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Is there an App for you?

by Ron Daly

I was linked a story about iPhone apps from the CES in Vegas. The big idea from this year's conference? 

Have an App or hang it up.

Not just an iPhone App (though one panelist in the article says that's square one for your company), but apps for Blackberry, the Palm Pre, Google's Android platform, and any other app-supporting mobile phone. Why? 

For one, more is being done on handhelds these days. More email, more video, more music, everything. Data from August of last year shows smartphone sales have jumped 27% over the previous year. More phone companies are rolling out new smartphone models just as more tech companies are rolling out new platforms. Google just debuted the Nexus One, their own phone running their own platform. The Internet is going to be around all the time - in your pocket or at your desk. 

The other reason this seems to be worth paying attention to is the data from this infographic from GigaOM.com on the "App Store Economy". The graphic is worth a look, but some of the highlights: 

• Average price paid for an iPhone app - $2.70
• The App Store raked in $250 Million in revenues in December alone
• App store users downloaded about 4.8 apps each on average

That folks are willing spend almost $3 each on applications for their phone is mind blowing, but they must be doing it to fill some gap in their phone's functionality or just make things they do in the day-to-day easier. What gaps could your company be filling? 

What's your App? What does it do? How does it help? What gap does it fill? 

Sounds like we'd all better figure that out fast, if we're going off the desk and into people's hands.

Should Online Acquaintance Be Forgot? We Think So.

by Ron Daly 

I came across this story the other day from Usability Post which asks "Is it time to make 'Remember Me' the default for password protected websites?" This question comes as the result of a few articles about password memory, one which asks if it's time to do away with the option of "Remember Me" and go with automatic login. Another article by web-genius Jakob Nielsen suggests we get rid of the "dots" in the password field (i.e., "Password: ******"), because doing so would increase confidence in those who have trouble with passwords and save them the trouble of copy-pasting passwords. 

What do I think? No. To all of the above, I say no. No, no, no. 

Maybe I'm a little kooky about auto-login and password protection standards. I have to be, it's part of my business. DigitalMailer has lots of clients to manage and those clients all fall under the heading of "information too important to compromise". So we don't use "auto-fill" here, we don't use "save password/remember me" fields, we don't have "oops, I forgot" lists for passwords - none of that. We don't do those things because we value our client's safety. I don't know that it's such a great idea to do with your OWN information, either. 

Onward and Upward!

by Ron Daly 

"If we can put a man on the moon..." 

After celebrating the fortieth anniversary of doing the one thing that makes it seem like we can do anything, some worthwhile moments of note from around the web: 

Disney doing research on web banner receptiveness

(from the NY Times, via Gizmodo)

Disney, the mega-media conglomerate that owns ABC, Walt Disney World, and ESPN (to name a few) is doing some of the most complex and thorough investigation of the effectiveness of, and attention paid to, banner advertisements. Their goal is to say with some level of certainty which banner ads work the best - full page, pre-content movies, small button ads, etc. 

From the article:   

The tools are advanced: in addition to tracking eye movement, Dr. Varan and his 14-member team use heart-rate monitors, skin temperature readings and facial expressions (probes are attached to facial muscles) to reach conclusions.

Wow...that's some impressive technology and expense. Hopefully, we'll be able to see what Disney's results are (somehow)

Ban the book! Then bring it back!

(via AllThingsD.com)

Go to a bookstore. Buy a book. Take it home. You have the book. Now what happens when someone comes in and takes out of your hands. 

It might not happen with a paper book, but with a Kindle? It just did. 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has recently apologized for a rash of deletions that occurred when Kindle users downloaded the works of George Orwell. When users downloaded Animal Farm and 1984, they suddenly found both books gone from their portable reading devices. Amazon has officially apologized for removing the books from people's Kindles, but aren't willing to say it won't happen again. 

Remote deposits just keep getting more so. 

(via the CU Journal)

WVUFCU is now offering a special iPhone app called iDeposit, which allows members to scan a check they wish to deposit with their iPhone and deposit said check in their account (click here for the full article). How many more credit unions (or banks) will be using this in the near future? Only time will tell, but WVUFCU seems very happy with their early successes. We'll keep you posted!

Throwing salt all over "Snail Mail"

(via the Washington Post)

The postal service is still fading. With further losses, billions fewer pieces of mail per year, and further talk of Saturday delivery disappearing altogether to stem losses, bitter feelings are beginning to emerge. 

How do you feel about the disappearance of regular mail? What is the maximum amount of postage you'd pay to send a standard letter? We want to hear from you. 

Onward and upward! If you have a technological innovation you'd like to highlight, contact us. 

Email well-suited for today's changing business rules

by Ron Daly 

[[Editor's Note -- This was an excerpt from an article in this month's DigitalMailer newsletter. To sign up for our monthly e-mail newsletter, click here.]]

We live in an ever-evolving, technical world - one that requires creative thinking and adaptability. Email marketing is not for those who seek comfort in the status quo.

To make this point, a recent Email Insider article ("Put The Old Rules Out to Pasture," 6/8/09) highlighted the new book, Death to All Scared Cows: How successful business people put the old rules out to pasture. The book's authors, David Bernstein, Beau Fraser and Bill Schwab, challenge some of the business world's widely accepted assumptions about marketing. Building on this theme, Email Insider suggests e-marketing professionals should think beyond worn-out business rules, key among them:

Old Rule #1: Focus on the numbers and the rest will take care of itself. Focusing on quantity over quality can threaten your reputation, as well as the usefulness of your email contacts. Emphasizing numbers and data, rather than long-term consequences, can backfire. Building a large email database using precarious list-growth tactics, or sending lots of emails based on watered-down permission tactics may well cause an uptick in unsubscribe rates and spam complaints.

Old Rule #2: The goal of marketing is to sell a product. Not necessarily, marketing's real goal is attracting customers. For email marketers, this means not only inviting contacts to opt in, but also providing ongoing value to keep them subscribed. Going light on email sales pitches will help to attract and retain subscribers, building relationships, not just occasional customers.

Old Rule #3: Business should be serious. More businesses are throwing this rule out the window...and discovering success with a lighter approach. The authors put forth Apple as an example. Within their long-winded, small-print disclaimer on the iPod Shuffle box is the warning: "Do not eat iPod Shuffle." Apple has developed an upbeat, "today" personality, and customers like it. For marketers, emails are well-suited for similar informal, conversational communication. Keeping your messages light - even on the humorous side - can help them stand out in the crowded inbox.

Remember, just because it worked once doesn't mean it's the best tactic now. Take time to review each situation – and then be open to making adjustments. Whether it's via email or mobile messages, DigitalMailer's products can help you make the most of marketing dollars – visit www.digitalmailer.com/arb.html to learn more or email us at info@digitalmailer.com.

SMTP vs. SMS: What’s best for text marketing?

No doubt about it: We live in a mobile world. A recent PEW Internet study (The Mobile Difference, March 25, 2009) found that 39 percent of consumers have increased their use of and improved their attitudes about mobile communication devices. This is good news for savvy e-marketers who understand the unique characteristics of reaching consumers effectively via cell phones or other wireless devices. But in the area of text marketing, a debate has been brewing: Is it best to send messages to consumers via SMTP or SMPP?

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) was developed primarily as a method to send email messages. Using SMTP, marketers basically send emails to cell phone numbers. To consumers, the messages look just like texts. And like emails, there are no fees for delivering SMTP messages.

Using SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer Protocol) to exchange SMS (Short Message Service) messages, marketers send true text messages, routed through cell phone carriers. There is a fee charged for each message sent.

Twitter gets hacked. Why you need to care.

 

by Ron Daly 

BREAKING NEWS! Fox News has outed Bill O'Reilly, Rick Sanchez at CNN is addicted to crack and Britney Spears...well, the less said the better.

Obvioulsy, ALL THESE CLAIMS ARE FALSE. We have a hacker to thank for all these tidbits, which came from the fount of Internet knowledge: Twitter. 

Yes, Twitter. Folks these days don't know whether to call it a micro-blog or an instant messenger. But they do know, now, that there's a major security hole somewhere through which someone drove a bus (click here to read the story). 

Some of the biggest Twitterers (Tweeters? Tweets? Toots? Honestly, Jimmy's the one who keeps up with this stuff) were hit, including President-Elect Barack Obama, Britney Spears, Fox News and CNN Anchor Rick Sanchez. 

As someone who spends a lot of time talking about online security, I wondered whether or not this was all that news-worthy. Most twitter pages are just little blurbs about what people are doing, links to their favorite news stories, jokes back and forth with friends, etc. But then I read this article from NetworkWorld.com (read the article here). 

What would have happened if this hacker - who just threw out humiliating little gibes - had posted links to a virus? What if he'd have used email addresses or passwords he'd found to disturb people's private accounts on non-Twitter services? Does this tell you, dear reader, anything about how important it is to guard passwords? 

Jimmy and I jawboned about this for a little while. I asked what he thought was the biggest threat facing Twitter and he told me that there are so many peripheral Twitter applications that require username and password to operate. Seems like a tough sell for me, the thought of giving away security information. What do you think, folks? Respond below.

Text Me from the Other Side

by Jimmy Marks

I was browsing the DigitalMedia Newsreel on the right hand column this morning and I saw a story: 

"Bury Me with my Cell Phone" from MSNBC

It turns out that more and more people are being buried with their cells, Blackberrys, iPhones, Game Boys, etc. Trust me, I get leaving things in caskets. When we buried my grandma, my mom added pictures of my grandpa and the grandkids to the casket. Mom also put in some old letters and, if I remember correctly, a little bible. 

These were the things that were important to my grandmother - God, family, and friendship. But I can't see anyone having the same emotional attachment to an LG enV2 (I only mention this phone because it's the phone I have...I like it, but still).

The article linked here goes on to talk about a man who was buried with his phone. His wife put his number on the tombstone and continues to pay his bill so people can leave him voicemails. 

Take a moment and think about that.

If you're like me, you came up with two conclusions: 

1) Mobile is becoming not just a tool, but a part of life. It's taken the place of some key communication methods and it has combined dozens of technologies that only a few years ago were disparate. Thus, we think we can't live without it...or die without it. 

2) Folks these days that are having trouble letting go of their grief are finding out they don't have to... technologically anyway.

Consider this a binding document: when I'm gone, don't put a phone anywhere near my coffin. Or at LEAST put it on silent so it doesn't bug me. 

A Drop In the Bucket (or, in this case, Kettle)

by Ron Daly 

I do my best not to get sappy around this time of year, but I was touched to read this story from CNN.com (click here to read) about the Salvation Army coming to the rescue of a couple in need. The story talks at length about their health care bills being the reason they couldn't make their house payment and about how after years of donating to the Salvation Army, the couple went there for help. 

It's nice to see that people are still willing to remember the spirit of giving, even if it's only a few cents. Cents, I might add, that turned into $118 Million last year.

But what really impressed me were the details of the Salvation Army's use of text messaging and Twitter to get people to donate. When you text the SA's "Online Red Kettle" on your cell phone, you get to donate via your phone bill. Following the SA's kettle on Twitter keeps you abreast of important information from the 143-year-old organization. 

Presidential Campaigns’ Email Tactics: Good Lessons in What Not to Do

by Ron Daly

This election season, both presidential candidates have turned up the heat with their email programs. They know email is an efficient, fast, and cost-effective way to reach supporters and to bring in donations. But according to Email Insider’s Jordan Ayan, both campaigns are “abysmally poor at executing based on today’s best practices.” (The Real Presidential Debate: What’s up with Candidates’ Email Campaigns, Oct. 1, 2008).

While we won’t have a winner until tonight, the presidential race is a dead heat when it comes to email no-no’s. Here are a few examples:

• Sending too many emails. Like many companies, presidential campaigns have many departments and offices, making it hard to keep track of the various messages being sent out on behalf of the candidate. Both the McCain and Obama campaigns regularly send numerous emails within the same day, giving recipients the impression of not just a poorly managed email policy, but a campaign that doesn’t value their time or respect their inbox. 

• Using multiple and irregular “from” addresses. When trying to build a brand or establish consistency, the email rule of thumb is to use familiar name(s) in the “from” line, which improves open and readership rates. Both the McCain and Obama campaigns send emails under various names – some are familiar, like their VP candidates and spouses, but many are unfamiliar, like state chairpersons and major supporters. This tactic is confusing and increases the likelihood that the messages will go unnoticed.

• Ignoring CAN-SPAM guidelines. The FTC ruled that emailers must provide a simple unsubscribe process that doesn’t make the recipient give information other than their email address and opt-out choices, and does not require them do more than send a reply message or visit a single Web page to unsubscribe. Neither campaign follows these guidelines … Obama’s sends recipients to a designated webpage to receive a special code number that they must enter on a designated browser form; McCain’s requires recipients to give a reason for unsubscribing.

Today, many financial institutions recognize that email is a valuable tool when it comes to communicating with members/customers and marketing products. The secret to success is knowing the right way (and wrong way) to plan your email strategy – and putting that knowledge into practice. 

Some news from the folks at C.C.C.Blog

by The Contributors

Well, it's been a hum-dinger of a five months here at the C.C.C.Blog (Note: That's our new nickname for ourselves! Ya like? It goes with our logo that goes out with our email stories: 

Cool, huh?)

We've just ticked past 40 stories and we've got some exciting new updates to talk about. First: We recognized just the other day that our feed for this site was a little hard to get to. Luckily, we've put a BIG, HONKIN' LOGO linking to our feed right on our sidebar there! -->>

Click it and sign up for our feed in your favorite feed reader. If you don't have a favorite feed reader or don't want one, that's okay, too...we now deliver through email. Just click on the subscribe via email link right under the BIG, HONKIN' LOGO over there. -->>

So, what else is new? 

>Due to the popularity of our quiz from a post or so ago, we're going to start offering more quizzes...maybe on a particular day? Contact us, let us know when's a good time to be tested.

>Jimmy had a post featured in the CUES Techport newsletter! Click here to visit the CUES Techport website, or just go to the story itself by clicking here!

>Rob emerged from a posting dry-spell to give us his thoughts on the financial crisis...click here to read!

>We're STILL so excited to be bringing you advice and opinion! Speaking of advice, do you have questions you want us to answer? About anything? Let us know, we'll do our best to bring you enlightenment.

Onward and upward!