PayPal targets new sites via virtual payments
PayPal is reportedly set to launch a virtual payment system to extend its reach onto sites that don’t currently run its software.
Called PayPal Secure Card, the browser plug-in can detect when a shopper lands on an etailer’s checkout page and automatically fills in their stored financial details to save them time.
Northern Rock website struggles to cope with strain
Frustrated Northern Rock customers are being badly let down by the company’s website, which is being put under considerable pressure following one of the worst PR disasters in recent times.
The company sent out an unfortunate message to its customers last week after turning to the Bank of England for an emergency loan. It has since been ‘besieged by savers’ who have swarmed to its branches to withdraw their savings.
Six ways to improve online experience
There has been much discussion and comment recently about the quality of online customer experiences. Even small companies, run by specialists in their chosen field, need to provide a good online experience if they are to capture a share of the rapidly growing online spend.
Here’s my novice's guide to improving the quality of your online experience...
Usync launches 'Backstage Areas' for UK bands
Usync is an online resource which allows indie bands and artists to establish an online presence and distribute their music without the need to go through a major label.
The site was launched by in Australia in 2001 by Aussie band Gabriel's Day, which had been overlooked by major labels yet still had a fanbase.
Microsoft 'to release' adCenter update
Microsoft will roll out a new version of its adCenter search marketing system in around a month, according to one paid search professional claiming inside knowledge.
Yahoo! adds features for mobile publishers
Yahoo! this morning unveiled new tools that make it easier for publishers to mobilise and monetise their website content.
The Yahoo! Mobile Publisher Services help producers gain prominence for their sites in new mobile search services and allow them to make money from a range of ad formats.
Marketer wins damages for mailing list spam
A Scottish court has ordered an internet service provider to pay £750 plus expenses and interest to a man it "spammed" by sending a single e-mail obtained via a discussion list.
Gordon Dick took Transcom Internet Services to court in Edinburgh after receiving a marketing message apparently via an email group operated by UK domain registry Nominet. Both parties belonged to the group.
Google adds Docs & Spreadsheets to Apps package
Google has added Google Docs & Spreadsheets to its Google Apps On Your Domain offering, in another sign of the search giant's slow, mythological creep toward a Web 2.0-style Office rival.
Google Apps allows site administrators to issue users with white-label installations of Google's Gmail, Calendar, Talk, Start Page and Page Creator services, with apps accessible from the owners' domain name rather than on google.com.
Podcast suite Odeo goes up for sale
Web-based podcasting application Odeo has been put up for sale, just months after founder Evan Williams led a management buy-out of the project from investors.
Williams wrote: "We've put too much into Odeo to want to see it fade away. And it still has tons of potential. But we're not improving it fast enough."
Wikipedia's Google traffic balloons, search site 'should pay'
The amount of traffic sent from Google to Wikipedia has shot up 166% in the last year, according to data from Hitwise.The open encyclopedia last month broke into the US' list of top 10 websites, up four places on the previous month. Now researcher LeeAnn Prescott has revealed that 70% of Wikipedia's hits come from search queries, and 50% from Google alone.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
