iphone | Internet Marketing Blog

Qype improves its iPhone app

Qype, which claims to be the UK's largest local search and recommendation website, has just released an updated version of its mobile app, Radar, for iPhone users.

Like rival Yelp, Qype Radar provides local listings and reviews for mobile users, very useful when you're out and looking for somewhere local to eat, or for other local services.

by Graham Charlton 28 May 2009 09:07am 0 comments

Nokia's Ovi Store gets off to a rocky start

Companies like Nokia were in the mobile phone business long before Apple but with the iPhone and App Store, Apple has been able to eclipse larger rivals in the innovation department.

Today, Nokia fired back at the App Store with an app store of its own: Ovi Store.

by Patricio Robles 26 May 2009 16:03pm 1 comment

Can iPhone apps lift your brand value through association?

Brands can get a generous lift when affiliated with high quality products such as the iPhone. But what about the applications in the App Store? Let's look at why Apple should build a sustainable eco-system for technology-based mobile applications, which is the key to product quality and research into the potential of mobile applications that brand marketers can harness.

by Tina Whitfield 26 May 2009 12:06pm 3 comments

Q&A: Yelp London Community Manager Laura Nestler

Local online reviews site Yelp has come a long way in the United States, where it now competes head-on with IAC/InterActiveCorp's Citysearch. Yelp launched in the UK earlier this year and recently rolled out functionality that gives business owners the opportunity to respond to reviewers.

I spoke with Laura Nestler, Yelp's London Community Manager, to find out more about Yelp's efforts in the UK, how Yelp can be used by businesses and where Yelp is headed.

by Patricio Robles 22 May 2009 10:42am 3 comments

Apple's response to netbooks: a tablet?

When asked about netbooks earlier this year, Apple COO Tim Cook didn't beat around the bush: "They have cramped keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, very small screens, and just not a consumer experience, and not something that we would put the Mac brand on, quite frankly".

That's fine, but the reality is that netbooks have made a huge mark on the market and have been given credit for driving much of the growth in the PC market. It's not hard to see why: for $300 or less in some cases, consumers can have an internet-capable 'mini-laptop'. In this economy, it's safe to say that many netbooks have been sold to consumers who otherwise would not have made a laptop purchase due to price considerations.

by Patricio Robles 22 May 2009 09:31am 2 comments

Pandora gets freed by the iPhone, helped by the recession

After years of battling over royalty fees, internet radio station Pandora is finally moving its balance sheet into the black. Getting a boost of subscriptions from its iPhone app, Pandora is also learning that its users have a much higher tolerance for ads than it previously thought.

A beloved service with a host of financial problems stemming from record industry copyright fees, Pandora now intersperses ads into its free content and the company is finding that audiences don't seem to mind.

Pandora founder Tim Westergren spoke to Bloomberg News about the company's finances Tuesday:

"With budgets tightening in the recession, advertisers are becoming more selective about where to spend money. That benefits Pandora because it can deliver ads to targeted users, making sure commercials aren’t “wasted” on the wrong demographic group, Westergren said."

by Meghan Keane 20 May 2009 16:09pm 1 comment

Mobile site review: Auto Windscreens

In what seems like an effective use of mobile internet, Auto Windscreens recently released a new mobile site which is optimised for iPhones and Blackberries.

The mobile site allows drivers to find the nearest fitting centre to them and make a booking before that crack gets any bigger. I've been trying the site out to see how well it works.

by Graham Charlton 19 May 2009 11:31am 1 comment

Q&A: Jon Mew on the IAB's mobile advertising study

The IAB released its first mobile ad spend study this week, which shows that the UK market grew by 99.2% year on year, and was worth a total of £28.6m in 2008.

I've been talking to the IAB's head of mobile Jon Mew about the mobile advertising survey...

by Graham Charlton 13 May 2009 14:13pm 1 comment

Which UK newspapers have mobile sites?

I've reviewed the mobile sites of The Guardian and FT.com recently, and both are excellent examples of how newspapers can make their content accessible for mobile users, as well as creating more advertising opportunities.

With this in mind, I thought I'd see what all of the UK's national newspapers are doing with their mobile sites, how easy they are to find and access, and if they even have one...

by Graham Charlton 08 May 2009 09:30am 6 comments

Q&A: Guardian Mobile Product Manager Marcus Austin

The Guardian recently revamped and relaunched its mobile site, with the end result being a big improvement on the old version, making it now one of the better mobile news sites.

I've been asking The Guardian's mobile product manager Marcus Austin about the new mobile site, the thinking behind the design and features, and how it works across different mobile devices.

by Graham Charlton 07 May 2009 12:15pm 1 comment