Insightful articles, opinion and commentary about mobile and web.

Xander Black, Creative Director at HotHouse, discusses why great work online is so much more than specific technologies or beautiful visual design

The internet is a breeding ground for ideas. New ones emerge every day. ‘Memes’ come and go on a daily basis and the good ones linger on… go viral and become part of the language of the internet itself.

Whether it’s Lolcats, the Star Wars Kid, or the history of dance, we’ve all seen them, laughed at them, and passed them on to others to enjoy. The internet has become the best vehicle the world has seen for the genesis of ideas and their proliferation. A single idea can spread across the world in a matter of hours.

These days, when you want your new campaign to be seen, you’re not just trying to stand out from a page of news content. You’re not even just competing against your competitors. Online, you’re competing against the very best that the internet has to offer.

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In my last couple of blog posts I have thrown around a few statistics that demonstrate the explosive growth of the mobile web and smartphone penetration in Australia.

Now I am a proud Apple user and rely on several devices powered by iOS in my professional and personal life. I’m not alone – iPhones make up 45% of smartphones sold in Australia, one of the highest market shares in the world.

But the mobile world is changing rapidly, even more rapidly than other market sectors. Despite the continuing success of Apple, you cannot discount the presence of its competitors, most notably Google.

In the US, for example, Android phones (powered by Google) now have a 40% market share, almost 15% ahead of the iPhone, according to the most recent Comscore report. Meanwhile, according to Canalys, Android’s global mobile phone market share is 48%, compared to only 19% for the iPhone.

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HotHouse managing director Simon van Wyk talks to Lucas Challamel, ANZ sales manager for mobile web software company Netbiscuits, about how to develop effective mobile applications in a world where there are more than 6,000 devices to design for.

Listen to the podcast below.

 

 The rise of mobile web applications: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It was hard to miss the headlines earlier this month when Google started to reveal the findings of the smartphone research undertaken on its behalf by IPSOS Research.

Surveying 30,000 people in 30 countries, 2000 of whom were Australians, the research gives us some terrific insights into how people are using their smartphones. Importantly, I think it serves as a wake-up call for businesses that have yet to get serious about mobile.

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By Simon van Wyk

What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago, when the tech world was still picking up the pieces from the broken bubble, those of us optimists knew that there was a strong future ahead, but we couldn’t say what that future would look like.

Ten years ago, it was believed Internet uptake was well established, with nearly 50% of homes and most businesses being connected to the Web. Ecommerce and video on the Internet were identified as growth areas, but it was hard to imagine how all that could be achieved.

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HotHouse is seeking an ambitious Junior Frontend Developer - CSS, HTML, JavaScript, jQuery to join its frontend development team.

You’ll be working as part of a fast moving frontend development team, maintaining and updating multiple client sites by applying the latest and greatest web technologies.

You’ll work closely with creative and backend teams to deliver cutting edge solutions with a focus on the latest industry standards best practices for SEO, SEM, cross-browser compatibility. in a fun and fast paced team, staying on top of new web technologies.

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HotHouse is seeking an ambitious Account Executive to join its client services team.

Our future Account Executive lives in a digital world driven by passion and a desire to make-it-happen. You’re able to channel that passion into strategic thinking. You love bringing to life creative ideas by translating them into cutting edge digital solutions. When faced with a challenge, your response is “how high?” You’re the perfect team player.

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Over the last 16 years, HotHouse has been busy building brands online. Today, we can proudly make claim to a cumulative audience of over 1 million people a month that engage with our clients’ brands online. Building these brands is more than just bits and bytes. We blend sophisticated analytics with audience insights to deliver clear communication and content strategies.

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Who isn’t looking to improve their bottom line performance and consumer engagement? The upcoming ADMA seminar on Wednesday, 22 June will be addressing exactly that. The seminar will feature a panel of five visionary marketers who will share their success stories and practical insights in regards to Email and Social Marketing. Simon van Wyk along with Christian Magel, the founder of amaysim, will be speaking specifically towards successful digital strategies for the launch of a new brand.

To register, and for more information, go to adma.com.au/events

Download seminar brochure

By Simon van Wyk

It’s the question on every marketer’s (and CEO’s) lips: How do I know if my marketing efforts are working? When it comes to digital healthcare activities, there are a number of options available, but as with so many digital areas, there is no easy answer as to how to measure marketing success.

Looking specifically at mobile marketing activities, you need to balance the numbers. On the plus side, the explosive growth in smartphone and tablet use, particularly among healthcare professionals, opens up a wide audience. On the other hand, you need to consider that there are currently about 8,000 health-related apps in iTunes and hundreds (soon to be thousands) available for Android.

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