Trend: Google Down Slightly While Yahoo, Microsoft Up
May 11, 2010
In U.S. Internet searches, Google sites dropped a bit while the Yahoo and Microsoft Web sites experienced an increase in visitors in April 2010, according to the latest comScore Core Search Report. The research company also reports there were 15.5 billion searches last month.
Google’s market share was 64.4 percent – down .7 percent from 65.1 percent.
Yahoo’s sites jumped in visitors by .8 percent – from 16.9 to 17.7 percent.
Microsoft increased by .1 percent from 11.7 to 11.8 percent.
“Both Yahoo! Sites and Microsoft Sites have experienced gains due in part to the introduction of new site navigation experiences that tie content and related search results together within several channels,” according to the comscore press release.
“These features provide search results to users as they navigate through topical content and meet comScore’s established criteria for counting search queries,” added comScore. “Ask Network captured 3.7 percent of the search market, followed by AOL LLC with 2.4 percent.”
The ranking in terms of searches:
- Google – 10 billion
- Yahoo – 2.8 billion
- Microsoft – 1.8 billion
- Ask Network – 574 million
- AOL LLC – 371 million
The comScore disclaimer: “Based on the five major search engines including partner searches and cross-channel searches. Searches for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites that are not on the core domain of the five search engines are not included in the core search numbers.”
Here’s the link for the comScore press release.
From the Coach’s Corner, here’s a helpful article on Six Ways to Test Your E-commerce Site.
Risk Management – Lawyer Explains Basics in Protecting Intellectual Property
Each hour, it seems, news headlines are published about patents. Normally, patent headlines are a sign of business friction as the case with Xerox vs. Google and Yahoo, and Apple vs. Nokia.
So it’s extraordinary for adversaries such as Google and Yahoo to be on the same side. Xerox filed a patent lawsuit naming the two search giants alleging they are violating automatic query and information patents, according to InformationWeek.
It’s also rare when you can spot a positive news headline regarding patents. Note this PC World headline: “Microsoft, Amazon Strike Patent Licensing Deal.” This means Microsoft and Amazon.com will each tap into the other company’s technology. As part of the arrangement, Microsoft will receive payments from Amazon.com.
Entrepreneurs are well-advised to consider ways to avoid legal entanglements over their inventions and intellectual property.
Here’s an example: Apple vs. Nokia. In this case, the U.S. International Trade Commission is investigating.
Sounds serious, doesn’t it – it’s time to turn to a noted patent attorney for an explanation of this case.
“It looks like Apple and Nokia are using their patent portfolios to obtain some leverage from each other,” says Adam L.K. Philipp, founder of the Axios Law firm (www.axioslaw.com). “Generally, two firms of this size may posture, but then settle, especially as their respective patent portfolios are so large.”
He speaks from experience. He says his current clients include: “RealNetworks, Wetpaint, PhotoBucket (formerly Ontela), SEOmoz, Appature, Winshuttle, Kashless, HealthUnity, AirSplat.com, and many more.”
China makes a lot of intellectual property headlines. Is China getting a bad rap?
“China is becoming an intellectual property powerhouse; a bit like a very large high college football player. Young and inexperienced, but having a lot of potential and with the right seasoning has the ability to go to the NFL,” explains the Seattle attorney.
“Generally I tell my clients that it is not enough to have a business partner or intellectual property in China, you want to give your business partner the tools to use by filing for intellectual property protection in China,” adds Mr. Philipp.
He says entrepreneurs face five common problems in intellectual property (IP). They include:
- Waiting too long to seek IP protection
- Talking about their technology before securing protection
- Spending too little money on IP protection
- Spending too much money on IP protection
- Spending money on the wrong IP protection
“From a business perspective it is always important to think of intellectual property as providing a business with business tools,” he says. “By simply understanding IP better, businesses can make better decisions on a cost/benefit basis of how or if to proceed with IP protection.”
