This time it’s a lawsuit that claims Apple’s voice technology is responsible for infringing on the patents belonging to another company. Apple has previously filed lawsuits against other brands and has been slapped with quite a few lawsuits itself. Sometime’s a consumer takes the giant to court or another tech company and we have grown used to that. What’s new this time is that the troubled voice assistant has landed Apple in a lawsuit filed by Advanced Voice Recognition Systems.
The infamous Siri violates Speech Recognition and Transcription Among Users Having Heterogenous Protocols. After this infringement, the products that are under risk are iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and everything that has Siri on it.
It is Alleged that Apple got to know about this violation in 2013 which is precisely 2 years after the launch of Siri in 2011. Since then, AVRS have offered Apple a license to the 730 patent which got denied. The Advanced Voice Recognition Systems own the patent from 2001 which was modified to the current state in 2009. AVRS currently holds six patents covering the same technology including 730 Patent and are expecting to get royalty damages for the giants unauthorized use of the patent.
It is worth noting that AVRS is a non-practicing entity that acquired the patent in 2013. Another aspect of the story that has unfolded is their unwillingness to sue google or Samsung for voice recognition in off-device processing for the user. Targeting Siri will impact Apple the most since it offers the virtual assistant in almost all products.
“We believe our patents are among the most valuable of our assets and we intend to vigorously enforce our rights,” said AVRS CEO Walter Geldenhuys.

Voice commands have enabled a hands-free shopping experience for online shoppers. Since it requires less intervention from the user, voice shopping and voice search is expected to grow.

For quite some time conversational commerce has enabled customers to interact with brands in real-time. The chat apps and voice assistants are now becoming an integral part of online businesses. However, they are about to take a leap forward with voice search that returns the right results to a spoken query. Essentially, this would boost the online sales as the millennials and post millennials are the first generations fully accustomed to the usage of voice search.

But that’s not all. Over half of iphone users now use siri, whereas, Google Ok is gaining traction among android users. As for the users between the age group of 18 – 24, at least 48% are already using voice recognition software. So, if the smartphone market currently stands at 2.5 billion users, it creates 1 to 1.5 billion potential customers who would readily use voice tech. Will you use voice search for shopping?

What is speech technology?

The term speech tech involves 2 different techs called speech recognition and speech production. In case of speech recognition, speech becomes the input to the system, whereas speech production offers a modality for conveying the output of the system verbally to the user though the auditory channel.

Why speech search matters?

It has become inevitable to incorporate voice recognition and voice search in ecommerce owing to the growing number of users who are accustomed to this technology.

It makes search convenient and faster for people on the go because speech was about 3.0 times faster than the keyboard for English.

Voice recognition and voice search also caters to the elderly and disabled user groups that cannot make use of the visuo-motor communication.

Speech search makes use of user’s purchasing history to suggest relevant products.

Voice search goes mobile

Businesses are already investing in optimizing mobile app experiences to fit voice search and voice recognition. It all started with Amazon introducing Alexa. That was the first mover that came up with custom voice experience. While some pioneers are leading the way for speech search, the user in general will benefit from all who enable them to find exactly what they are looking for at much faster pace.

Voice gets competitive advantage

It is expected that by 2020, 50% of all search will involve voice. Markets predict that a massive increase in Voice Shopping is to expected come following the wide acceptance of Smart Speakers by users, as more people are using Smart Speakers to make at least one purchase. However, these purchases are mostly low-value purchases, with a maximum of 20% going to Grocery, 19% to entertainment, 17% to electronics, and 8% to clothing.

In a nutshell speech-enabled ecommerce has a lot to offer to the elderly and the disabled, perhaps even more than its ordinary users. Speech enabled ecommerce has already become a reality despite the fact that there are certain limitations to robust speech recognition and speech production of high quality.

Voice commands have enabled a hands-free shopping experience for online shoppers. Since it requires less intervention from the user, voice shopping and voice search is expected to grow.

