Mobile shopping basket

Don’t get fooled by the buzz about mobile shopping

Mobile shopping is a hot trend at the moment. The web is buzzing with stats and data about the surge towards mobile shopping. Advertisers are pushing their efforts towards mobile too. It is as though the desktop is being ditched. Yet the desktop is responsible for more transactions than mobile. The headlines mislead.

Social media bias is like following sheep

Is there a hidden bias in social media that is harming your business?

Social media bias is well-known. The concept of “echo chambers” has been discussed widely in politics, for instance. However, the issue of bias on brand pages is also an issue. New research shows that brands are getting a biased view of their business if they use social media.

wetherspoon pub

Will you follow Wetherspoon? Not any more – you can’t

Wetherspoon has shut down all it social media activity with immediate effect. Is this sensible? Is it a publicity stunt? Or is it the start of a trend where businesses re-evaluate social media and find it lacking?

Psychological ownership comes from trying on clothes

Creating a sense of psychological ownership will boost sales

Psychological ownership is a familiar concept of consumer behaviour. If people think they already own something, they are much more likely to buy it. So you can get potential purchasers of anything you sell to feel more willing to buy if they already feel they own the product or service. By creating a sense of ownership, people are more likely to buy from you.

Artificial intelligence and consumer behaviour will be used to study online shopping

Artificial intelligence and consumer behaviour work well together

Artificial Intelligence and consumer behaviour go well together. Consumer behaviour is difficult to analyse as it varies a great deal. Often, you need in-depth studies to see what is going on. Artificial intelligence (AI) can cut through that and give you ideas on how to sell more.

Hashtag word in search box

Are hashtags dead? The problems with using a #hashtag

Hashtags are highly popular yet most are, frankly, useless. Some appear to be able to garner huge support, such as #metoo, but others fade into obscurity. Hashtags also polarise and change behaviour. So they might not be as valuable as we think.

What now for social media?

The question that I have been asked more times than any other this week has been “should I give up using Facebook?” Well, billionaire Elon Musk has done so, removing Tesla and his other brands from Facebook. The founder of WhatsApp (bought from him by Facebook four years ago) Tweeted …

Read More

Facebook business dislike key

What now for the business use of Facebook?

Facebook is under fire from all directions. Business investors are losing confidence. Governments are threatening legislation. Users are engaging less. We could be witnessing the beginning of the end of Facebook. Or we could be watching the emergence of a new style social network. Either way, there are huge implications.

Woman working outside on the beach

Is it worth working outside?

Outside working could have significant benefits for your business. Research shows that we learn more and remember more when we are in the open air, than when we are inside a building. It seems that being indoors affects our attention.

Are we making the most of the real world?

Next week I am off to the NEC in Birmingham to the “Internet Retailing Expo” where there are over 300 exhibitors and more than 100 speakers. Around 5,000 people attend the two-day event meaning there are a lot of Internet folk interested in seeing things in the “real world”. You …

Read More

Has social media killed off cold calling?

It’s another week of coincidence. On Sunday evening, I was sent an email from Australia asking if I was interested in a “Guest Post” on my website about “cold calling”. Then, on Monday I had a request from the UK on my “newsletter question” page asking me about the same …

Read More

Road sign saying "Mindfulness"

Will mindfulness help your online business?

Mindfulness is increasingly popular. But is it just a fad or can mindfulness help you improve your online business? This article looks at the ways in which mindfulness can help your online business or your website.