And he believes patents are needed for five reasons:
- To obtain exclusivity in their market (barriers to entry for others). Also to satisfy investors.
- To obtain licensing revenue
- For bragging rights (PR)
- For cross-licensing opportunities
- All of the above
How about trademarks?
“Securing the investment in a brand and the associated goodwill,” explains Mr. Philipp. “It is expensive and distracting to entrepreneurs and their customers to change a brand. Registering a trademark can help to avoid that.”
He warns about the importance of copyrights. “Registering copyrights allows a rights hold much easier and cheaper enforcement options. In particular access to statutory damages that can be quite effective in copyright litigation.”
He’s knowledgeable in the core issues in business-method patents, such as Bilski. Bilski was a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and later debated at the U.S. Supreme Court. But the high court’s decision still left questions about what can be patented.
What’s Bilski all about?
“The core issues revolve around the United States’ policy of protecting innovation; and deciding what types of innovations are worthy of patent protection,” Mr. Philipp says. “If is it merely a method of doing business, is that the kind of thing our Founding Fathers really wanted enshrined in the Constitution as protectable?”
Verbiage regarding patents, obviously, is technical, such as the machine or transformation test.
“That a process patent must either be tied to a particular machine or apparatus or must operate to change articles or materials to a ‘different state or thing’,” he explains. “Currently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office merely requires a recitation of a particular computer performing the process for software inventions.”
OK, the bottom-line: When does he recommend inventors seek a patent attorney?
“As soon as they decide to build a business around their idea(s),” he concludes. “But that does not mean that they need to start filing for protection right away, rather that they should be informed and strategic about how they allocate their budget.”
Take it from me, pay heed to this information if you want to avoid unnecessary headaches.
From the Coach’s Corner, on a lighter note courtesy of Forbes, here are images of The Kookiest Inventions. (I haven’t verified whether they have made money. )
Microsoft Hits the Jackpot with 60 Percent Profit Increase
Jan. 28, 2010
Hurray! Technology got some welcome news as Microsoft scored a Q2 breakthrough in its 2010 profit picture following its downturn a year earlier. Profit jumped 60 percent.
The company’s results stemmed largely from sales of Windows 7. Microsoft attracted shoppers in droves and increased PC sales using the software.
The numbers: Microsoft achieved $8.5 billion in operating income. Online services were not profitable but $5.4 billion in earnings came from Windows and Windows Live.
Q2 profit increased to $.66 billion or 74 cents a share from $4.17 billion or 47 cents a share the year before. This is from revenue that jumped 14 percent – from $16.63 billion to $19.02 billion.
Consumer demand is heartening news. It’s the best operating system launch in the company’s history. However, Microsoft warned that business has not begun spending.
An interesting side angle: Inexpensive notebooks now comprise 11 percent of the PC market, and 90 percent of which have Windows installed. That means Microsoft is dodging a financial bullet because the low-priced netbooks constitute a lower revenue stream for the software maker.
Weak spots for Microsoft: Office sales were about flat, and online services (think Bing) decreased $581 million or 5 percent. But Bing’s market share of searches increased to 10.7 percent compared to 8.3 percent last year.
The proposed advertising merger with Yahoo is expected later in 2010.
Go Microsoft! Microsoft’s success not only bodes well for the tech sector. Microsoft, as a major employer, is a symbol of hope in the Puget Sound area of Washington state. The state is trying to solve a deficit while suffering from high unemployment.
From the Coach’s Corner, are you looking for some expertise in search optimization?
You might consider this product:
http://www.iis.net/expand/SEOToolkit
WA Entrepreneurs Celebrate 16 Years of Commerce Networking
Today, the world of commerce is buzzing over Bing’s proposal to pay the Fox media Web sites to de-list from Google. It was prompted by basically two reasons – Fox’s visionary founder Rupert Murdoch and newspaper publishers who have been frustrated about how they are treated by Google, and the goal of Microsoft’s Bing to overtake Google in the search.
