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.

This is part two of a three part series unpacking data from inside the W3i network, offering insights on browser use, browsing habits and engagement factors. In Part one, we identified state by state browser usage between Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Default Browser Use

Internet Explorer has the default browser world pretty locked up. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering IE is the default on Windows machines. W3i data shows that of Firefox browser users, 81.60% have Firefox set as their default browsers and Chrome retains about 75.84% as default compared to Internet Explorer active users where about 65.62% maintain IE as a default

Locking in the default browser setting is key to winning and retaining the crown in the browser war.

Changing Tide?

While it may seem intuitive that IE would hold the title of Default Browser King, Firefox continues to show its viability. In mid-summer 2010, IBM mandated it’s nearly 400,000 employees have Firefox as their default browser. Bob Sutor, Vice President of Open Source and Linux at IBM’s Software group said in a blog post about the mandate that “While other browsers have come and gone, Firefox is now the gold standard for what an open, secure, and standards-compliant browser should be.” It would follow, that there is an indication that Firefox continues to gain ground. The IBM announcement came around the time that IE reversed a year-long slide in usage also indicating the fickleness of the market.

Meanwhile, in the world of tech

There is one market segment that seems to be a black sheep in the browser family. Business Insider released numbers that indicate in the tech set, Google Chrome has surpassed Firefox now owning 34% market share of a tech savvy niche market(note* this is active use, not default browser settings). That eclipse happened this fall and also serves as an indicator that consumers’ browsing habits are a rich world of variation.

Final Thoughts

What the data shows is a rich world of browser preference based on market segment. For broad use, Internet Explorer still reigns supreme. However, both Firefox and Chrome are proving their ability to move the needle and that they are worth a review when developing add-ons, applications and toolbars. Both Firefox and Chrome retain high default usage among their active browser users.

In our final installment of The Browser Wars series we’ll take a look at user retention and engagement through add-ons, toolbars and applications based on browser use and identify which browser has highly engaged users when it comes to using enhanced features.

W3i’s new custom toolbar platform, 3quency, helps publishers increase engagement and user retention, as well as strengthen their brand presence and generate meaningful revenue through the creation of browser toolbars.  Each toolbar can be customized with a unique look and feel, as well as cool apps, buttons and features.   As product manager for 3quency, I know well the great things our platform can do.  This is why I’m introducing a weekly blog post called “3quency Highlights”.  I’ll be highlighting the awesome apps that 3quency offers and the cool features that 3quency is capable of each week and how they can be used to benefit your site or business.  This week I’ll be focusing on 3quency’s Social Apps.

An important part of making your custom toolbar “sticky” and thus increasing the amount of time users keep it installed is to ride upon the shoulders of social media.  Most users have Facebook, Twitter or YouTube accounts these days, so why not extend those services directly to your user base in your custom toolbar?  3quency has three great apps to charge your toolbar with the power of social media:

Twitter app:  Users can log directly into their Twitter account to view their timeline right on their toolbar.  Compose a clever 140 character or less quip or reply to tweets directly from the app.

Facebook app:  This app allows users to log into their Facebook account, view their Newsfeed, submit updates, and view events, among a plethora of other features.  Why go to your Facebook page when you can access your social network from within your toolbar?

YouTube app:  View most popular, top rated, and top viewed videos or search videos on YouTube with this app installed on your toolbar.  There’s no better way to make your toolbar sticky by providing direct access to today’s viral video sensations.

Your custom toolbar can leverage the power of social media by including social media buttons piggybacking on the strength of social media to continue to engage your valued users. 

Look forward to more 3quency Highlights in the coming weeks!  And if you want to become a 3quency custom toolbar publisher, click here to get started!

Eric Montag, Product Manager, W3i, LLC
Eric is a Pragmatic Marketing Certified Product Manager and uses his experience in internet marketing to lead the charge in product research, planning, and execution from both a consumer and business standpoint.  

If you have an active audience or a community that is loyal to your brand or services, why not let them take you with wherever they browse the web?  Imagine your brand, your logo, and your content in front of a user’s eyes every time they browse the web.  W3i’s 3quency custom toolbar platform is just the solution.  3quency allows you to build your own custom toolbar that installs on a user’s browser, increasing engagement with your users, and keeping your brand top-of-mind.

Over the last month, we’ve rolled out a ton of great changes to 3quency.  Most notably, you can now request access for a 3quency account and then login to our powerful platform to build your very own toolbar.  We’re ecstatic to be able to put more options in your hands. 

With a 3quency account, you’ll be able to do the following:

Custom Toolbars Built to Your Specification

With 3quency, you’ll be able to build custom toolbars with the features and apps you desire.   Easily pull or link to content from your site within the toolbar via the 3quency platform.  Add cool apps like YouTube, Facebook or Twitter that are sure to increase engagement.*

Customize Multiple Toolbars for Multiple Market Segments

Want to build a custom toolbar for games and another for social media?  You can do that with 3quency.  Test toolbars with different configurations head-to-head to see which resonates more with users.   Work with W3i’s optimization team to get the most out of your toolbar and grow your business.  You won’t find service like this anywhere else.

