On March 14, 2011, Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 (IE9). The look and feel changed with the information bar moving to the bottom of the browser and the search bar being integrated into the address bar. But overall, the change in user functionality is what affected add-ons the most. This change also created a very different experience for the user in terms of what they have to do to use add-ons after they install them.

IE9 asks for the user’s consent to enable newly installed add-ons, instead of automatically enabling them from the start:

IE9 Asks for User Consent to Enable Add-ons

When the user clicks Enable, they are shown this screen:

User Must Now Enable Add-Ons

This could lessen the chance of the user actually being able to use the add-on that they installed. They may click Don’t enable or they may just X out of the message completely because they don’t understand what it is or they are annoyed by the messaging.

IE9 also gives the user information on what is slowing down their browser and messages them on a regular basis asking them to speed up their browser by disabling add-ons:

Users Asked to Disable Add-Ons to Speed Up Startup

When the user clicks Disable add-ons, they are shown this screen:

Screen Shown to User When They Click Disable Add-ons

If the add-ons the user has installed and enabled total a load time of more than .2 seconds, the add-ons will show up on this list and the user may choose to disable them. This new functionality helps speed up the user’s browser, but it can also cause the user to want to uninstall all add-ons listed whether or not they really contribute to slowing down their browser.

On November 8, 2011, Mozilla released Firefox 8 (FF8).   This new version adds a new confirmation prompt for add-ons.  This prompt is different depending on whether or not the add-on is installed via an XPI or an EXE.

When an add-on is installed via an XPI, FF8 displays a modal dialog box with an Install Now button:

Modal Dialog Box with an Install Now Button

The user has to click Install Now to enable the add-on(s).  If they click cancel, the add-on(s) will not be enabled for use.

When an add-on is installed via an EXE, FF8 opens a new tab with a checkbox confirmation screen:

Add-on Installed via EXE, FF8 Opens Checkbox Confirmation Screen

By default, the checkbox is not checked, so the user has to check the box next to Allow this installation and then click Continue to be able to use the add-on.  If the user doesn’t check the box and clicks Continue, the add-on will not be enabled.

With the changes these new browser versions bring, it seems that the ultimate goal is speed. Each browser wants to be the fastest. These changes can be seen as both positive and negative for users.  As a positive, users may have a faster browser and not have to wait as long for load times.  As a negative, they have to take additional steps to “enable” add-ons that they have already agreed to install and in some cases, they have agreed multiple times through certain processes that confirm the user is installing what they want to install.

These changes can also be seen as both negative and somewhat positive for add-on developers. As a negative, these changes make it harder for an add-on developer because users have to take additional steps to be able to actually interact with their add-ons.  As a positive, with survival becoming harder and harder for add-ons, it encourages developers to make sure their add-on has a fast load time and it creates enough value so the user will want to take the necessary steps to enable the add-on for use.  However, even with those changes, it doesn’t ensure that the user will “enable” their add-on.  Another alternative for add-on developers might be exploring the options of building out a desktop version of the add-on so the application isn’t affected by any of these changes.

Overall, sometimes change is good and sometimes it’s not so good.  As things change though, we have to roll with those changes and allow ourselves to make the best of them.  We will just have to wait and see what comes next! Do you have any tactics to deal with browser changes?  If so, add them to the comments.

Nicole Virnig, Account Development Manager, W3i, LLC
Nicole focuses on growing W3i business relationships, making sure the  client has what they need to make them successful. If they aren’t  happy, she isn’t happy.

As a tech geek, I have a few go-to websites that I always use when I am in the market to buy a gadget for myself or a fellow geek. (I also use some browser extensions.)  Here are my favorites to help you with your holiday shopping for the geek on your holiday list.

How to Find Gifts for the Geek in Your Life

Computer Hardware: Newegg.com – This is my go to for anything with peripherals and components.  I also go to this site when I am bored for its entertainment value.

Geeky Gifts:  ThinkGeek.com - I go to this site to discover new tech gadgets. Family members know any gift from ThinkGeek is an awesome gift for me.