Yes, this event illustrates the complexity of commerce and how it has evolved in the last 16 years.
If my memory is accurate since 1993, consider these developments:
- Fox Broadcasting Company launched programs seven nights a week. That was also the year Fox acquired the rights to broadcast the National Football League games previously owned by CBS. The network has certainly succeeded. It has delivered No. 1 ratings for 18-49 demographic ratings since 2004.
- Throughout the globe, pocket- size telephones started becoming quite the rage.
- Intel announced its 3.1 million-transistor Pentium microchip about the time Microsoft introduced Windows NT.
- Linux was launched as a free operating system and Apple Computer introduced us to its hand-held computer.
- President Bill Clinton signed NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, into law.
Meantime, a group pioneering as a leads-generation organization in Federal Way, WA has created its own buzz, and is preparing to celebrate its 16th anniversary as Referrals Unlimited.
As a leads group, Referrals Unlimited (www.referralsunlimited.org) helps its small-business members attain their entrepreneurial goals. They keep track of the commerce the group generates – the dollar amount is impressive. Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting as a guest to discuss the planned Biz Coach radio program, and met several of the charming members who are proud of their products and services.
Let’s meet some of the members:
“I offer a weight loss program for busy women who want to eat well and lose weight easily,” says Kristina Brown of Heart of Nutrition. “There is no deprivation, just yummy foods that bring your body back into balance so that the weight comes off naturally and without starving yourself.”
Ms. Brown says she’s been in business 10 years: “I bought my first health/cook book when I was just 19 and have been reading, cooking, and sharing this ever since.”
David Sobie represents a security firm, Global Technology Solutions, Inc. (www.globalts.net).
“Global Security, founded in 1988 and with offices in Oregon, Washington, and the greater Kansas City area is a full service security, fire, access control and low voltage home technology provider, “says Mr. Sobie, who boasts of more than 10,000 business and residential customers in Washington, Oregon and metropolitan Kansas City.
Richard Day specializes in identity theft mitigation and prepaid legal services. He doesn’t waste any time in succinctly explaining his services.
“My name is Richard Day protecting your assets against identity theft and giving affordable access to the justice system,” says Mr. Day (http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardday7).
Simone Perry aesthetically preserves what she calls sentimental assets at Sentimental Preservation by Simone (www.sentimentalpreservation.com).
“Whether it is something past down to you from ancestors or from a special event in your life, I can put it in a protective display for you to enjoy,” Ms. Perry says. “I also have unique textile preservation boxes for storing wedding gown, uniforms, christening gown or quilts. Call me today to preserve those treasures before they are lost.”
Isabel Tessier has marketed vitamins for more than three decades.
“Golden Neo-Life Diamite vitamin company has been in business since 1958, and I have been a consultant with GNLD for 31 years,” says Ms Tessier. She says her products deal with fatigue, stress, digestive problems, diabetes, allergies and cholesterol (www.healthplus-vitamins.com).
Renae McGregor owns Legacy Boutique Gift Baskets.
“From Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, our gourmet gift baskets contain the most mouth-watering foods” Ms. McGregor proudly states. “Our baskets are filled with Northwest Coffee, Chocolates, Salmon, Mustard, Cookies, Summer Sausage, Nuts, Died Fruit, Popcorn and Oh! I can’t forget Tim’s Chips! Even our Beer and Wine are from the Pacific Northwest.”
With the exception of the month of December, she guarantees next-day shipping.
“Our web site www.legacyboutique.com, displays a variety of categories, for example, baby, bath body-spa, beer, birthday, chocolates, student, corporate, custom, get well-sympathy, as well as gifts for women and men, housewarming and wine to name a few.”
Referrals Unlimited’s treasurer is a banker, Marty Markey, who introduced me to the group. She is the branch manager at Rainier Pacific Bank (www.rainierpac.com) at its Twin Lakes branch. (Disclosure: I’ve known her as a businessperson, and I’ve observed her outstanding customer service skills for a few years.)
