Small businesses are growing

In contrast to the doom and gloom coming from Europe’s biggest firms, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are cautiously optimistic. A recent survey by the Federation of Small Business, which represents the smallest SMEs in Britain, found that 60% of businesses were performing as well as or better than last year.

Economist.com, May 2009

Popularity: 10% [?]

Over 60% of online businesses are confident about the future.

Over 60% of online businesses are confident about the future.

NMA, March 2009

Popularity: 6% [?]

Switching energy suppliers is commonplace in the UK.

Switching energy suppliers is commonplace in the UK. The churn rate for gas customers decreased to 18.1% (from 18.9%) between November 1, 2008 and January 31, 2009. Power account churn rates also decreased to 17.7% (from 19.1%)

Datamonitor, Q1 2009

Popularity: 7% [?]

Energy bills increased by around 30% over 2008.

Energy bills increased by around 30% over 2008.
Datamonitor, Q1 2009

Popularity: 6% [?]

Google – Internet Stats

This Google resource brings together the latest industry facts and insights together in one place. These have been collected from a number of third party vendors covering a range of topics from macroscopic economic and media trends to how consumer behaviour and technology are changing over time.

via Google – Internet Stats.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Forbes.com Ad Effectiveness Survey

# Respondents appreciate the halo effect that a website or publication can have on their brand; 43% said that sponsoring a website, page or digital publication is the most effective digital tool when it comes to affecting brand perceptions.

# SEO and Email and e-newsletter marketing are by far the most popular method of digital marketing among respondents, used by three-quarters.

# Respondents were by far the least happy with ad networks, with half saying that the results did not meet expectations.

# 87% measure results of their digital campaigns in some way, the most popular being benchmarking against goals set prior to the campaign.

# The success of digital marketing appears to be measured by physical action, with impact to the bottom line being far and away the most important factor in determining success.

# When it comes to behavioral targeting, the strongest concern by far among respondents was its effectiveness, followed by fear of customer backlash.

# The tools seen as most effective for generating conversions were SEO (48%), email and e-newsletter marketing (46%), and pay-per-click/search marketing (32%).

# In the coming six months, respondents expect that ad networks will see the biggest declines in allocation of marketing spend; viral marketing and SEO will likely see the biggest increases. Behavioral Targeting is the category that is least likely to see any changes in spend.

via Forbes.com Ad Information.

Popularity: 6% [?]

How companies are benefiting from Web 2.0 – McKinsey Quarterly – Business Technology – Strategy

Over the past three years, we have tracked the rising adoption of Web 2.0 technologies, as well as the ways organizations are using them. This year, we sought to get a clear idea of whether companies are deriving measurable business benefits from their investments in the Web. Our findings indicate that they are.

Nearly 1,700 executives from around the world, across a range of industries and functional areas, responded to this year’s survey.1 We asked them about the value they have realized from their Web 2.0 deployments in three main areas: within their organizations; externally, in their relations with customers; and in their dealings with suppliers, partners, and outside experts.

via How companies are benefiting from Web 2.0 – McKinsey Quarterly – Business Technology – Strategy.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Coupons.com Downloads in 2009 So Far Beat All of 2008

In the first five months of 2009, digital coupon provider Coupons Inc. has already seen more downloads of its interactive discount offers than in all of 2008, the company will announce today.

According to company reports, the value of savings printed directly from the main Web site, http://www.Coupons.com, and from other sites to which the company syndicates its offers, reached $313 million from January 2009 through May. That’s slightly above the total value of the savings printed from those sites in 2008 and represents an increase in coupon value of 212% over the same period last year.

via Coupons.com Downloads in 2009 So Far Beat All of 2008.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Online Ads Lift CPG Sales 9%, on Par with TV: comScore

Online advertising can be as effective as television advertising in lifting retail sales of CPG brands, according to a new study from comScore and dunnhumbyUSA.

