Mobile apps have had a huge impact on how businesses operate. And the App Store is one of the most popular ways for people to find those apps. But this week, Apple announced that its cutting commissions for members of its affiliate program.
In addition, popular mobile app WhatsApp experienced a worldwide outage this week that had plenty of users upset. Read about these headlines and more in this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.
Mobile Technology
Apple is Drastically Cutting App Store Affiliate Commissions
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) this week sent an email to App Store affiliate program members telling them that it is slashing their commission rates from seven percent to 2.5 percent on May 1. According to Brett Terpstra, an App Store affiliate who received the email, the changes only affect affiliate referrals for apps.
WhatsApp Back Online After Global Outage
WhatsApp went down and the world went a little nuts. Literally, the world. Widespread outages were first reported around 4 p.m. Wednesday. The problem was mostly resolved by 7 p.m. the same night, according to DownDetector.com. But during that time, no one on the planet could use WhatsApp. And that’s a lot of people.
Augmented Reality: It’s Not Just About Pokemon Go Anymore
Augmented reality broke onto the public consciousness with the release of Pokemon Go. But if you think the technology doesn’t have business applications beyond catching cartoon characters in parks around your home, you’d be wrong. In fact, if you have an eCommerce store, you might want to pay attention to what other retailers and mobile apps like Wayfair and Houzz are doing.
Economy
U.S. Businesses, 79 Percent of Belgian Small Exporters Use Social Media for Sales
Across the world, small businesses do not seem to be equal when it comes to facing challenges. Belgian businesses, for example, seem to be doing something right among their European counterparts.
Employment
Obamacare Penalties for Employers May Be History — But Not Quite Yet
Obamacare — and the mandates it places on small business employers and the self-employed — is one big step closer to being repealed and replaced. Republican members of the House of Representatives voted Thursday to repeal the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. The vote also replaced Obamacare with what’s known as the American Health Care Act.
Marketing Tips
McDonald’s Frork Promotion Shows Gamble of Humor in Marketing
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) has already admitted that its latest innovation is essentially useless. But the company still hopes that it serves an important purpose for its marketing efforts. The product is called a “frork.” It’s essentially a fork, but with french fries instead of prongs.
Why Instagram May be Better Than Twitter for Reaching Your Customers
Instagram recently hit the 700 million user mark. That’s twice the size of Twitter. It only took four months to gain another 100 million users. And at this rate, Instagram will be at the billion user mark in no time. Currently, only Facebook and WhatsApp have a billion users, according to their own data.
Retail Trends
What Can Small Retailers Learn From Big Changes at the Mall?
It’s no secret that traditional shopping malls have struggled in recent years. eCommerce giants like Amazon have taken a huge chunk out of their business. And retail stores just can’t compete price-wise. But there is something that malls can provide that online stores really can’t. And they’re starting to take advantage of it.
How Can Small Business Prepare For The Next Soda Tax?
Government officials in places like Philadelphia and Seattle think the new revenue from a soda tax is sweet, but small businesses are the ones that will absorb the cost and they’ve soured on the idea. The COO of Canada Dry Delaware Valley recently claimed the tax was responsible for a 45 percent drop in sales. And there were plans to lay off 20 percent of the workforce.
Small Biz Spotlight
Spotlight: Innvonix Technologies Provides Web, Application Development
Technology has opened up so many doors for businesses. But few small businesses actually have the resources and ability to make their ideas into reality in-house. That’s where Innvonix Technologies LLP comes in. The company provides a variety of different services ranging from website and graphic design to mobile application development.
Small Business Operations
Pendulum Swings Back Toward Traditional Offices — with a Twist
In the movie Back to the Future, hero Marty McFly must travel into the past to set things right in the present. Today, something very similar is happening when it comes to trends in the modern workplace.
How Can Your Business Use PayPal’s Business in a Box?
Setting up an online business is not for the faint of heart, and PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) is looking to make that process a bit easier with the launch of its new toolkit, Business in a Box. PayPal Business in a Box The tool is aimed mainly at first time business owners or at those who have successful offline businesses and are looking to set up an online presence.
Startup
Owners of Hawaiian Brewery Named Small Business People of the Year
Small Business Week is in full swing and Linda McMahon, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, has announced the Small Business Persons of The Year. This year the honors were shared by Garrett and Melanie Marrero of Maui Brewing Company.
Why Art Business Incubators are Boosting Startups
A new kind of retail incubator has emerged in recent years, providing support for arts-oriented start-ups. One example is the Cleveland Flea, which helps turn Northeast Ohio artists into retail entrepreneurs by offering support services, connections to suppliers, and market access.
2.5 Million Small Businesses Are Owned by American Military Vets (Report)
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy recently released an encouraging report on veteran-owned businesses. The report, which is based on the latest available data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 Survey of Small Business Owners (released December 2015 and February 2016), shows about 2.52 million businesses in the U.S. majority-owned by veterans.
Technology Trends
More Than Half of All Americans Want Their Own Personal AI Assistant, Study Finds
A day in the life of a small business owner or entrepreneur may not be as exciting as you’d expect. It usually involves performing repetitive tasks, such as filling out forms, taking calls, scanning emails and scheduling of meetings. The list of to-dos looks the same each week, which can get pretty boring.
Google Reiterates Quality Content Indirectly Affects Rank
Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has on many occasions emphasized that for good rankings, websites need to feature relevant and quality content. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that quality content will magically translate into big traffic. Still, the search engine keeps urging website owners — including small businesses — to focus on quality content first.
W-2 Phishing Scam Threatening Small Business After Tax Day
For the majority of small businesses the end of tax season brings a sigh of relief. But don’t let your guards down just yet. A new threat surrounding W-2 fraud has been detected, increasing the concerns over tax-related scams at this time.
New Prezi Next Offers Audience Feedback in Real Time on Your Next Presentation
The visual presentation platform that helps people connect more powerfully with their audiences, Prezi, has launched a completely new presentation platform called Prezi Next. While the Classic Prezi uses Flash-based technology, Prezi Next runs on HTML5 promising the best experience across all your devices.
App Store Photo via Shutterstock
This article, "Apple Cuts App Store Affiliate Commissions, WhatsApp Experiences Worldwide Outage" was first published on Small Business Trends
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