. But if consumers grow increasingly disillusioned with the hidden costs, we might see premium apps make a resurgence.

  • Goodbye to Top Keywords?

    A cornerstone of SEO has long been analyzing keywords, with tools like Google Analytics providing insights into which keywords drive the most traffic. However, a few years ago, Google began restricting access to this data for users signed into their Google Accounts. This shift hit the SEO industry hard, as keyword reports started showing increasing amounts of “not provided” data instead of detailed insights. Now, Google has taken an even bigger step: it has completely removed keyword tracking from its search engine—unless you’re using Google Ads, which still provides full keyword data.

    Does this spell the end of keyword analysis? Probably not, but it does make it more challenging to understand how users are discovering your site. Success will require a shift in approach, leveraging alternative metrics and tools to fill in the gaps. For instance, while Google Analytics no longer provides this data, you can still track keyword rankings through external tools and use Google’s Keyword Planner to gauge the popularity of certain terms.

    In practice, much of the SEO landscape remains unchanged. Identifying keywords where you don’t rank is unaffected by this development, and there are still plenty of ways to gain actionable insights. Google’s move is a reminder to stay adaptable and to double down on proven strategies, like creating high-quality, engaging content. With some creative thinking and a commitment to the mantra “content is king,” there are still plenty of opportunities to achieve significant SEO and content marketing wins.

  • iOS 7 and iPhone 5S Due This Week

    Apple’s highly anticipated flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5S, is set to launch this Friday, accompanied by the release of iOS 7 just two days earlier on Wednesday. The standout features this time include the iPhone 5S’s new fingerprint reader and the completely revamped design of iOS 7.

    One of the recurring criticisms of Apple’s iPhone lineup has been the stagnation in its user interface (UI) design. For a company synonymous with innovation, Apple has been notably slow to adapt, especially in the face of fierce competition. The Windows Phone UI, for instance, has drawn praise for its striking visual appeal. While iOS 6 still holds up in terms of functionality, its design, largely unchanged since the original iPhone’s launch, now feels outdated compared to the fresher approaches seen in Windows Phone and Android. iOS 7 aims to address this with a bold redesign featuring a modern, flat UI. Though the overhaul is largely well-received, a few design choices—like the ‘Settings’ icon that resembles an extractor fan—have raised eyebrows. Nonetheless, the update represents a significant leap forward for Apple’s software aesthetics.

    The iPhone 5S also introduces a fingerprint reader, marking one of the most talked-about features of the device. Beyond this, the phone includes modest hardware upgrades and minor aesthetic refinements. But is the fingerprint reader enough to set the iPhone 5S apart in a competitive market? Only time will tell. While fingerprint technology isn’t new, Apple is betting on its implementation being seamless and reliable enough to drive widespread adoption. Historically, Apple’s strength hasn’t been in being first to market but in launching innovations when the time is right for mass appeal. If successful, the iPhone 5S could spark a trend of fingerprint-enabled smartphones. Early reports suggest this is likely, though whether the feature becomes a long-term staple remains to be seen.

  • iPhone 5 Announced

    After much speculation and rumor, Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 5. The new model boasts a 4-inch display (which is large enough to accommodate an extra row of icons on the Home screen), a faster processor, support for LTE mobile networks, and a slimmer, lighter design. The iPhone 5 is set for release on September 21, 2012.

    The redesigned screen now features a full 16:9 aspect ratio, meaning widescreen TV shows will fill the entire display without any cropping. The iPhone 5 also comes equipped with an upgraded 8MP rear camera, offering sharper photos, while the front-facing camera gets an upgrade as well, now supporting 1080p video calls.

    One major change, however, is the replacement of the 30-pin dock connector with a new, proprietary connector. This means that existing accessories and devices that use the old connector will require an adapter to work with the new iPhone. Although some had hoped for a shift to a standard USB connector, Apple has opted to stick with proprietary ports, which are a key part of their business model.

    You’ll be able to pre-order the iPhone 5 starting this Friday—if you’re lucky enough to snag one!