Mobile and Web Deals: pricegrabber.com – This is a great site for finding the most competitive price.  There is also a mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

iPad – http://itunes.apple.com/app/pricegrabber-ipad-edition/id363624354?mt=8

iPhone/iPod Touch – http://itunes.apple.com/app/pricegrabber/id341253803?mt=8

Android – https://market.android.com/details?id=com.pricegrabber.PGAndroid

Web Browser Add-ons: Priceblink.com – I use this in my Chrome browser.  It shows me competitive pricing and whether there are coupons available.  They also have it for Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and iPad.

Chrome: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aoiidodopnnhiflaflbfeblnojefhigh

FireFox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/priceblink/

Overall Choice: Amazon.com – I always cross-check prices and read reviews for anything I have a hankering to buy. I use Amazon to cross-check in-store prices and other shopping sites.  This coupled with AmazonPrime and the newly released Kindle Fire make Amazon the place to go. Why wouldn’t you buy it from Amazon if you can get free two day shipping? I now tend to buy from Amazon for almost anything since I can get it in two days.  I am a huge Android fan so I also check Amazon’s App Store for the free app a day.

We all develop our own shopping strategies as time goes on. I was visiting family this past weekend and I was shocked to see an Amazon box lying around the house. My parents always wanted to touch and feel products before they bought them but the times are changing. What are your go-to sites for buying the latest gadgets and components? Do you have any tips or gem sites to share?

Matt Brauchler, Business Intelligence Developer, W3i, LLC

Matt has over 7 years’ experience working in Information Systems. He is a Business Intelligence Developer for W3i with expertise in SQL, Data Warehousing, and Reporting. He is also a lawn perfectionist and enjoys learning new technology.

Know the Market

It used to be that Internet Explorer was by far the dominant web browser, but these days several other browsers such as Firefox and Chrome have increased market share significantly. Statistics vary and you may find different results depending on your audience, but the top 3 browsers are growing closer in market share, as Internet Explorer continues to lose users to Firefox, Chrome and even Safari. In October, 2011, technology site ars technica recently reported that Internet Explorer dropped below the 50% mark across all operating systems.

Browser Stats According to ars technica

Other sites such as w3schools.com  and Wikipedia give Internet Explorer an even smaller share so it is a good idea to track and monitor which browsers are more common among your users. A low reading with a particular browser can also indicate a problem with your add-on.

Usage is even more splintered when taking browser version into account. Internet Explorer remains split between the last 4 major versions while Firefox is even more spread out.  By contrast, most Chrome users are using the latest version because Chrome updates automatically.

Some of the top browser makers are increasing the frequency of updates. Mozilla announced earlier this year that it will move to a rapid release cycle, with new versions coming every 6 weeks. This is similar to Google’s release cycle for
Chrome. Meanwhile Microsoft appears to be sticking with a longer release cycle for Internet Explorer, with version 10 expected early in 2012.

Recent Browser Changes

Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 8 both introduced new confirmation prompts when add-ons are installed. This change raises a barrier for add-on distributors such as W3i’s InstallIQ. Although users go through the process and consent to install an add-on, they must consent again to accept the add-on the next time they use their browser.

IE9 displays an information bar at the bottom of the screen, and it may not be apparent to the user that it is there. Some users may miss it and after a few times IE will stop showing the bar and simply disable the add-ons. IE9 also added an Add-on Performance Advisor, which alerts the user when add-on load times exceed a certain threshold.

New Add-On Confirmation bar in IE 9

Firefox 8 has two types of add-on confirmation depending on how the add-on is installed. If you install your add-on using the common method of copying files into the Firefox extensions folder, then the confirmation prompt will open in a new tab when the browser is restarted. This prompt includes a checkbox which is unchecked by default, and is easily skipped by the user. Even worse, if multiple add-ons have been installed, Firefox will open multiple tabs, but as soon as one add-on is accepted, Firefox prompts the user to restart. Upon restarting, Firefox loses the other pending add-ons. This is a
significant barrier to installation processes that may install more than one add-on, such as InstallIQ.

