7th Heaven: How iOS 7 Can Boost Your Small Business

iOS Development

As we reported in our article iOS Secrets You Didn’t Know, there were plenty of updates to iOS 7 that Apple Executives did not have the time to cover during their WWDC keynote address.  To keep you fully informed, we’ve compiled a list of 7 more iOS 7 features that we think you’ll find interesting and very helpful.

  1. Application Program Interfaces (APIs) – iOS 7 has 1,500 new APIs further increasing its level of functionality and relevancy for small business and other enterprises.
  2. iOS & Automakers – 2014 will bring with it the integration of Siri into cars for eyes-free calling, directions, entertainment controls and much more.
  3. WiFi Calls – Consumers will be able to make free WiFi calls on Facetime.
  4. Better Deployment Tools – Apple promises increased deployment and management capabilities with iOS 7.
  5. Per-app Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) – iOS 7 will allow apps to connect to different VPNs.
  6. iCloud Keychain – Safari will now be able to access saved passwords and credit card information via the cloud.
  7. Location-Aware App Store – The App Store will be able to notify you of apps that are popular in your current location.

Mystic Media can help you utilize all the nifty new features of iOS 7 to benefit your business.  Click here to learn more about us.

Is Online Radio Streaming Taking Over AM/FM? See What the Latest Data Suggests

Radio Streaming

Is AM/FM radio out of touch with today’s listening audience?  Maybe.  Recent data reveals that there is a 70% difference in the top 10 streaming radio playlists and traditional radio playlists.  While this statistic may not signal the end of AM/FM radio, it does signal that online radio is the new world order, driving song and artist popularity.  So, if AM/FM radio wants to keep its current customer base, they’d do well to pay attention to online radio listening habits.

Another significant statistic in the music world is the decline in digital music sales.  The overall market share for digital albums is 43%.  However, a 2013 Nielsen Report states that sales are down almost 5% from the same 6-month period in 2012.  More than 50 billion audio and video streams occurred in the first 6 months of 2013.  Overall, online radio streaming is up 24% since last year.  As attitudes about music ownership and listening preferences shift, it is clear that online radio is mounting an increasingly successful takeover. 

Mystic Media can help you harness the power of streaming radio to deliver effective messages for YOUR business.  Contact our Marketing Strategists to learn more.

Harness the Power of Device Multi-Tasking

Web Design

The speed of technology moves at such a fast rate that it can be difficult for businesses to keep up.  Another challenge for businesses, big and small, is the shrinking attention span of current and potential consumers.  More and more consumers are utilizing multiple screens to consume content.  This can make content marketing tricky, because businesses have less and less time to get their messages across.

Research has shown that approximately 90% of users move between multiple screens to accomplish one particular task.  This means that the device used to start the activity is not the device used to complete the activity.  While this can complicate matters for content marketers, here are 5 tips for effective multi-screen marketing:

  1. Make room in your budget for search and mobile search.
  2. Ensure that your content can be consumed on any type of device.
  3. Use focused and action-oriented messages in emails.
  4. Streamline user actions to enable tap-to-call, -map, -email and/or -calendar.
  5. Create social media content that is device agnostic – compatible with different operation systems and devices.

Mystic Media can create both web and mobile versions of your site and tap into the power of multi-screen marketing for your business.  Contact us to learn more.

Can Your Audience Find You From Their Mobile Device?

Web Design

Life for small businesses can be hard.  Attracting new customers and making sales can be difficult if you don’t have the right mobile marketing strategy.  The best marketing plans make businesses visible on every type of device.  Over the past couple of years, consumers have steadily utilized mobile searches more and more and demand is not slowing down.

Mobile searches are also changing content consumption habits and causing shifts in consumer buying behavior.  Consumers require quickly digestible information, like restaurant and clothing store locales found on Google Maps.  According to Nielsen’s findings, 55% of mobile searches triggered purchases within 1 hour of the search.  Eighty-four percent of all follow-up actions performed on a mobile device occurred within 5 hours.

To make sure your business can attract customers and make sales, follow these 5 steps of effective mobile marketing:

  1. Make your business’s website mobile-friendly.
  2. Give potential customers more access to you via embedded maps on your website.
  3. Brand yourself on social media networks (i.e. Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, etc.).
  4. Invest in traditional and mobile search buys.
  5. Be able to meet your prospective customers at their preferred purchase location (i.e. website, phone number or retail location).  

Of course, Mystic Media has all the tools you need to optimize visibility for your business.  Click here to learn more about what we do.

Full Stream Ahead: The Power of Online Radio Is Here

Radio Streaming

For years, car companies have delivered the power to tame the open road.  Now car companies offer the power to control content with connected cars.  Partnerships between online radio stations and car manufacturers are transforming the way we listen to music.  Companies like Pandora, SiriusXM, and iHeartRadio have inked deals with major car manufacturers to deliver content to the customer in the way the customer wants.