For quite some time conversational commerce has enabled customers to interact with brands in real-time. The chat apps and voice assistants are now becoming an integral part of online businesses. However, they are about to take a leap forward with voice search that returns the right results to a spoken query. Essentially, this would boost the online sales as the millennials and post millennials are the first generations fully accustomed to the usage of voice search.

But that’s not all. Over half of iphone users now use siri, whereas, Google Ok is gaining traction among android users. As for the users between the age group of 18 – 24, at least 48% are already using voice recognition software. So, if the smartphone market currently stands at 2.5 billion users, it creates 1 to 1.5 billion potential customers who would readily use voice tech. Will you use voice search for shopping?

What is speech technology?

The term speech tech involves 2 different techs called speech recognition and speech production. In case of speech recognition, speech becomes the input to the system, whereas speech production offers a modality for conveying the output of the system verbally to the user though the auditory channel.

Why speech search matters?

It has become inevitable to incorporate voice recognition and voice search in ecommerce owing to the growing number of users who are accustomed to this technology.

It makes search convenient and faster for people on the go because speech was about 3.0 times faster than the keyboard for English.

Voice recognition and voice search also caters to the elderly and disabled user groups that cannot make use of the visuo-motor communication.

Speech search makes use of user’s purchasing history to suggest relevant products.

Voice search goes mobile

Businesses are already investing in optimizing mobile app experiences to fit voice search and voice recognition. It all started with Amazon introducing Alexa. That was the first mover that came up with custom voice experience. While some pioneers are leading the way for speech search, the user in general will benefit from all who enable them to find exactly what they are looking for at much faster pace.

Voice gets competitive advantage

It is expected that by 2020, 50% of all search will involve voice. Markets predict that a massive increase in Voice Shopping is to expected come following the wide acceptance of Smart Speakers by users, as more people are using Smart Speakers to make at least one purchase. However, these purchases are mostly low-value purchases, with a maximum of 20% going to Grocery, 19% to entertainment, 17% to electronics, and 8% to clothing.

In a nutshell speech-enabled ecommerce has a lot to offer to the elderly and the disabled, perhaps even more than its ordinary users. Speech enabled ecommerce has already become a reality despite the fact that there are certain limitations to robust speech recognition and speech production of high quality.

Is Aliexpress really worth the hype? Is it platform worth considering for dropshipping? These are perhaps some of the most common questions an entrepreneur willing to build an e-store would have in mind. And then there are questions on profits and business expansion opportunities. You will notice the most suitable answer appears in the form of Aliexpress dropshipping

Dropshipping makes it possible to sell products online at a hefty profit margin without ever worrying about the inventory. This allows you to run an e-store and save a lot of time while doing so. However, the only limitation is to connect with an appropriate dropshipping platform. Indeed, Aliexpress offers the fastest link to building an ecommerce presence.

Why dropshipping is ideal?

It negates the need to maintain a brick and mortar store. Hence there is no need to purchase or rent a physical space.

Once the order is confirmed, the dropshipping supplier takes care of dispatching the order which reduces the hassle for the store owner.

It offers opportunity to set up store with diverse product offerings.

You can experiment with various segments and try your luck marketing for each to see which one works out for you. Since there is no physical inventory, this is possible.

Is Aliexpress really worth the hype? Is it platform worth considering for dropshipping? These are perhaps some of the most common questions an entrepreneur willing to build an e-store would have in mind. And then there are questions on profits and business expansion opportunities. You will notice the most suitable answer appears in the form of Aliexpress dropshipping

Dropshipping makes it possible to sell products online at a hefty profit margin without ever worrying about the inventory. This allows you to run an e-store and save a lot of time while doing so. However, the only limitation is to connect with an appropriate dropshipping platform. Indeed, Aliexpress offers the fastest link to building an ecommerce presence.

Why dropshipping is ideal?

It negates the need to maintain a brick and mortar store. Hence there is no need to purchase or rent a physical space.

Once the order is confirmed, the dropshipping supplier takes care of dispatching the order which reduces the hassle for the store owner.

It offers opportunity to set up store with diverse product offerings.

