This type of approach has been around for a long time now, but it is truly becoming the way of the future. Mark Pincus, founder and chief executive of Zynga, (Farmville, Draw Something or Words with Friends mean anything to you? Yeah, that guy!), said: “Game mechanics will be the most valuable skill in the new economy. And if that’s not proof enough, Gartner, a tech research firm, predicted that soon “a gamified service for consumer-good marketing and customer retention will become as important as Facebook, eBay or Amazon.”

Here are some great examples of different companies or applications using Gamification techniques to create engagement and retention.

1. Project Chromaroma – London Metro

According to their website, Chromaroma takes your travel data and makes it into a game where every journey counts in a competition for the city. By using this type of game, the London Metro (also known as The Tube) expects people to use their transport services more often and increase their travel time to win and score points!

This Vimeo video perfectly illustrates the project.

Chromaroma from Mudlark on Vimeo.

2. AttendeeBee

AttendeeBee is a gamification application for conference goers. Attendees who use this application can check-in to their location, tweet about it, schedule the conferences they want to attend and rate sessions while accumulating points. The attendee with the most points can win prizes, like an Xbox-Kinect. When this application was launched at CloudFest Denver, attendees’ scores were published in real time on a large monitor including a player leaderboard.

Here is a screen shot of the application.

 3. SlimKicker

Need a great body for bikini or trunk season? Need a little kick in the “derrière”? Well SlimKicker will do just that, it turns your diet/fitness and weight loss goals into a winnable game; hence you kick yourself to make sure you win! You start by tracking your diet and fitness and get points when you eat healthy foods. SlimKicker starts off with easy challenges and as you progress the challenges become more difficult. The goal is to help people build long-term habits.

Here is a screenshot of the online application that grants you points for challenges you accomplish.

4. Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon is a TV network targeted to teens. In Nov 2011, the HALO awards (Helping and Leading Others) aired on Nickelodeon. They wanted to create a marketing campaign to drive teens to engage with HALO content on TeenNick.com. They hired BigDoor, a gamified loyalty platform that powers social engagement through the use of game mechanics, to build a tool for them. This tool allowed teens to go on HALO quests to learn about the awards. As the users went through the quests, they earned points for accomplishing goals. With these points, they earned a $5 Donor’s Choose card which allowed them to make a donation to a public school on DonorsChoose.org. As a result, 3000 cards were redeemed and $15,000 was donated. The website performed very well and teens engaged more with the website, performing 13 times as many actions then usually.

Here is a screenshot of the online application.

These 4 examples prove that with a game, user retention is much higher. People enjoy being entertained. The rise of gamification shows that individuals enjoy the extra motivation or challenge. We are all becoming gamers in some way or another, and businesses are starting to capitalize on this emerging trend. We have become more demanding when it comes to interacting on a website, and this is what gamification does, it brings an element of fun into something that typically isn’t. Don’t we all want to be winners?

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We surveyed and tested 21 web specialists to learn more about how they use their smartphones.

Two of the 21 specialists shamefully confessed to not owning a smartphone!

70% of those surveyed had purchased applications

The main reason is clearly the micro price. It is difficult to resist the temptation when your morning coffee is more expensive than an application! Your credit card is already saved in your profile; simply enter a password and the application is installed before you know it!

What is even more interesting is that none of the experts interviewed planned to purchase an application in 2012 … However, the majority will.

28 applications on average

The experts told us they download applications according to their needs. For many of them it’s a game they are eager to play everyday and share with their friends and colleagues. This explains why many applications are downloaded. Exploring a large library of applications is a good way to kill time!

Applications 3x faster!

We asked the experts to access Facebook in two ways: by application and by searching the Internet. The results speak for themselves. On average, user access is three times faster thanks to the Facebook application. The only time the reverse happens is when they had to download the application.
Simplicity and speed are the key ingredients to building a loyal community of users.

The benefits of applications

Branding

One of the advantages of having a mobile application is that it is always available when we turn on our office phone. Once turned on the first thing we see is 20 applications. We can easily identify the logos and company names associated with the downloaded applications. Every day we see the little Twitter bird, the Facebook “F” and the wicked looking Angry Birds. This gives the company free publicity and brand visibility every time we turn on our phone.