New Checkbox Confirmation Tab in Firefox 8

Fortunately there is another method you can use, which should yield a higher rate of add-on enablement. You can package your add-on in an XPI file and install it on the Firefox command line. An XPI file is a Zip file containing the add-on components and an XML manifest. When add-ons are installed using the XPI method, Firefox displays a modal dialog with an “Install Now” button which is much more likely to be accepted by the user. In addition, multiple add-ons can be combined into a single install, with a single prompt to enable all of them.

New Add-on Confirmation in Firefox 8 for Add-Ons Distributed via XPI

InstallIQ now requires add-on partners to package their add-ons in XPI files so we can better manage the installation process. InstallIQ will automatically combine multiple XPI’s and install them by launching Firefox.

Looking Ahead

With browser updates coming at a faster rate and add-on installations becoming increasingly difficult for the user, it is important to keep an eye on forthcoming changes and be prepared to adjust your products.  Mozilla makes future Firefox releases available as they are being developed. They have a Beta channel for the next scheduled release, and the Aurora channel for changes that are further out.

Similarly, Google has multiple release channels which you can install for various platforms.

Meanwhile Microsoft is providing a preview of Internet Explorer 10. Microsoft has said that the Metro version of IE10 will not allow any add-ons, although the desktop version will.

Regardless of the nature of your add-on, it is more important than ever to streamline your development process and be ready to quickly make changes to adapt to the ever-changing browser platform.

Bill Zitomer, Software
Development Team Lead, W3i, LLC

Bill uses his over twenty years’ experience to build W3i’s core desktop products as well as back-end technologies.

A great opportunity for add-on partners is to ensure compatibility on all browsers/browser versions. In addition to providing new opportunities, expanding into all browsers presents new challenges.  Being proactive about browser releases and ensuring compatibility is essential for remaining competitive in the browser add-on marketplace.  This is no easy task when looking at the release schedule for the leading browsers:

Chrome-
Automatically releases updates every 6 weeks.

Firefox-
Increased releases to every 4-6 weeks, now Firefox 8 is believed to automatically upgrade the user to this latest version once the user opens their (more…)

The days of everyone using the same browser and running on the same Operating System are over.  With Firefox, Safari and Chrome picking up speed on Internet Explorer, it’s more important than ever to make sure your app is  cross-browser compatible.  Making certain your app looks and functions nearly the same across all “major” browsers will allow the best audience experience possible and most importantly, allow maximum traffic.

The numbers say it all. The chart below (courtesy of www.arstechnica.com) represents July2011 Worldwide browser stats.  As you can see, Firefox is closing the gap on the IE dominance, followed by quickly growing Chrome and Safari audiences.

In a 2010 W3i survey on browser behavior, nearly 700 users provided feedback.  When asked if they use more than one browser, 43% of users responding stated they did.   When asked if more than one person uses the computer their survey was taken on, 51% replied “yes”.    These results echo the need to make sure your app functions well in the various browsers available.

So how do you test compatibility? The best way would be to download every browser you want to test and walk through it just like a normal user would.  If you’d rather take a shortcut, there are many online resources available to assist checking browser compatibility.  Many options exist online, including  Adobe BrowserLab, Browsershots CrossBrowserTesting, IE Tester and more.  While testing browsers for compatibility, keep in mind the different versions of each brand.

Don’t forget mobile. Mobile commerce is growing steadily.  As with desktop browsers, mobile browsers do not function the same.  As consumers rely more heavily on Internet via mobile devices, testing appearance and functionality is vital to preventing lost revenue.  Help is also available with many mobile browser compatibility-testing tools to choose from.

If you’re looking for ways to increase your reach, it’s important to keep browsers top of mind.   Making your app cross-browser compatible will maximize the effectiveness of your site and application by allowing the most traffic available.    Last, but definitely not least, your users will thank you.

Need help discussing other ways to increase distribution?  W3i has the people and the tools to get the job done. Contact us today.

Sue Ann Heck, Account Development Manager, W3i, LLC

Sue Ann has extensive experience in account management and prides herself in building quality, long-term relationships with W3i’s valued partners.

Your landing page is the first impression visitors have when they hit your site.  It’s here you get the chance to market your product or service quickly and efficiently.   The general goal of the landing page is conversion.  Making sure your page is in tip-top shape matters to your bottom line.