You can experiment with various segments and try your luck marketing for each to see which one works out for you. Since there is no physical inventory, this is possible.

Where does a bad design comes from? It stems from lack of effective communication between designers and developers who happen to be on different planets. Or to be more precise, they don’t quite speak the same language. Their feuds always remain the talk of the group. Usually, they will struggle to prove their dominance over each other even while working on the same project.

However, the conflict of ideas is not just restricted to work. There is often an array of confusion when it comes to use of terms. Web designer and web developer, as you might know are used interchangeably. In fact, a web designer gets riddled with questions like “Can you code?” This attitude is prevalent perhaps due to the fact that a client is not concerned about the team but interested in the end result or return on investment.

Yet, there is an effective way to classify the two positions separately if roles are clearly defined for each position for a web design and development project. The criteria can vary but it will prevent the often visible conflict of interest in the two positions. But the question remains what are the attributes that make the two poles apart or rather planets apart.

In the world of a web designer

An ideal designer is usually creative and stands out in his craft. They have a knack for getting to know the in-depth details and understanding the overall vision of the client. Aesthetics and user-experience are essential for the designer.

In the world of the web developer

They form the technical side with commendable problem-solving skills. You will see them brag their math skills and are the jedi of various programming languages including CSS, PHP, HTML, Python and more. When it comes to web developers, their skillset is far vast in comparison to a software developer.

The melting pot

Perhaps out of habit the two are often seen entangled in a tug-o-war in which each side tries to dominate and take up tasks that go beyond their capabilities. It is a challenge to look for a common ground between the two.

Not every marketing campaign is cringe worthy. Some of them just fail to create any impact, neither positive nor negative. It’s a general perception that a campaign inviting massive criticism is a failure. Quite the opposite is true in this case. However the brand needs to be careful in its approach and not invite criticism.  One wrong move and your ideas can go terribly wrong.

As we know, marketing campaigns can fail due to a number of unanticipated reasons. For example, delivering content at a wrong time, choice of improper words in the campaign, not catering to the needs of target audience, brand’s message leading to number of interpretations etc.

A marketing fail is a window of opportunity for emerging brands that learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. So, let’s look at top marketing fails of 2017 and take lessons of preventions from them.

Dove’s ethnic diversity ad backfires

A Dove advertisement was posted on Facebook which was a four-panel image showing an African young girl taking off her shirt which is similar to her skin color in three panels and in the fourth panel a young white woman was shown. People immediately started criticizing the ad, calling it racist. In fact, Google’s search query suggests it as “Dove’s racist ad”. Ultimately, Dove had to apologize to the audience.

Takeaway: Avoid posting racial superiority. No brand should ever create an add which can be easily taken out of context.

Uber backs the wrong horse

During the first half of 2017, When Donald Trump’s ban on Muslim countries affected the trade. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance asked members to stay out of the JFK airport for an hour. At this moment, Uber announced low pricing at the airport which left the anti-ban users with no other choice but to remove the app and express their rage on twitter. Uber tried to save themselves from pedal maneuver but the damage was done already.

Takeaway: It is better not to jump into political scenarios and prefer profits over ethics. If in some case you have to do it, then be prepared to deal with all the circumstances.

Pepsi jumps in with both feet

Pepsi casted Kendall Jenner in their advertisement which featured that the tension is rising between the police and protestors until she appeared and so effortlessly resolved the protest by sharing a can of Pepsi with the cop. The commercial trivialized the significance of protest which was happening at that time in America. Besides, Kendall was not the right representative. She might be a perfect pick for Pepsi in a situation other than protest.

Takeaway: When aligning a brand with a movement, make sure that the tone of the movement goes with the brand. Also, cast people who are associated with the cause.

McDonald’s pain-play

It is really hard to offend anyone with food but McDonalds did it. The spot showed a young boy conversing with his mother about his dead father, hoping one of his father’s trait will be like him. It is showed that the young boy shares nothing mutual with his father except for their shared love for fish-o-fillet sandwiches. The advertisement received swift criticism for offending the sentiments of people that McDonalds had to apologize.

