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AN E-NEWS BRIEFING ABOUT WEB TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET-BASED BUSINESS TRENDS February 24, 2012
Made possible by an unrestricted grant from The HOYA Free-Form Company
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From The Big Picture to the Basics

The revolution that is digital media continues its powerful pace in 2012.

In this edition of CLICK we bring you the highlights of comScore's major metrics on the growth of the web and social media, a perspective of the very Big Picture of what's happening online and, increasingly, via mobile communications.

At the same time, some eyecare professionals still need to get started. So we highlight a new e-book that can provide a path towards catching up.

Don't forget: the easy-to-access CLICK Archive located under the CLICK button at VisionMonday.com, which features dozens of Cool Tools, Sites to See and other resources for building your web image and your office's connection to patients.

Have you tried something new on your website or launched a successful social media campaign? Tell us about it and we'll consider it for an upcoming feature in CLICK.

—The Editors


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IN FOCUS

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From The Top of the Trees: comScore's 2012 Report on Digital Trends

The constantly shifting realm of internet and social media continues to pose new opportunities for business as it also dramatically transform social and cultural interaction. One of the leading authorities on the topic is comScore, which offers a suite of products, including comScore Media Metrix, comScore qSearch, comScore Ad Metrix, comScore Video. From the group's latest research, the 2012 Report on Digital Trends offers a top-line glimpse of key developments.

Among the highlights of the latest report:
Social Networking continues to amass online users and capture an increasing share of their time, redefining how people interact with their personal social circles and brands in both the online and offline environments. Social Networking accounted for 16.6 percent of all online minutes at the end of 2011 and is on track to surpass Portals as the most engaging online activity in 2012. Facebook continues to lead as the driving force behind this shift in consumer behavior accounting for the largest share of online minutes.

  • Facebook-Led Social Media Market is Redefining Communication in the Digital and Physical Worlds
    Social networking continues to amass online users and capture an increasing share of their time, redefining how people interact with their personal social circles and brands in both the online and offline environments. Social Networking accounted for 16.6 percent of all online minutes at the end of 2011 and is on track to surpass Portals as the most engaging online activity in 2012. Facebook continues to lead as the driving force behind this shift in consumer behavior, accounting for the largest share of online minutes across the entire web in 2011.
  • Bing Gains Ground in Search
    Although Google maintains a strong lead in the U.S. search market, one of the most notable stories in search in 2011 was Bing's positive growth trajectory. Bing closed out the year by surpassing Yahoo! for the #2 position among core search engines for the first time in its history, bolstered in part by its social search partnership with Facebook implemented in early 2011.
  • Online Video Boom Signals Sea Change in Video Ecosystem
    Online video viewing witnessed impressive gains across a variety of measures in 2011, signaling a behavioral shift in how Americans are consuming video content. More than 100 million Americans watched online video content on an average day to close out 2011, representing a 43 percent increase versus year ago.
  • Smartphone and Tablets Fuel the Rise of the Digital Omnivore
    The rise of smartphones and tablets has drastically altered consumers' digital media consumption. In 2011, the majority of all mobile phone owners consumed mobile media on their device, marking an important milestone in the evolution of mobile from primarily a communication device to also a content consumption tool. At the end of the year, more than 8 percent of all digital traffic was consumed beyond the 'classic web' via devices such as smartphones and tablets.
  • E-Commerce is Back and Better Than Ever
    Despite the backdrop of continued economic uncertainty, 2011 was a strong year for retail e-commerce. Throughout the year, growth rates versus the prior year remained in double-digits to significantly outpace growth at brick-and-mortar retail. Total U.S. retail and travel-related e-commerce reached $256 billion in 2011, up 12 percent from 2010.

 

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SOLUTIONS

New E-Guide to Help ECPs Grow by Using the Internet and Social Media

A new and comprehensive e-guide on "How To Grow Your ECP Practice Using The Internet and Social Media," has been developed to help eyecare professionals better understand the benefits of having a quality online presence for their practice and familiarize them with the online tools available to help them get their practice online.

Written by Bob Main, who's Tomorrow's Optical site and blog consults with practices on the topic, the guide is a free download. The e-booklet, Main tells CLICK, will review the various online tools (i.e. Facebook, blogs, etc.) and explain how they can be used. "If you are an ECP or optical business manager that knows you should be doing 'something online', but are just not sure where to start, then this 20-page e-booklet is just what you need. It's developed to be a roadmap. It contains useful links to additional online educational resources that will give you the knowledge needed to get started in the online and social media game for your practice."

Bob Main is an optical industry veteran, with over 25 years of retail optical experience and the last 5 years specifically engaged in internet marketing and social media. As an Internet Business Coach/Consultant, Bob's blog offers ECPs and optical retailers the information they need to learn how to grow their practice/business using the power of the internet.


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SITES TO SEE

Lens Facts, a free app from Alcon's OptiFree lens solution, provides contact lens wearers with all the information they'll ever need to know about their lenses. Developed for Alcon by White Rock Interactive, Lens Facts contains compliance information, Contacts 101 videos and expert advice for eye health questions. Patients are able to track how they are doing and monitor their contact lens experience over time. The app also includes scheduling reminders for when to discard lenses and lens cases. The eye doctor's office information can be stored on the patient's iPhone, iPod Touch, and or iPad. Lens Facts requires iOS 4.0 or later smart phone. The app is available at the iTunes App Store, brought to you by Alcon and OptiFree PureMoist MPDS.

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Optikam Tech, the Montreal-based manufacturer of the Optikam system, is releasing a new app, available at the Apple App Store, which brings the Optikam kiosk features to the iPad, transforming the kiosk into a powerful multi-station tool. Users can access saved customer profiles anywhere in their store directly from their iPad. They can capture centration images or load already-saved centration profiles to perform the measurements from anywhere in the office. The Optikam Lens Module on the iPad can be used to demonstrate the advantage of the premium lens options to customers. Current Optikam owners can immediately benefit from this enhancement by clicking the upgrade button in the system configuration panel.

COOL TOOLS

Wolfram Password Generator App

It's a challenge to manage passwords in today's digital world, but this app is designed to analyze the strength or vulnerability of a user's passwords and suggest others for security. The app's design suggests passwords that enhance security/privacy and those that are weak. And the software enables users to "test" out combinations and provides a rating. The app is available at the App Store for 99 cents and is compatible with iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, IOS system 4.0 or higher.

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Appsylum

Appsylum bills itself as a one-stop shop "comunity" for mobile users and developers to network and try out apps. The web site enables users to read iTunes Store App reviews without opening iTunes, discuss apps among users and see what people are saying about them. The site features a blog and last fall, announced a partnershp with Gizmodo, The Gadget Guide, to alert users, who've submitted preferences, to special prices, promotions on apps when they are available. The site is geared to iPad, iPhone and Apple apps.


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