The following are a few tips to make sure you’re doing all you can to increase conversions.  Some may not be new to you, but illustrate why it may be worthwhile for you to revisit your landing page to see if there’s room for improvement.

1.) Know Your Audience – Very important step.  Who will hit your landing page?  What questions may they have?  Design it to fit their likes.  Speak their language.

2.) Keep it Simple – Now more than ever, your target audience is busy and wants things fast.  Help them get what you’re offering quickly and easily.

3.) Pay attention to basic grammar rules:

4.) Speak in second person, not first or third.  It makes users feel that you know exactly what they need.

5.) Write in bullets with clear call to action.

6.) Keep messaging consistent

7.) Make buttons and calls-to-action stand out.

8.) Carefully choose graphics that enhance the page design.

9.) Build Trust & Offer Security – Building trust on your landing page shouldn’t be overlooked.  Keep the following in mind as you’re building trust:

10.) Show a phone #. This tells people you are legitimate and there are real people associated with your product.

11.) Show Endorsements. If well-known people or businesses love your product, brag about it.  Show logos for brand recognition.

Sue Ann Heck, Account Development Manager, W3i, LLC

Sue Ann has extensive experience in account management and prides herself in building quality, long-term relationships with W3i’s valued partners.

Robert Reich is the founder of Add-on-Con, the conference for browser add-on developers and marketers. Now in its third year the conference anticipates more than 400 attendees.

Additionally Robert is the founder of One Riot, an advertising network for the real-time social web. OneRiot reaches millions of social influencers across an exclusive network of top Twitter apps, mobile apps, social networks and real-time content discovery sites.

We asked Robert about his thoughts on how app stores will develop and influence marketing and distribution of apps on the open web. His answer partly cites the “Mac”-daddy of the app world, Steve Jobs.

W3i will be at Add-on-Con 2010 if you’d like to chat about distribution and monetization options for your add-on contact Brian MacDonell  brian.macdonell@w3i.com.

To continue with my Add-on-Con buzz for marketers and developers of browser add-ons.  My last two postings recapped how browsers plan to lead all application platforms and the buzz on browser add-on business models.  In this post, I will cover the Add-On-Con buzz on add-on distribution channels. 

Add-On Distribution Channels

Browser galleries  

• Firefox’s gallery (AMO) is the leading source of distribution for most add-on developers.
• Firefox announced they do not have plans to have sponsored ads on AMO right now.
• Firefox revealed AMO’s install referrals come from these three primary sources – top ranked, recommended, and searched for
• Add-ons are by default sorted by popularity (cumulative installs) but will be updated to use # of active users.
• Alex Jeung, from Cooliris, mentioned that as a developer you can help your chances of getting recommended within the galleries by establishing your add-on’s popularity outside of the gallery and thereby proving that there is demand for your add-on.

Other distribution channels

• Check-out my earlier post to learn more about other add-on distribution channels including how the W3i Application Network is driving 850% more installs per application than AMO.

A special thanks to AdaptiveBlue, Yoono, and OneRiot for organizing Add-On-Con.  The excitement and anticipation I had leading up to the event were not let down.  I would invite others to participate in next year’s conference and follow their soon to be released blog. 

Please consider following W3i to stay up to date with other market information about add-ons as well as related services provided by W3i. (Twitter, LinkedIn,  Newsletter, Blog).

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

Add-On-Con was a buzz-worthy event for marketers and developers of browser add-ons.  My last posting recapped how browsers plan to lead all application platforms.  If you didn’t catch it, read it here.  In this post, I will cover the Add-On-Con buzz on add-on business models.  In my next post, I will cover the Add-On-Con buzz on add-on distribution channels.