“Rainier Pacific Bank builds profitable relationships by providing valuable financial solutions for its customers,” says Ms. Markey. “We have served the diverse financial needs of our customers in the Tacoma-Pierce County market area of Washington State for over 75 years with consumer and business banking services, income property lending, investment and insurance services.”
As you might expect of a banker with unusually good customer service skills, she is very enthusiastic.
“We strive to be the choice for financial services in the markets we serve, and enjoy a deep level of community involvement throughout our history as a financial institution. Come see us in the local markets of Federal Way, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Spanaway, and Puyallup!”
Amen. As a kid growing up, a family friend and employer, Andy Andrews at the Palm Springs Tennis Club used to reward me with tickets to the spring training games of the then-California Angels. That’s where I had the thrill of watching baseball stars, such as Willie Mays, play in the desert sun.
As I thanked him for the tickets, Mr. Andrews once told me: “It isn’t what you know, it’s who you know.”
So, to the Referrals Unlimited members, happy anniversary, kids!
From the Coach’s Corner, SCORE (www.score.org) has a site providing numerous business-management tips: http://www.score.org/business_tips.html.
Tech Drama: How Microsoft-Yahoo Can Beat Google
Pick any high drama you want. But the desperate high-stakes competition of Microsoft and Yahoo vs. Google certainly has more drama than some other events preoccupying Americans. For countless stakeholders – from investors to technology employees – the nail-biting is as intense as it is for sports fans seeking respite from the weak economy in rooting for their favorite teams in the World Series or Super Bowl.
A lot of commerce is at stake: The future of the three companies, more than $22 billion in advertising, financial success for advertising companies and their employees in a tepid economy, as well as the efficacy for 180 million daily Internet users.
The 10-year Internet marketing deal – Microsoft’s Bing will power Yahoo’s searches and Yahoo will sell advertising for both companies – awaits regulators’ approval. And Google has been trying to crush the deal.
I’ll explain the merger delay a little later in this column.
Meantime, intense work is being performed by engineers from Redmond, WA near Seattle to the Silicon Valley in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Does search giant Google feel the threat of competition? Yes, however, no one probably feels sorry for Google because it’s under attack by Microsoft and Yahoo.
Aside from the fortunes of the three companies, it’s worth noting the winner in this passionate competition will be Internet users thanks to major innovations in online searches.
Who would have anticipated that Twitter, which rose to prominence as a social networking site, would be courted by Microsoft’s Bing and Google. Just hours after Bing announced its deal to search postings on Twitter, Google followed suit.
In music, Yahoo reminded us it has shown audio-file links with Rhapsody since 2008 – just after Google announced users can easily find links to their preferred songs on Lala or MySpace.
Even with the proposed merger, Yahoo has been working on its search engine. Yahoo is allowing users to bundle searches from their preferred bevy of publishers. Yahoo also features a search pad so users can see their search history.
Google is constantly fine-tuning, such as its real-time search feature, moving its advertising closer to content results and enlarging the size of its search box. With its revenue down in text and display ads, Google is constantly updating its approach to appease publishers that have also felt the financial squeeze. (Disclosure: The Biz Coach site uses Google AdSense., but it is proving to be unsatisfactory)
According to comScore at the start of Q4 in 2009, Google had a 64.9 percent market share in search compared to Yahoo’s 18.8 percent and 9.4 percent on the Microsoft sites.
Despite all the hoopla over Google, advertisers would be well-advised to consider the time-spent user data from The Nielsen Company also during Sept.
Nielsen confirms Google is number one in total searches with an average user time-spent of one hour fifty-three minutes. But Yahoo users stay about 50 percent longer – three hours nine minutes. Users on MSN/WindowsLive/Bing spend two hours one minute. Obviously, a longer time-spent viewing on Yahoo by users means advertisers have a better shot of their messages being seen.
My sense is that Yahoo’s success in time-spent users’ data has to do with its terrific content in finance.
With video watching up 25 percent in Sept. 2009, Nielsen says Google maintains a huge lead. YouTube had 106 million viewers.
It’s interesting to note the change in online searching and the expectations of consumers. In 1999, Nielsen reported there were119 million U.S. users and the Internet began attracting more women. At first, mostly men used the Internet.
No longer are users content just to find a Web site; they’re looking for more specific information, and they want it to be comprehensive, more appealing visually and lightning-fast. Go to any search engine and you will notice more images in addition to information, not just blue links.
The Microsoft-Yahoo merger is in a sense a surprise. Microsoft isn’t known for major alliances. And it remains to be seen if the merger will yield a productive return because of corporate cultural and technological questions. True, a merger would probably give Microsoft a bigger standing in the Silicon Valley, and momentum in Internet search expertise.
What now?
The merger ostensibly displeases the brain trust at Google, who is reportedly trying to stop it – How Google Is Trying To Hold Up The Microsoft-Yahoo Deal (GOOG, YHOO, MSFT).
Size matters in the advertising world and Internet advertising growth is the most prolific in history – even more so than television’s legendary track record. Clearly, Microsoft has ratcheted up its online search capabilities with Bing’s execution and monetization to attract consumers. But that’s expected given Microsoft’s acumen in monetization.
To simultaneously compare Bing and Google side-by-side: www.bing-vs-google.com.
My sense is that the success of Microsoft and Yahoo Google will depend on user trust, which helps lead to strong brand equity. Trust and brand equity are closely related. In years past, I wrote that Microsoft was faring badly in brand value, according to Forrester – 2005 Technology Brand Scorecard.
In March 2009, CoreBrand’s Brand Power Index – which ranks the top 100 brands in market reputation and awareness – indicated Microsoft’s brand made a small comeback in 2008. But it’s doing much worse than in 2005 – 2008 Corporate Branding Index.
However, BusinessWeek reported in 2009 that Microsoft is doing well on its top 100 brand ranking. Microsoft No. 3 behind Coca-Cola and IBM, respectively. Google is ranked No. 7. Yahoo is not listed.
The jury is still out. It’s all about user trust and other basic elements of brand equity. But to explain all that it entails requires a separate column.
As always – whether it’s the World Series, Super Bowl or business – I tend to root for underdogs. Competition is good. But as the disclaimer in the BusinessWeek ranking states, “Valuations do not represent a guarantee of future performance of the brands or companies.”
From the Coach’s Corner, here are steps to alleviate wireless Internet threats while you’re traveling, courtesy of consultant Jerald Savin at Cambridge Technology Consulting Group, Inc., www.ctcg.com.
He advocates taking charge of your WI-FI connections on Windows XP:
Step 1: Go into Wireless Network Connections from either the tray icon or from Network Connections. In Wireless Network Connections, go into “Change advanced settings.” There are three tabs: General, Wireless Networks and Advanced. Click on “Wireless Networks.” Your first surprise will probably be the number of wireless networks listed under “Preferred Networks.” My guess is that you won’t know half of the networks listed there.
Step 2: Delete the wireless networks you don’t need. Use the “Remove” button below the window listing the Preferred Networks.
Step 3: Change all of the wireless networks to “On Demand.” To do this, highlight the network and click on “Properties.” In “Properties”, go to the third tab, “Connection” and uncheck the box “Connect when this network is in range.” This means that whenever your laptop senses a wireless network, it will prompt you to connect; it won’t automatically connect. (Note: The first tab, “Association”, is where wireless network keys are entered.)
Step 4: Go to the “Advanced” tab and unclick the box “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet Connection.” This prevents “bridging”, connecting between networks across a computer.
Mr. Savin admits the steps aren’t 100 percent foolproof, but you’ll be headed in the right direction.
Incidentally, if you’re considering upgrading from XP to Windows 7, he suggests for many people it will be an arduous task. So he advises buying a new preloaded machine instead.