Apple has gained impressive satisfaction ratings in the ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index) for the Personal Computers category.

The ACSI Satisfaction survey reveals that Apple tops competing Windows-equipped PCs as Dell, HP and Gateway (recently to acquire Acer).

From a marketing perspective, Apple’s triumph can set a good example for how innovative products (MacBook Air) and penetrations to new markets (iPod, iPhone) can bring to new levels of overall brand satisfaction. TrendsSpotting has produced the above graph for the ACSI Satisfaction scores to present the effect of those marking initiatives on Apple’s general satisfaction ratings in the PC Category throughout the years.

Note that in the ACSI Cellular Telephone category – the iPhone is yet to be tested.

“We haven’t seen anything like this before, where a company scores 10 points over its nearest rival,” said Claes Fornell, the head of the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

ACSI Satisfaction survey: Methodology
The American Customer Satisfaction Index uses customer interviews as input to a multi-equation econometric model developed at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. The model is comprised of a set of causal equations that link customer expectations, perceived quality, and perceived value to customer satisfaction. Satisfaction, in turn, is linked to key outcomes, defined as customer complaints and customer loyalty.

Celebrating Independence Day in India, TrendsSpotting releases a short review on Online India statistics:

Internet use

According to ComScore: 28 million people in India age 15 and older accessed the Internet from home and work locations in May 2008.
Internet users in India represent approximately only 3% of the population (potential for continued strong growth).

The average Indian Internet user visited the Internet 25 times during the month and was online for 28 minutes per visit.
• Those between the ages of 15-24 were the heaviest Internet users among all age segments, spending nearly 12 hours online per month on average.
• Some of the fastest growing Web site categories during the past year included Maps (up 64 percent), Sports (up 60 percent), Entertainment - Movies (up 55 percent), and Finance – News/Research (up 52 percent).

Top Websites in India:
Top players are showing a relative growth from year 2007.
Google Sites ranked as the top property in India: nearly 20 million visitors in May, a 35% increase versus year ago and the largest growth among all other properties. That’s too include: Google Search (up 38% to 17.1 million visitors), social networking site Orkut (up 39% to 9.3 million visitors), blog platform Blogger.com (up 102% to 7.3 million visitors), and video site YouTube (up 131% to 6.3 million visitors).
Yahoo! Sites ran second with 18.7 million visitors (up 28%), followed by Microsoft Sites with 12 million (up 11%). Indian portal Rediff.com ranked as the top local property with 9.2 million visitor (up 19%), followed by government site NIC.in with nearly 6 million visitors (up 5%).

The top ten online activities:

According to WAT consultants - most popular topics to involve youth on SN communities are: Bollywood, Cricket, Football, Wrestling, Music (Indian Metal and Rock) and Gaming.

Internet Shopping a growing trend:
Nielsen Global Online Survey reveals that 78% of the Indian respondents have used the Internet to make a purchase and more than half of the respondents (55%) have made at least one online purchase in the past one month.
Popular products to shop online:
73% Online Indians have purchased airline tickets/reservations in the past three months (this percentage being the highest for any country in Asia Pacific). Books (46%), Electronic Equipments (29%), Tours & Hotel Reservations (24%), Videos/DVDs/Games (23%), Event Tickets (23%), Clothing/Accessories/Shoes (21%), and Music (20%) are some other popular purchases made online by Indians.

Mobile stats:
TRAI reports 286.86 million wireless users in India at the end of June, up 55% from a year earlier. The Indian Mobile market is considered the fastest-growing in the world.

You might be wondering why I, Taly was the one to publish this report. Good question. Frankly, Apurba, Indian born, stats minded (Rediff employee) could have done a much better job. Only our dear Apurba went traveling for few days. I hope I have captured Online India well enough ( I must say that it was quite a surprise to find so little published research on India). Apurba – have a wonderful vacation and Happy Independence day to you and to all our dedicated Indian readers.

Sphere: Related Content

Nin Hao !

In the spirit of drilling down the dynamics of the Internet in China , We have published a data filled , action packed slideshow “Handbook of Online China” on the eve of Beijing Olympics inauguration . The report focus on three key themes - China as an online leader , China Insider - the competitive landscape in Search , IM & Web 2.0 & Business in Online China - that are essentially key indicators of the ongoing development of the dynamic Internet market in China.

