Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1 — Google’s stock clobbering shows just how freaked out Wall Street is about the online ad business right now
The share price of Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. fell this week amid a market selloff that also affected some of its top rivals. In addition, the company’s traffic acquisition costs rose 37% and took up a greater percentage of revenue than the same quarter last year. Two reasons for the price drop – according to the Business Insider report – could be the possibility that new rules in Europe regarding user privacy might hurt Google’s ability to collect the kind of information that advertisers want as well as the fallout from Facebook’s scandal regarding Cambridge Analytica. (Source: Business Insider)
Why this is important for your business:
Google’s fortunes impact our fortunes. There’s the obvious effect on the value of mutual funds that many of us own that hold Google stock. More importantly is the effect on advertising. Millions of small businesses rely on AdWords for leads and, like it or not, any restrictions on Google’s ability to reach our targeted audience will not just affect our commerce but likely drive up our advertising costs as well. Maybe rivals will appear that can offer a better service, but right now Google dominates the space and their pains will be shared with their customers – that means you and me.
2 — Data, information security and CRM leading SMB pack.
A majority of small businesses are leveraging data and information security and are showing great interest in CRM software, according to the latest research by business software resource Capterra. Its survey of 699 U.S. SMB workers in 14 industries revealed that 68% are currently leveraging data and information security, and 73% said CRM software is critical to their organization; however, only 56% are using a CRM offering today. (Source: Channelnomic$)
Why this is important for your business:
Article source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2018/04/29/google-gets-clobbered-and-other-small-business-tech-news-this-week/