Add-On Business Models

Paid Model

• Marketplace for add-ons.
  • Developers agreed that a marketplace, promoting the buying and selling of add-ons, is desirable.
    • The marketplace should provide an embedded payment platform.
    • A concern was raised by a developer, Chris Finke, regarding whether or not you could establish a user-base if you charge users.  Add-ons rely heavily on receiving buzz through the add-on galleries and with users which could be less effective if you begin charging as this creates higher friction.
  • Firefox mentioned a marketplace was one of the most commonly requested features from developers through AMO.
  • Firefox announced its plan to release a marketplace at the end of 2010.
• One developer, Eric Jung from FoxyProxy, is already having success with charging for their add-on.
  • Subscriptions he recommended as the best method for charging for add-ons because they allow the developer to create an ongoing stream of revenue which supports continuing to update the software.
  • Eric prefers leveraging the freemium model to drive the initial paid conversions.
• Contributions (donations) so far are not impressing anyone with Firefox.
  • Top developers are earning just $1,000 per month.

Ad-Supported Model

• Promotion – Developers are using add-ons to promote websites that have their own business models.
• Search Advertisements – Yahoo spoke about providing search advertisements, for syndication, as a source of revenue for add-ons including, but not limited to, toolbars.
• Installer Recommendations – I shared results from a recent W3i survey of 502 users which showed that of the ad-supported solutions, app/add-on marketers preferred the method of users seeing ads within the installation or download instead of ads in their application, or participating in market research.  Check out W3i to learn more about generating revenue through the installation of your add-on.
• Data – It came up several times that the data captured from add-ons is a potentially lucrative source of revenue.  Appeasing user’s privacy concerns and monetizing data were viewed with skepticism by most developers.

During my ten years of experience distributing add-ons and consumer apps, I learned that it pays to test various business models.  There is continual evolution, so it pays to discover and test new models to stay afloat.  For more information on using the W3i Application Network to generate revenue for your browser add-on, click here.

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.

I returned from Boston last week after attending my first Software Industry Conference (SIC).  In this post I wanted to share with you some general information about the conference, the buzz, and information about W3i’s participation to keep you up to date with what transpired.

General Information

• The conference was held at the Boston Marriot in Quincy from July 16th to July 18th.
• Attendance was down a bit with an estimated 200 attendees (attributed to the economy).
• Cost was only $269 at the door and as low as $229 if you registered early enough!  The organizers aim to keep costs down so that even small publishers can afford to attend.  The cost of admission includes a full conference pass, breakfast each day, food in the evening at events, and one luncheon.
• Though inexpensive, the conference is packed with things to keep you busy including educational sessions, exhibit night, networking events, and the Shareware Industry Awards.

The Buzz

• There was quite a bit of buzz around the topic of business models.
• Free and paid models were discussed including very innovative approaches at improving performance with both.
• The dominant model is definitely paid shared by participants and their service providers.
• Publishers were very focused on a paid only model and hadn’t considered a hybrid model, which would leverage both paid and ad-supported options.
• The hybrid model though may satisfy the greatest number of users.  I found an article on how online music is being impacted by free ad-supported alternatives and I thought this was a great parallel to how publishers might want to consider hybrid models with downloadable software.
• I was excited to learn of a few publishers that were willing to participate in hybrid model trials to explore this further.  This may include both high and low converting shareware titles mixed with the ad-supported solution offered by my company.  I hope that we can complete these trials and share our findings at a future date through a subsequent blog post.

W3i’s Participation

• I gave a presentation titled “Increasing Your Bottom Line through Leveraging an Understanding of User Engagement”.  In my presentation I highlighted suggestions and examples of how application publishers are improving user engagement from initial discovery all the way through the complete customer life cycle.  By pleasing the user, you get the same benefits as if you just focused on revenue, only easier.
• My twin brother Rob spoke about How to Squeeze More Money from Your Apps in his presentation which detailed various business models.
• W3i announced a new product at the conference, 3quency, which aims to provide a better custom toolbar solution.
• W3i had a table at exhibit night which was the highlight of the trip for me.  For 3 hours a room was filled with conference attendees.  Here is a picture of me juggling in front of our table.
  

For any shareware providers interested in exploring a hybrid business model which includes ad-supported services provided by W3i, please contact us and we’ll discuss the details further.

I hope this wrap-up keeps you in the know and better yet drives you to attend next year’s conference in Dallas, which I hope to attend.

Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue, distribution, and engagement for applications.