Slade Sherman » iPad

Buy Now With Interactive Ads on The iPad

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:26:18 +0000

In my previous post on tablets, I made reference to interactivity on tablet computers and ‘interactive ads‘ is one area where the magazine or newspaper experience is being transformed.

With printed magazines you see an ad for that cool new product and you are interested. You finish reading the magazine and then… you may forget about the product; if you remember, you need to work out who sells it; you need to get in your car or hop onto the web to buy the product, arrange delivery etc etc.

Wired Mag on the iPad includes a product review section each month and readers have the opportunity to buy. You see the product, you like it, you tap ‘buy now’ and you are then directed to the store to make your purchase. No needing to remember, no running around, easy in app purchasing!

Below is a screenshot with a page featuring connected TV’s.

Tapping on the third TV opens up a ‘lightbox’ with product info and a ‘buy now’ option.

Clicking on ‘buy now’ takes you to a store (in this case Amazon) and you can purchase the product with one click shopping.

This interactive experience of purchasing is the future. If your ad is interesting and readers need to know more or want to buy…why shouldn’t they?

Technorati Tags: eCommerce, iPad, Online Strategies

Tablet Activity – Online Publishing Worth Paying For

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:24:30 +0000

I came across an interesting study by Pew Research on the adoption of tablet usage and daily activity. Of 1159 tablet users surveyed, the report claims that 11% of Americans have purchased tablet devices since the launch of the iPad in March 2010. So what are they doing?

Some other interesting findings for tablet owners:

77% use their tablet every day.
14% have paid for news services on their tablet devices.
Over half tablet owners share the device in their family.
Only 23% reported preferring reading books vs. reading on the tablet.
Apple dominates with over 81% surveyed owning an iPad.

Is news worth paying for on a tablet device?

Yes and no. If publishers just churn out the same garbage that can be read on a web browser then there is no added value and attempts at charging a fee will fall flat resulting in poor customer lifetime value.

But if done well, the magazine reading experience far outperforms the experience of reading a magazine the traditional way. I love, and pay for, the experience Wired and Popular Science provide based on their use of integrated animation (see this month’s cover of Popular Science as an example), videos (for ad content or features), more intuitive layouts (that do not have the restrictions of traditional print) and interactivity (tap for more content). Publishers who think about the user experience in their niche and develop new ways to interact around the tablet device will be the winners as more and more people engage with tablet devices.

Technorati Tags: iPad, Mobile Apps, Mobile Mesh, Tablets

Why I love the iPad

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:06:59 +0000

So what’s so good about the iPad? I mean who’s going to replace their books with this fancy electronic device anyway?

I think people that are focused on ‘books’ miss the point and this is why:

The iPad is not an electronic book,
It’s not a photo album.
It’s not a device for reading newspapers or magazines.
It’s not a video or YouTube viewer.
The iPad is not a games console.
and it’s not a music player.
And the iPad it’s not a presenting device.

The iPad is not any one of these things, it is ALL these things and more! OK, so you have probably guessed that I’m sold on the device and can’t wait to get my hands on one as soon as they come to Australia.

I am also very impressed with the convenience of the App Store. Like with the iPhone, iPad users can purchase apps and content with the tap of the finger and it’s easy because the App Store already has your credit card details. The simplicity and convenience removes roadblocks and lost sales usually caused by those ‘need to get my credit card’ moments.

The Mac strategy is about so much more than books. This video also has another use for the iPad but I should warn you that it was difficult for me to watch.

Technorati Tags: iPad, Marketing Tips