Receivers in cars that are solely dedicated to AM/FM or satellite will soon be museum pieces.  And future dashboard units installed in cars will enable users to access any online radio station they desire.  Diverse content delivery allows customers to control what they hear.  With that kind of power, why would anyone want to listen to AM/FM radio again?

And of course, if you’re curious how you can leverage the power of streaming radio for your business, talk to Mystic Media!  Click here to learn more.

Digital Advertising is Making $ense in 2013

Web Design

Online advertising is taking off in 2013.  Internet ad revenues reached a historic high of $9.6 billion in the 1st quarter alone.  Digital advertising is increasingly becoming the go-to medium to download content.  And, based on 2013 web design trends, increased functionality and ease of use are making digital advertising a bet that is paying off in a big way.

Advertising via interactive media speaks to consumers in a way that doesn’t assault their senses.  It also puts them in control of what they are exposed to.  As your business looks towards the future, a sound marketing strategy must address these facts.

Mystic Media can design a truly effective digital advertising campaign for you. Contact us today to learn more!

The Android App Honey-Do (and Don’t) List

Android Development

Android development for use in enterprise is still considered a new phenomenon.  For businesses interested in using Android Studio for app development, here is a list of do’s and don’ts for using Android apps to market your business:

Do:

  1. Develop a solid plan for implementation of the new Android product so that everyone understands functionality and how to fix problems should they arise.
  2. Find effective ways to manage mobile devices, especially if your company allows for BYOD.  Use partitions that keep personal and business sections separate.

Don’t:

  1. Security can’t fall by the wayside.  VPN support, partitioning and remote wiping/tracking will help you sleep easier at night.
  2. Individual customizations to Android software shouldn’t prevent you from using the software.  Broad compatibility is available to help your business operate across multiple devices and Android platform types.

Of course, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with managing or developing Android apps…you know who to turn to.  Click here to learn more about Mystic Media.

Online Radio Streaming Is Growing Via the Earbud Market

Radio Streaming

Traditionally, people listened to the radio either at home or in the car.  Now, the emergence of online radio streaming has created a whole new listening environment.  More and more people are plugging in their earbuds and streaming radio at work and at the gym.  This new pathway for advertisers enables them to target consumers at higher rates and more effectively.

Brands who have traditionally avoided audio-based advertisements are witnessing an exciting development.  By tracking listening habits, you can uncover new insights into who your costumers are and what they like.   Online radio streaming provides the opportunity to reach a larger targeted audience for both B2B and B2C brands.

Mystic Media knows how to reach these people “right where they live.”  Contact us to learn more about what online radio streaming can do for your business.

Online Radio Streaming is the New Frontier for the Next Generation of Listeners

Radio Streaming

While video didn’t necessarily kill the radio, online radio streaming is slowly strangling it to death. Recent reports state that amongst 13-35 year olds, online radio streaming services accounted for about half of their radio and music listening time. As the market share for online radio grows, here are some more figures that AM & FM Radio should pay particular attention to:

  1. Online streaming rose from 17% in 2011 to 23% in 2012 – 1% less than AM & FM radio, which slipped 2% from its position last year.
  2. Pandora, iHeartRadio and Spotify are the top three services accounting for about 61% of the online radio streaming market share.
  3. Cell phones and other mobile devices are increasingly being used to access online radio services.
  4. Few AM & FM radio stations have apps available to their listeners

All in all, AM & FM radio listening is beginning to decline, and will continue to decline, unless traditional radio can find a way to compete in the mobile marketplace. Since free online streaming has increased in popularity with the younger age demographic, it could be too late. However, time will tell if the old dog can learn a new trick.

Contact Mystic Media today to learn how online radio streaming can best serve your company’s strategic goals.

View the Top Web Design and Development Trends in 2013

Web Design

The top 2013 Web Design trends are here – and they’re focused on an enhanced user experience. Customers have spoken and the industry has listened. Here are the web design trends that folks are clamoring for:

  1. Parallax Web Design – Keeps your content delivery professional and visually interesting. The background moves slower than the foreground content, allowing you to provide more information without the need for multiple pages.
  2. Infinite Scrolling – Decrease load time and provide large amounts of content. Additional content can be loaded quickly as a user’s current scroll position is detected.
  3. Metro Design – Also known as Flat Design, this style adopts the “less is more” principle. Its 2D layout simplifies the content, making it easier to use while keeping a professional look.
  4. Content Delivery Networks – Faster page load times are achieved by decreasing the amount of content needing to be downloaded. While content referencing is old hat, developers have enabled content to be delivered from the closest server based on user location. This reduces errors and increases the speed at which pages load.
  5. Responsive Web Design – This reduces the development costs of websites. Instead of having to manage multiple websites for multiple devices, websites can detect the viewing window and can adjust themselves accordingly.

Keep up with the latest topics and trends in Web Development. Mystic Media’s blog will be updated regularly to help you stay informed and at the top of your game. Click here to learn more about us.