The study, based on a 200,000 panel of consumers who were members of grocery store loyalty programs, indicated that online advertising lifts retail sales of CPG products by an average of 9%, compared to an average lift of about 8% from TV campaigns (measured by Information Resources, Inc. and published in their seminal research paper How Advertising Works).

Online Ads Lift CPG Sales 9%, on Par with TV: comScore.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Dainippon Sumitomo to Buy Sepracor for $2.6 Billion Update1 – Bloomberg.com

Sept. 3 Bloomberg — Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. agreed to buy Sepracor Inc. for $2.6 billion to gain a U.S. sales force and experimental treatments in the world’s biggest drug market.Dainippon will pay $23 a share, 28 percent more than Sepracor’s $18.03 closing price on Sept. 1, the companies said today. Marlborough, Massachusetts-based Sepracor will become a wholly owned unit of Dainippon after the all-cash transaction is completed, they said.

via Dainippon Sumitomo to Buy Sepracor for $2.6 Billion Update1 – Bloomberg.com.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Cancer Mortality Rates Experience Steady Decline – Health News – redOrbit

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ — The number of cancer deaths has declined steadily in the last three decades. Although younger people have experienced the steepest declines, all age groups have shown some improvement, according to a recent report in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.”Our efforts against cancer, including prevention, early detection and better treatment, have resulted in profound gains, but these gains are often unappreciated by the public due to the way the data are usually reported,” said Eric Kort, M.D., who completed the study while employed as a research scientist at Van Andel Research Institute VARI in Grand Rapids, Mich.

via Cancer Mortality Rates Experience Steady Decline – Health News – redOrbit.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Facebook Releases New “Fan Box” Widget to Turn Website Visitors into Facebook Fans

In a move to increase the power of Facebook Pages, Facebook has just released a new widget that allows brands and businesses to share status updates from their Facebook Page – and get new Facebook fans – on any website.

The new “Fan Box” widget, built on Facebook Connect, allows Page owners to put a piece of their Facebook Page anywhere on the web.

via Facebook Releases New “Fan Box” Widget to Turn Website Visitors into Facebook Fans.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Behaving differently?

What struck me about this was there seems to be an inverse relationship between the degree of digital sociability vs the historical degree of analog (physical) sociability within that country. Perhaps it’s my (mis)perception but countries like Italy, Australia, New Zealand and France have always struck me as being inherently social cultures, while Russia, Finland, UK, Germany and the USA have always felt far more of a nation of individuals. (I note that Brazil and Spain seem to be big exceptions; perhaps these are the truly super-social nations?)

via brand new: Behaving differently?.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Swine Flu Toolbox: 45+ Awesome Apps, Mash-Ups, Plugins And Services To Track And Be Safe From Swine Flu « Websites, Internet, Software Tips And Reviews

Swine flu is spreading like wildfire all around the world. Swine flu, also known as H1N1 is a avian influenza virus that started in Mexico and has been spreading globally since the last month, such as the USA and recently to Asia. With the use of social media such as Twitter as well as the use of Web 2.0, you can track the latest swine flu news and trends easily and quickly, all in real-time. Here is a great list of 45+ awesome apps, add-ons, services, mashups and plugins to get updated about the latest swine flu news as well as to visualize and track it as the flu spread across the world, while keeping yourself safe from the flu. Be sure to help us spread this post on Twitter or digg this post if you liked it

via Swine Flu Toolbox: 45+ Awesome Apps, Mash-Ups, Plugins And Services To Track And Be Safe From Swine Flu « Websites, Internet, Software Tips And Reviews.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Cool Web apps for everyone – CNET

In addition to new features such as support for HTML 5, geo-location, and a noticeably faster engine, Firefox 3.5 added a new CSS rule that makes Web typography much more attractive.

@font-face is a CSS rule that allows Web designers to reference fonts not installed on end-user machines. Just as you would have a pointer to a server-based stylesheet or JavaScript file in your Web page code, you can now make reference to a hosted typeface.

via Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone – CNET.

Popularity: 13% [?]