TECH UPDATES FROM LEADING DIGITAL PLATFORMS

by | Aug 22, 2024 | Tech News & Updates

Stay updated with the latest advancements and features across various digital platforms.

 

In this article, we delve into recent updates from Meta, Amazon, Shopify, X (formerly Twitter), and Google. Discover how these updates can enhance your digital marketing strategies and improve user experiences.

META’S NEW FEATURE ENHANCES INSTAGRAM AD ENGAGEMENT WITH CUSTOM OFFERS

Instagram ad call-to-action (CTA) buttons will now display bespoke offers for marketers thanks to a new tool that Meta is launching. This unique feature allows up to 20 offers per ad and dynamically pulls offer data from the advertisement’s website URL. It also makes predictions about which offer is most likely to convert. Through emphasising competitive incentives like percentage or cash discounts, advertisers have the ability to raise click-through rates and user engagement. Nevertheless, not all ad accounts may use this functionality, and it is only accessible for single-media advertising in Instagram Stories.

How to Make an Ad with Personalised Offers:

  • In Ads Manager, create a campaign with one of the following suitable goals: traffic, engagement, leads, or sales.
  • Choose “Website” as the place for conversion.
  • To add deals automatically or manually enter offer data, enter the URL of the website.
  • Examine and validate offers in the ad setup process.

For more information, visit Facebook Business Help.

AMAZON EXPANDS AI SHOPPING ASSISTANT RUFUS TO ALL US USERS

All US users may now use Rufus, Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, through the Amazon’s mobile app. Rufus may be accessed by users by tapping the orange and blue icon located in the navigation bar of the app. This allows users to ask questions, compare items, and provide order updates. Rufus was first shown to a small group in February and uses product listing information, reviews, and community Q&As in addition to web resources to provide thorough support.

For more information, visit Amazon News.

SHOPIFY INTRODUCES NEW STYLE SETTINGS FOR ENHANCED THEME CUSTOMIZATION

New Style options that Shopify has released provide the foundation for their idea of flex sections. With the help of this feature, merchants can quickly drag & drop, resize, and organise various sections and components within their themes. Merchants may change the look of their website for mobile devices without requiring distinct settings for every breakpoint by using the Style options, which map directly to CSS attributes.

For more information, visit Shopify Partners Blog.

X (FORMERLY TWITTER) DEVELOPS DOWNVOTING FEATURE TO IMPROVE REPLY RANKINGS

Downvoting is a feature that Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, is working on improve the ranking of replies. According to recent research, the functionality may mimic a “dislike” button and show a broken heart icon next to the “like” button that is fashioned like a heart. Twitter first experimented with upvoting and downvoting on every post. According to the most recent experiments, X may only permit downvotes on replies in order to promote the best answers and move less popular ones down.

For more information, visit Twitter Support.

HOW LONG WILL PEOPLE WAIT FOR WEBSITES TO LOAD IN 2024?

According to a Forbes Advisor survey, users will wait just eight seconds on average for a website to load in 2024.

Here’s how patience varies:

  • Less than 3 seconds: 4%
  • 3 to 6 seconds: 29%
  • 7 to 10 seconds: 38%
  • More than 11 seconds: 24%

If your site is slow, nearly half of users (48%) will move on to the next option in search results.

Quick load times are crucial—every second counts. Well-known brands may get more leeway, but lesser-known sites could lose users to competitors.

Since 2010, Google has recommended loading times under 2 seconds. In 2017, Google reported a 32% increase in bounce rates when load times rise from 1 to 3 seconds.

Survey details: The survey, conducted by OnePoll for Forbes Advisor, involved 2,000 U.S. adults and was published earlier this year.

GOOGLE CLARIFIES ADS IN MAPS NAVIGATION ARE NOT POP-UPS

Google has recently announced that pop-up advertisements won’t be added while using Google Maps for navigation. Alternatively, users may view relevant ads for nearby eateries and petrol stations using the Promoted Pins functionality that is now in place. To provide the least amount of disturbance for drivers, these adverts only evolve when tapped and disappear quickly. Google clarifies that any uncertainty over pop-up advertisements is probably the result of accidental screen taps or bugs.

For more information, visit 9to5Google.

GOOGLE ENHANCES MERCHANT CENTRE WITH ADVANCED DATA SOURCE MANAGEMENT

Google has introduced advanced data source management in Merchant Centre Next, along with a new add-on for enhanced product data control. These updates aim to improve product visibility and performance on Google’s shopping platforms. The new functionalities, including automated processes, make Merchant Centre more cost-effective and manageable, even for small business owners.

Merchants can access these features through the new Advanced Data Source Management add-on, with detailed guidance provided in newly released Help articles.

For more information, visit Google Merchant Centre Help.

GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE ADDS SHIPPING AND RETURN POLICY SETTINGS

Google now allows online merchants to set their shipping and return policies directly in Google Search Console. This new feature takes precedence over website configurations, including product-level merchant listing markup. Merchants can view, add, and manage their policies in Search Console, with the option to edit or delete them if associated with Merchant Centre.

For more information, visit Google Search Console.

CONCLUSION

These updates from leading digital platforms signify a continuous effort to enhance user experiences and streamline business operations. Stay informed and leverage these new features to optimise your digital strategies and achieve better engagement and performance.