Takeaway: Attaching sentiments to a campaign is a good strategy for marketing but only if it’s done wisely.

Adidas gone wrong with wordplay

Adidas sent an email to all the participants of Boston Marathon with the subject, “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon” which offended the people and drew a lot of criticism from participants, their friends and families. It reminded them of the tragic 2013 Marathon, during which a lot of people were killed and injured due to terrorism. Thus, Adidas had to apologize for this inconsiderate move.

Takeaway: Word choice should be immensely considered and should be cross checked. What you intend, doesn’t matter. Message is in the words!

Snapchat ruins the surprise

Snapchat wanted to make a big announcement and in order to grab the attention of the masses, Snapchat employees began cryptically tweeting the link to the webpage. That page displayed a countdown clock. Snapchat very excitedly put all the efforts into its timer that they forgot about the clock on other computers. Savvy snap chatters couldn’t wait for the timer to stop and by adjusting the clock forward on their computers, they quickly tricked the site. Hence, revealing the surprise. The surprise was about the collaboration of AR into the application with artist Jeff Koons.

Takeaway: Before making any big reveal, make sure every little detail from NDAs signed to every piece of marketing collateral is taken care of.

Facebook’s insensitive move

Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook and Rachel Franklin- head of social video on Facebook were shown talking and discussing the social network’s latest venture (i.e. VR App Spaces). It was a 10-minute long NPR produced 360 video against the backdrop of a devastated Puerto Rico after the hurricane Maria. It was hoped that it would result in people wanting to use their application but it only became a huge flop, making Zuckerberg to apologize instead.

Takeaway: Ensure that your dry run explores more than just tech. Think from various perspectives.  An internal team should be assigned to keep a check on the potential pitfalls.

Wrapping up

If you are a head of a marketing team of any business regardless of its size and market, make sure your marketing strategy is free from political biases, body shaming or color races, or anything that could be constructed as negative. Because any marketing tactic will set up your brand’s image. All the marketing fails above are a lesson for the smart people as once a wiseman said: “Average people learn from their mistakes. Smart people learn from other people’s mistakes.” 

While User interaction is designed, various significant aspects are often overlooked. A CTA is that black and white area that grants clarity. Call to action buttons are a tool of communication between the user and the system. In the world of e-commerce and/or m-commerce, a CTA button is more than a tool for capturing attention. It is rather an inevitable part of the user journey. The most commonly used call-to-action buttons have the following purposes.

Add to cart

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The virtual click affects provided in the CTA button is guided with visual sign. Often the consideration for CTA button design has to be the right mix of art and science. If you get that right, you will get more clicks and conversions. Here’s a small run-down of design tips to lead user to checkout or any other intended action.

CTA Button size should be proportionate

Well, bigger button draw attention and are mobile-friendly but avoid overdoing it. The idea is to provide a smooth user experience by increasing the clickable area. Also, the text within that button should be readable and centrally aligned. A finger-friendly button is most desirable if you want to design it mobile audience. It is also safe to make the CTA 20% bigger than the logo.

Go for rounded edges

Notice the various apps and websites, and you will see most of them use a square button with rounded edges. The logic for this decision can be traced in visual psychology. Rounded corners are believed to attract people’s attention to the center whereas square edges draw people’s attention away from the center. A word of caution though for people who would like to experiment and choose outrageous shapes.

Label Call-to-Action Buttons accurately

The last you want is to trap the user in a rut of ambiguity. If the user has doubts about clicking, then perhaps you haven’t clarified the message. Ideally, it should state the obvious because generic or misleading labels happen to be one of the top reasons for cart abandonment. Imagine that you accidentally triggered a delete action and now you see the following error message.

It’s a crucial situation where you have no idea what ‘OK’ or ‘cancel’ represent.

Leave Ample Whitespace

Too much text or images around a CTA button would also distract the user. In order to make the message on the Call-to-action button stand out, it is important to leave some negative space. To add more drama, you can guide to the button by placing arrows pointing towards it. Here’s an example to elucidate the idea.