Once your toolbar is built, work with our team to wrap your custom toolbar with InstallIQ and make money on the installation of your toolbar.  Generate revenue up front and make up for marketing costs by leveraging the power of the W3i Application Network.

3quency aims to increase the frequency that users see and are engage with your brand as well as make you more revenue.  By opening up our solution to you, we’re giving you more control as well as more options to grow your business.  If you haven’t signed up for an account, go to 3quency.com and click “Get Started” to start building your custom toolbar. 

*W3i and 3quency are not associated in any way with YouTube, Twitter or Facebook.

Eric Montag, Product Manager, W3i, LLC
Eric is a Pragmatic Marketing Certified Product Manager and uses his experience in internet marketing to lead the charge in product research, planning, and execution from both a consumer and business standpoint.  

W3i Improves Ad Revenues with the Yahoo! Toolbar 

W3i searched for a way to offer consumers more value and to increase revenues through its free and trial computer applications.  The Yahoo! Publisher Network helped it do both by adding the Yahoo! Toolbar to W3i’s application network to monetize search ads and by partnering with the company to optimize user experience. 

Yahoo’s Full Case Study

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.

St. Cloud, Minnesota, July 16, 2009 – W3i, an application network that increases distribution, revenue, and engagement for Windows  applications, introduces a new service, 3quency^TM, a toolbar platform that simplifies the building of complex toolbars, including client and user customization features, that encourage engagement.   

Building a toolbar that engages the user with useful content and quality search capabilities is an effective marketing strategy to increase user engagement.  3quency makes it easy with drag-and-drop widgets and flexible design capabilities for stronger branding combined with W3i’s robust reporting system supplying the data needed for effective toolbar management.  “The technology makes it easy for a client to configure a toolbar’s content so that each user segment receives a unique, relevant experience that increases engagement.  Users can easily customize to suit their own needs; strengthening engagement resulting in longer user tenure and increased performance.” comments Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder of W3i.

The first toolbar delivered by 3quency is an upgraded and enhanced Freeze.com Toolbar offering more engaging content as well as access to the widget gallery.  The free Freeze.com Toolbar is one of the most accepted recommendations offered through W3i’s Application Network.

The Web has caused the adoption of software plug-ins to proliferate like never before. Millions of users have installed plug-ins and are now getting an experience different than the one contemplated by the original authoring software company. The following are a few examples of popular plug-ins that are leading this change:  

Browser Toolbars: Since coming into the scene, toolbars have taken the Internet world by storm. It was recently reported that over 50% of the web surfing world now has a browser toolbar installed. And boy, are toolbars impactful! According to ComScore, 11% of US searches are generated via toolbar searches. Everyone in the search business understands the impact of the browser toolbar; with Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL, and Ask all having meaningful entries into the market. The most popular toolbars are the general interest toolbars provided by these companies, which makes sense given the limited amount of real estate on the browser chrome itself.

Layer Applications: This is a newer phenomenon that your average interactive marketing professional hasn’t yet heard of, but this technology solves a real current user problem. Users are running out of space on their browser chrome due to the heavy marketing by the aforementioned browser toolbar players. A layer application is a browser add-on that creates virtual layers that can be edited to create the appearance of having made changes to the underlying website. The functionality is dependent on the website you visited and the layer application that you installed, and therefore doesn’t have to be present on each and every website a user visits. One good example of such an application comes from StumbleUpon, which modifies Google search results page with StumbleUpon’s discover shortcut, user ratings, etc. The key with StumbleUpon’s application is that it provides these additional features in addition to those available to all users who might be running web search with Google that didn’t have the plug-in installed. Another layer application, from a widely recognized communication player, was cited as generating over 5% of this company’s sales, from a credible source I recently spoke with. Based on the size of this communication company, the impact based on my estimate of the layer app, was in the multiple millions annually. These types of applications are no doubt going to have a very high impact for the software and internet media firms who take advantage of their capabilities.

Media Player Plug-ins: Lastly, I wanted to touch on some interesting other plug-ins, as plug-ins don’t simply have to be for the web browser. Several innovative firms have adapted plug-ins for the most common media players. Among my favorites are Soundcrank, which features hi-res album artwork, lyrics, and sharing features for its users. Another favorite is SoundSpectrum, which provides its users with advanced music visuals for iTunes and other popular music software. And the last media player plug-in I wanted to point out is iLike, which has more of a social networking flair. iLike provides concert information, music, and videos from your favorite artists.

If you haven’t considered how software plug-ins can support your software or interactive media strategy, please contact someone at W3i via info@W3i.com and we’d be happy to consult with you.Rob Weber, Vice President of Business Development and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Rob is an Internet marketing pioneer with over eight, profitable years evolving W3i (owner of Freeze.com) in the Integrated Interactive Media industry.