The Near Memo

Send us a textThe Washington Post details the travails of a couple seeking treatment and the problems that befell them after they picked a provider based on what turned out to be fake reviews. The article looks at the lack of incentives to do reviews right and the lack of disincentives to not cheat. The article discussed how Section 230 creates an environment where review companies can “look the other way”. Google’s recent announcements about advanced in AI, for understanding the written word, creating new original text and their increasing ability to understand the content of images puts line under their recent paper Rethinking Search: Making Experts out of Dilettantes where Google details new architectures to over come the limits of index driven search and the inability of the Knowledge Graph to do no more than extract small snippets. Essentially they are proposing a new model based system that could write the equivalent of a Wikipedia article in response to a query. Guest author Miriam Ellis details how one business person running a bookshop in Lawrence KS to not only survive but thrive in light of the Amazon onslaught. Lot of practical tips on the steps he took as well as his the epiphany of the damage that Amazon was doing to the rest of the communityThe Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands. Near Memo #18 Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textMike discusses his journey down the gamified rabbithole of the wildly successful Google Local Guides program, how the program promotes quantity over quality and why every business needs to not let their brand be controlled by the likes of the Local Guides.   SMBS have traditionally relied on best of breed SAAS point solutions to solve their pre-sale, in house and post-sale needs. Now the major SMB platforms are now converging on high quality capabilities across all three areas PLUS integrating with the likes of Google.  This allows the SMB to use one piece of software and achieve the gains of automation across the whole of their search, operations and customer experience needs. Google held its annual Google Marketing Live event this week. There were many ads related announcements involving automation, simplification and reach. Google's "open" commerce strategy is aimed squarely at Amazon, utilizing Google's various properties for product visibility. Throughout Google was constantly (and perhaps hypocritically) beating on the privacy drum. The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands.    Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textHospitality Case Study of Reviews: What Happened to Yelp?Looking at 20 years of reviews for a popular Santa Fe resort, we examine how Yelp faired against the likes of TripAdvisor, Facebook, Google and OpenTable. The analysis shows, that at least in this segment, Yelp’s problems were largely self-inflicted not caused by a Google abuse of their monopoly.Google I/O: they flex their AI muscles and move further into local products with the Shopping GraphGoogle used I/O to position themselves as the AI powerhouse, using AI for everything from engaging in human like conversations to identifying the specific model of sneaker in your photo of the band on stage. Once they have identified the sneaker, they will parse it via their newly anointed Shopping Graph and not only offer to let you buy them but tell you where they are locally available for curbside pickup. They have found their play against Amazon and its impressive.   Google to try out retail at their NYC HQ. Can they succeed IRL? Can they actually provide support? After many false starts Google is finally opening a retail presence in New York at their headquarters in Chelsea. They will be selling and supporting their growing range of Google hardware from phones to the Nest. Their choice of NYC home as a site gives them an easy out if they are unable to provide real support to real customers in real life. We are skeptical they will be able succeed at scaling the project.  The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands. NM#16Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textPart 1 Shopify makes the case for local ecommerceA report with a soup-to-nuts discussion of  shopping and commerce trends, including online vs. offline, social commerce, retail experiences, payments and banking services. One interesting finding: retailers with local pickup/delivery options saw 13% - 19% higher online conversions. Apparently the Japanese are the least likely to support shopping locally Why do consumers desire to buy local but still buy at Amazon? Most consumers say and often feel that they want to support local businesses. Yet their actions often belie that feeling as many continue, whether due to convenience or inertia, continue to spend with national chains and e-commerceHow did Google win the review wars vs Yelp? Rand Fishkin notes that he things it is due to Google's abuse of their monopoly status. We argue that it is much more complicated than that with various market forces, consumer desires and legal standards playing a roll in addition to whatever Google might have done. Episode 15With David Mihm, Greg Sterling & Mike BlumenthalThe Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textApple Tracking Opt-in at 4% in US, lower than anticipated, Shopify focuses on helping SMB be better and retain customer relationships, Facebooks Neighborhood, a NextDoor clone, is likely to be like Nextdoor but worse because of poor moerationAs the Apple 3rd party opt in rolls out, opt in numbers are lower than anticipated. THis points ot the consumers desire for more privacy and why government should up their privacy gameUnlike Facebook and Google who aggregate consumers to gain levarge over businesses, Shopify focuses soley on the SMB and helps them not just to build a better ecommerce experience but also with things like capital. They have become the second biggest e-commerce site behind Amaaon. Facebook once again knocks off another marketplace product that might just might create a referral opportunity for SMBS IF they can keep the communities from going down the rabbitt whole of unmoderated mayhem. Episode 14With David Mihm, Greg Sterling & Mike BlumenthalSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textIs Apple being paternalistic or ethical in not allowing advertisiers to provide incentives for Apple users to opt into advertising tracking? Should privacy be commoditized?Can Yelp make their way back by moving to transactional approach to local? After alienating most SMBS in the country and seeing ever increasing declines in readership David doesn't think that Yelp moving to a transactional model will save them.Amazaon, amazing profits, amazing (& ruthless) efficienies.  In Amazon's efficiencies and ruthlessness we see all of the contradictions of American commerce. Includes a cartoon that sums it all up.  The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands. NM#13Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textEpisode 12: Zagat reviews, but shorter and graphic appealing, rise from the Google ashes; The FTC ability to levy fines as a deterrent is knee capped by SCOTUS; Apple privacy changes AND review capability coming this week.Zagat, bought by Google in 2011 for their 30 point system, then discarded by Google is re-entering the food reviews market with more image heavy, briefer review and a 10 pt scale. Can they succeed again?The FTC, after looking like they were going to get tough on fake reviews, has had their main enforcement hammer, $ fines, taken away by the Supreme Court in a 9 - 0 decision. They are already before congress requesting reinstatement of the ability to fine offenders. Will Apple's reviews have a market impact? Will their preference for curation allow them to keep their reviews trustworthy? Will Google EVER get their local review moderation act together? The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textFB SMB Survey showed 22% of SMBS adopted e-commerce over the past year, women led businesses were more agile in the adoption of digital technology, but impact of the pandemic hurt minority and women the most.Near Media survey detailed the list of activities that American's had planned once they felt safe & economy opened. The top two (by a large margin) were travel and eating out.SubStack offers a competitive award to incent creators of local news. Applications will be vetted by a panel, winners will get cash & access to mentors, design and health insurance. Will it work? The Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands. Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textThe Near Memo is a weekly conversation about Search, Social, and Commerce: What happened, why it matters, and the implications for local businesses and national brands. With Swyft providing last mile same day delivery will we see small businesses being able to offer their Prime like subscriptions? - DavidThe new FTC rule-making changes are signaling that the FTC will use their authority to deter and punish for fake reviews and testimonials. - MikeWhy did Yahoo Answers fail and what will it take to have a great answer system? Do Google's Local Guides show a path? - Greg Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/

Send us a textWebsite Builder SquareSpace acquires restaurant backend system Tock; will other website builders need to acquire more backend functionality? Will Web 3.0 be about business services? - Mike blumenthalGoogle My Business, historically tone deaf when it comes to small business, shoots themselves in the Messaging foot by showing competitors when a consumer attempts to message a specific business. Will small business adopt this critical messaging product if it highlights their competitors? - David MihmGroundTruth is betting heavily on the SMB market. Yesterday it announced the acquisition of Addy, which simplifies display advertising across media channels. But is it too complicated for the SMB? - Greg SterlingSubscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/