Amazon, Mobile Web, and Facebook News

Three stories are very good reads today and well worth your time.

First is news of Amazon's excellent (and profitable) quarter:

https://www.internetretailer.com/2015/01/29/amazons-q4-revenue-grows-22-north-america

Here is a snippet from that piece:

International growth was only 3.2%, leaving the e-retailer’s overall revenue increase at under 14.6%. Amazon Prime membership grew 53% worldwide and 50% in the United States, says CEO Jeff Bezos. And Amazon surprised investors by turning a profit, largely from fulfilling orders more efficiently.

Next is a story on the Mobile Web vs. Apps:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/brands-at-risk-for-placing-more-value-on-apps-than-mobile-web-sites-report

Here is a snippet from that piece:

As shoppers become increasingly comfortable on mobile, they are demanding more detailed experiences, leading to a growing preference for retailers’ mobile Web sites over applications, according to a new report from Siteworx.

Retailers that do not offer detail-oriented mobile Web sites are at risk of losing commerce, as 63 percent of consumers are more likely to shop using a site rather than a mobile application. The findings suggest investing in an all-encompassing mobile site is imperative for retailers seeking to retain significant market share, as more shoppers are using mobile to research potential purchases and read reviews.

Finally is news of Facebook using beacons to interact with its users.  Beacons for Facebook?  This one really got my attention.

http://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/facebook-place-tips

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Facebook is testing a new service called ‘Place Tips’ which will deliver information on shops and landmarks to nearby users by integrating Bluetooth beacons, GPS signals, wi-fi and cellphone signals.

The service will initially be tested in New York, with beacons placed in eight stores including the Strand Book Store, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, as well as landmarks including the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square and the Statue of Liberty.

Place Tips will use information from the locations’ existing Facebook pages and place it above the News Feed on users’ smartphones.

The year of the Beacon was 2014.  Now, we shouldn't be surprised at anything we see in this space. Yet this one still caught me off guard.  Very interesting.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant