The digital realm is forever changing; sometimes it can be hard to keep up.
Luckily, these changes often have positive implications for business owners and marketers – or at least that’s what we like to focus on!
From snack packs to sales stats, we’ve got you covered on what’s important This Week in Tech!
Hate to break it to you, but your Snack Pack just got smaller.
Perhaps the most significant announcement impacting local businesses this week comes to us again from Google – this time in regard to their “Snack Pack.” As a SMB owner or consumer alike, you’re likely familiar with Snack Pack, even if you don’t know it!
Previously, when searching for a local business on desktop, Google would provide 7 results positioned at the top of the page – the Google “Snack Pack.” Recently, however, Google has shifted to a more concise view of just 3 results, aligning more consistently the results Google provides on mobile.
What does this mean for you? If your business had previously been listed in positions 4-7, it’s time to step up your SEO game. The battle for the top positions on SERPs just got much more intense!
In addition to cutting down on the number of results provided in Snack Pack, changes have also been made to the supplementary information provided for each result, including: elimination of full business address and phone number, and the removal of Google+ links.
One less step to check up on your Facebook posts.
It just got a whole lot simpler to check up on your Facebook posts!
Facebook Page owners now have access to basic post stats directly on the Page and News Feed levels! Rather than having to dig into the Insights page, Facebook provides post reach and click stats directly beneath each Page post, making it easier than ever to quickly check on the performance of your posts.
While this feature has not launched globally, it should be available to all Page admins in the US.
Slowly but surely, e-commerce sales are on the rise.
The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce reported on Monday that, after being adjusted for seasonality, e-commerce sales in the US increased by 14.1% in the second quarter compared to Q2 2014! Compared to an overall increase of just 1 percent year-over-year in retail sales, these numbers are impressive and meaningful.
This slow but steady increase in e-commerce sales has clear implications for SMBs. Year after year, consumers are becoming more ready and willing to make their purchases online. Having an online retail option can have a significant impact on overall sales, especially when optimized for mobile. Additionally, an over-arching digital presence via web and social can play a tremendous role in driving e-sales.
Does your business offer an e-commerce option for consumers? Your online presence – whether e-commerce or just a digital storefront – is becoming more important every day.
How was your week in tech?