Advertising

Once downloaded, the application has access to a great deal of user information including where they live, age of the users, and the time of day they use the application, etc. Data collected by the application can help plan the next advertising campaign. In addition to this, you can include advertising or sell products directly on the application.

No need for Internet

If you have a smart phone, you don’t want to pay astronomically high user fees. So when there is no Wi-Fi available, you close your Internet connection as often as possible to save your data. Fortunately, most applications will work without internet access.

Disadvantages of applications

The installation

Installing an application on a smartphone can sometimes be a long and painful process. Often, while searching in the Apple Store the results are not relevant to the search and we rarely find what we want the first time.

Updates

What we find most tedious about applications are the frequent updates. We use an application because it is faster, but once opened, we receive a message informing us that we cannot access it until it is updated. So how fast is that?

Maintenance

If you have a website and are planning a web application, you must realize that the cost will be high.  An application requires constant maintenance for all platforms including updates and debugging.  The more popular your application the more time and effort you must invest  to make it interesting for users.

Mobile applications, a winning ad

In a world where competition is fierce, applications will help you stand out by creating a community of loyal users. Although the cost of application development is high your return on investment (ROI) will win out.

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Today, I would like to briefly return to the fundamentals of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. The starting point for launching aneffective SEO strategy is to understand how your customers find you. In other words, what words could your potential customers use to find you? Here, it is necessary to understand the importance of adapting your thinking to that of the user. Very precise and technical words are fine for experts but what about regular users? Keywords and key phrases are the first thing to consider when trying to reach the right audience.

To find the right keywords for your business:

1. Determine who your potential customers are
2. Make a list of all words that come to mind
3. Research the web to find other keywords
4. Look at what your competitors are doing. The idea here is to learn from others or learn from their mistakes and not repeat them
5. Try your keywords to see if the results are relevant

Once you’ve found the keywords most relevant for you, use the tools at your disposal to determine if they generate enough monthly searches.

Several free tools are available online:

1. www.google.com/sktool
2. www.wordstream.com/keywords

Once you know the number of monthly searches generated by your keywords, you will be able to make a final choice.  Remember that this research can take some time. Several companies are now specializing in keyword analysis, competitive analysis and Web market analysis. These experts will guide you and give you ideas to help you achieve the best results as quickly as possible.

Don’t forget that the choice of keywords is only the first step in a SEO strategy.  You must then create SEO content, optimize your website, analyze the results and keep a constant eye on the competition. Otherwise, your keyword efforts will be unproductive.

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When you learned that Google was launching its own social network, Google +, did you wonder how useful it would be to you? Most of us are already on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, so why would we bother with a new account to manage? Perhaps you said the same thing in 2007, during the mass migration from MySpace to Facebook. In the world of social media, being in the right place at the right time is critical. Those who wait too long before adding Google + to their internet marketing toolbox may well regret it. Here are five reasons to explore Google + today.

1. Companies Will Soon Sign Up

Google has asked companies to be patient before creating their account on Google +. The reason for this is because Google wants to offer the best possible service. Google is currently beta testing their social network with some volunteer companies. The results are bound to be spectacular. Users will be able to combine the strength of several existing products like Google Local and Google Places with exciting new social features like ‘Circles’ and ‘Hangouts’ from the same communication platform. This will be a great for SEO.

2. Google + Has Already Been Indexed by Google

The opposite would be surprising! This means that the internal pages of Google + find themselves quickly in the search results of Google. And promoting products or services via this social network just go a whole lot easier.

3. Google is Committed to the Project 100%

Google revealed the goal of Google+ early in 2011: to take their place in the areas of social networking and mobile media. This time, unlike their previous efforts like Buzz, Google’s leaders have invested a lot of money and time into this project. Many employees are working full time on Google + to deliver you amazing results.

4. Google +: A Mixture of Individuals and Businesses

With Google +, you can categorize your knowledge in different circles. You can then communicate with each circle individually. You’ll be able to customize your shipments. At the same time, the information received will always be relevant to the person targeted.

5. A Social Network by Google

With what search engine are you looking to best position your keywords? The answer is Google! Does Google have access to Facebook and Twitter data? No. Will Google receive data from Google +? Oh Yeah! Since Google controls more than 80% of web searches, it is imperative to open a Google + account, if only to improve your search engine ranking.

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Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to ensure the visibility and popularity of your website. Do you know that patience is also required when using this type of marketing tool? The results of SEO are usually seen 4 to 6 months after implementation. The wait is worth the effort since it has been proven that internet users put more trust in sites that are among the top results of search engines.

To help accelerate the SEO results, Google AdWords can be very useful. With Google AdWords, your ad appears at the top and to the right side of the search engine results. While users now know that these are paid links, the fact remains that in this position your ad is immediately visible. By combining the two strategies, SEO and pay per click advertising, you are sure to be seen faster on the first page of search engine results.

The best times to use Google AdWords are generally:

• when launching a new website
• during your busy season
• when you have a promotion or new product

Here are some advantages and features of Google AdWords:

1. Immediate posting; within hours, your ads can appear on the Google search engine and be visible to potential customers.
2. Relevance and focus; you can target your ads based on the interests of your customers, geographic location, language and other demographics of Internet users.
3. Monitoring of daily expenses; you have full control of your advertising spending. You set a daily budget which can never be exceeded.
4. Return on investment (ROI); since you choose how much you are willing to pay for a click or an impression, it is easy to know how much you earn from each of these marketing efforts. This data is available almost instantly so you can make adjustments and respond quickly to ensure the success of your campaign.
5. Increased traffic to your website; thanks to Google AdWords your potential customers will find your ads directly on the first page of search engine results.

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Before making changes to your website or planning your Internet marketing strategy, here are some questions to consider:

1. What is your main objective on the Web?
2. Who are your potential customers on the Web?
3. How do your clients find you?
4. Is your website providing the right information?
5. Is your website is easy to use?

Once all these questions are answered, you can set objectives for your internet marketing campaign. Here are some additional questions to consider:

1. How to monitor your site traffic as it relates to your objectives?
2. How to increase traffic to your site?
3. How to improve your search engine ranking?
4. How to use social media?

Although you can do all this internally, the fact remains that using a professional is recommended. Achieving your goals on the Web can be a long process, if the right questions are not asked at the outset. Also, with the wide variety of products available, it can be easy to get lost. The thing to understand is that your company needs a Web presence but it must be a well planned and optimal presence.

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A blog is the perfect place to create new content about your products and services. It is a place to talk about the latest news from your industry, upcoming product innovations or the release of a new product. Remember that a blog is not a place to sell; it a place that allows potential customers to seek additional information. This is the best marketing tool to share your knowledge and expertise.

2. To provide more information about you and your company

A blog is also the place to go beyond the marketing message. Share information on the manufacturing process, tell a story about your founder or talk about your company’s values and how your work conveys those values. The idea is redefine the traditional relationship between the customer and the business. Introducing other aspects of your business to your customers creates a human element that inspires their confidence and trust.

3. To initiate conversation with customers

All blog platforms offer the opportunity to respond to comments. Theyalso offer the opportunity to prohibit such comments. Do not be tempted by the simplicity! Let your visitors comment on your articles and interact with them. Take the time to answer all comments, positive or not. This will demonstrate your commitment to customer service!

4. To develop a dynamic and sustainable customer relationships

Once in place, your blog can serve to attract new customers while offering new and updated services to existing customers. Employ your blog as a resource guide: describe the characteristics of a new product, act as guide to your own products and services and answer frequently asked questions. This way, your blog will become a reference site that your customers can consult at any time to quickly find answers to their questions.

5. To generate traffic to your website

As your blog evolves, the number of visitors will increase. It is with your own content that you will demonstrate that you are an authority in your field. That content will attract the confidence and trust of prospective customers. To generate traffic to your website, make sure you have an “About Us” section or a short biography on the homepage of your blog. In addition, when writing articles, include links to your website when the information contributes to the content of your site.

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The Introduction of Smartphones
If you have a smart phone you can now read the bar code of a product using the phone’s camera. This creates many new opportunities for businesses, but primarily opportunities for the consumer. Bar codes are no longer only for the management of inventory, consumers can now use them to find product information on the Internet.  Using an application like BarCodeHero, you can read your friends’ recommendations, compare the price of the same product in other stores and find similar products!

The Quick Response (QR)
More and more consumers are acquiring smart phones and at the same time more uses for bar codes on the Internet are being developed.  The Quick Response is an example of a new bar code format that is gaining popularity. This new bar code format can be read more quickly and it holds much more information than its predecessor. Quick Response has been available for some time in Japan and it is now used throughout the world in advertising, as shown in this Stella Artois photo.

Here are some uses for QR:

1. In magazine and street adverting, it can take you directly to the buying page for online products.
2. On your business card, it can provide access to a video that explains your services, access your email or even make a direct call.
3. You can display the directions to get to your restaurant.
4. On house For Sale signs, it will automatically launch a series of photographs taken from inside the house.
5. On film displays in video stores, it will launch the film trailers.
6. You can automatically add an application or game to your iPhone by simply reading the bar code.

To create your own QR Code

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In 2010, websites were visited three times more often by smartphone users than in 2009 and 1 in 25 Internet users now use a smartphone to access the internet.  (Using Share of Browsers, Wikipedia, November 2010) 

Web designers optimize their sites for most screens to ensure that the important sections of the websites are visible to the user. They ensure that the site is attractive, easy to navigate and free of bugs. To help accomplish this, they must take into account the different screens on today’s market, including the latest and widest screens and also the older screens and laptops that have small displays. A general rule is to develop websites for a resolution of 1024 x768 wide, which covers most displays.

Be careful not to forget that smart phones like the iPhone and the BlackBerry are becoming more and more popular. These smartphones now allow you to browse the Internet as quickly and easily as if you were using your computer. There is one major difference to remember though; the screen is much smaller! Although you can browse most sites, these websites were designed for a much larger screen and some technologies are not available.

How to adapt your website

Ideally, it should detect and redirect smartphone users to a website specially designed for smartphones. The interface should change to a resolution of 320 x 480 and the content should be simplified since most users only read the outline. A more economical solution would be to adapt your main website to accommodate smartphone users without penalizing the majority of visitors who navigate the internet using their computers.

Here are some tips:

Flash technology is not available for iPhone users. If you have several clients who visit your website using their iPhones, I suggest you use other technologies like jQuery which is more suitable for smartphones.

Stay away from using drop down menus, especially menus with many levels.  It is difficult to be precise on a touch screen only a few inches wide and you can avoid frustrating your visitors by limiting the use of drop down menus.

Make sure the website is not too heavy. Limit the number of images since Wi-Fi phone networks are generally slower.

Avoid using large amounts of text. Use bulleting to separate ideas and keep the text to a minimum.

Be concise!

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Social Media

Facebook.com
Facebook now has over 500 million members and many of your friends, partners and competitors are already members. Facebook is a must to promote your services. View photos from an event you attended or add the Facebook Like button to your product page and Facebook becomes a low cost marketing platform.

Twitter.com
Another service for you to discover is Twitter.  Twitter can broadcast information faster than TV and it will keep you informed on the topics that matter to you! Inform people about a new service or product using Twitter. A common practice is to display your latest tweets on your website.

AddThis.com
AddThis is a tool that brings all the social media together under a single button. You can share your articles with more people and more services such as Gmail, Digg, and Stumbleuppon using AddThis.

Blogs

WordPress.org
“Blogger” is very popular but WordPress is a more popular platform. Unlike an article, where the author is the only one conveying information, a “post” on a blog allows an exchange between the author and the readers. You can chat with people interested in your services, bringing you closer to your customers.

Search Engines

Google.com / maps.google.com
Although Yahoo! and Alta Vista have provided good service in the past; we are obviously in the age of Google. Ultra fast, accurate and fair, Google has little to fear from the competition. You also need to know about Google Maps. It will give you directions, travel time and even photos along the route to a given location. It is even possible to integrate this interactive map with all its benefits, directly into your site, ideally in your “Contact Us” section.

Videos

YouTube.com
Totally free, YouTube has a huge bank of all kinds of videos. It is the ideal medium to share your videos on the web, since each video you post will be shared automatically. If you have not already done so, use it as a platform to promote your corporate videos!

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