(This post originally appeared on Forbes)
Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1 – Google issues refunds to advertisers over fake traffic.
In an effort to give marketers more transparency about the ads purchased through its platform, Google is issuing refunds for ads that ran on websites with fake traffic. In the past few weeks, the company has informed hundreds of marketers and ad agency partners about “ad fraud.” The refunds amount to only a fraction of the cost of the ads served to invalid traffic, so Google has offered to reimburse its “platform fee,” which typically ranges from about 7% to 10% of the total purchase. (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Why this is important for your business:
Online advertising has its perils. Google is not only refunding money for ads that ran on websites with fake traffic but also implementing safeguards. But are you seeing those refunds? If you’re working with a marketing firm or ad agency you want to make sure that any refunds from Google are being reflected in your fees.
2 —Chatbots may soon have a huge impact on the legal industry.
Chatbots – computer programs that can converse with humans via text or audio – have recently started being used by lawyers. In mid-July, Joshua Browder, creator of the traffic-ticket-fighting chatbot DoNotPay launched a free, no-code chatbot that allows lawyers to create chatbots for any area of law—giving consumers access to free, instantaneous legal help through a form of artificial intelligence. (Source: The Province)
Why this is important for your business:
If you’re a law professional, you’ll want to consider implementing this technology in the future to automate routine requests and hopefully reduce your internal costs. If you’re using the services of a lawyer, know that some of your questions in the future may be answered by a software program and not a real person. Does this make a difference?
3 — Report: 57% of traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets.
On August 22, BrightEdge – a leader in enterprise SEO and content performance marketing—reported that 57% of traffic among its clients is coming from smartphones and tablets. (Source: Search Engine Land)
Why this is important for your business:
The desktop isn’t dead, but it’s seriously declining. Make sure your web presence is mobile optimized and that your online advertising is focusing on mobile sites and services.
Gigster—a startup that connects companies to freelance software developers, designers, and project managers—has received $20 million in a new round of financing from the likes of big name investors like Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz, and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Capital as well as new investors—Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and basketball legend Michael Jordan. (Source: Business Insider)
Why this is important for your business:
Big names with big money are getting behind yet another freelancing site, which indicates that the growth of freelancing will certainly continue in the future. If you’re a developer, designer or project manager this site may be a place for new business opportunities. If you’re looking for someone, here’s another resource.
5 — WhatsApp rolls out verified business accounts – and might have a whole new app in the works.
WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned chat service, is enhancing the way users can engage with businesses on its platform. It’s launching a new pilot program for verified business accounts that will tag some accounts with a green check symbol once their contact info is certified by WhatsApp. (Source: Mashable)
Why this is important for your business:
Although growing in use here in the U.S., WhatsApp is hugely popular in Europe for messaging and I’m recommending to my clients with customers there to consider a re-look at the app’s new capabilities for providing better customer service.
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