The report is unique of its kind .Whether you are an online china observer , analyst or investor , we are sure you will find the slideshow really handy. Our summary follows :

• China is the largest market for Internet users (253 MM as of June 2008) despite the fact that only 19.1% of the country’s population is online.The rapid growth in Internet usage can be estimated from the fact that around half of Top 20 trafficked Asia Pacific sites are in China.
• Chinese Internet is for Virtual Fun. Chinese are much addicted to Internet than their US counterparts.
• Local players outperforms western players.Tencent’s QQ leads the IM market with whopping 78% market share. Google has mere 25% market share in Chinese search market.
• China ranks above daily Global average across all social media . More than one third of Chinese netizens spend 1-3 hours daily on BBS. As we reported earlier BBS are acting as grape vine to spread buzz like ‘Fake Tiger Scam‘ & ‘Nail House‘.
• Did you meet JingJing & Chacha ? They are Chinas virtual cops . Internet censorship is very common in China but 85% of Chinese Citizens approve Internet Censorship .
• Why Online ad market in China is HOT ? Check out the report for latest stat on Chinese Internet players earning from online ads & per capita Ad spent .
• Finally if you are keenly watching the global platform war , this report includes the state of Chinese Internet players affinity towards OpenSocial.

We would wait for your feedback & comments on the report. If you want a copy of this slideshow feel free to drop us a note.We shall be happy to mail you the same .

Google has just introduced a new search trend spotting tool: Google Insights for Search. Google Insights provides web analytics, advertisers and marketers new means to understand search behavior –
now free of charge.

Similar to Google Trends, users can insert a search term to see search volume patterns over time, as well as the top related and rising searches. Users will get the ability to compare search volume trends across multiple search terms, categories, geographic regions, or specific time ranges.

What can you gain from Google Insights for Search?

Offering a smart search analysis, one can compare

Coca Cola to Pepsi within the Food and Drink category, to find out exciting facts on the US search queries during 2008:

• While the whole category is in rise during the summer season, Coca Cola and Pepsi, are stepping down. (why ? Any guess ?)
• The search for Pepsi exceeds not only the search for Coca Cola, but is found to be much higher than the whole category.
• Coca Cola is most popular in Georgia while Pepsi is most popular in West Virginia.
• Rising search terms for Coca Cola includes coca cola wiki (+100%) , coca cola park, (+80%), pepsi careers (+50%), coca cola mexico (+50%), coca cola careers (+40%), pepsi products (+30%), coca cola zero (+30%), coca cola factory (+30%), coca cola china (+30%), pepsi jobs (+20%).
• Rising search terms for Pepsi are influenced much from Pepsi Stuff activities, and includes: pepsistuff.com, pepsistuff, pepsi tava, pepsi stuff.com, pepsi stuff points, pepsi stuff codes, pepsi stuff amazon, pepsi stuff.com, pepsi raw, pepsi musica.com (see - promotion does work!)

Note that you can click on each search term to find its specific popularity, and can download a csv file for your convenience.

Google search insights: Coca Cola 2008, USA, Drink and Food category

Google search insights: Pepsi 2008, USA, Drink and Food category

Google competes with leading web analytics providers:

Only recently, Google introduced Google Trends For Websites , a new tool that lets users observe the traffic data from sites around the web. As suggested by TechCrunch, “the new feature pits Google against a number of well-established players in the traffic data space, including Compete , Comscore , and Alexa ”.

Today, Google opens another competitive frontier against search analytics providers as Hitwise, Compete and ComScore. Google offers a free playground, but not one customized to companies specific tracking needs. Moreover, as in other Google trend tools, it displays only relative results.

Yes, its probably Google’s strategy stating - we do know it all, we govern all data and use it for our own interests.

image source: ehow.com

Following the DIY market, one can observe that the hobby / self efficiency based trend is still a growing business worldwide

(see data on the US DIY market, UK DIY market, Japanese DIY market, French DIY market, Global report)
For the last 2-3 years, the online habitat is making its own unique turn with sharing the do-it-yourself experience. Based on a growing demand for DIY knowledge, numerous websites and communities are dedicated to find the solution to million of “do it yourself” requests.

Observing the trend, I find the shift moving from home-repair industry (initially relied on men focus needs) to the creating and making. Do It Yourself crafts have become one of the most popular fields to develop, where companies as Etsy offer people a new way to make business out of making things. (Etsy in 2007 reports selling 1.92 million items worth a total of $26.5 million). The DIY culture is not limited to hand-making clothing or design items but extends today to community needs as well (community music, radio, television, green alternative products etc.).

Interestingly, Bill Tancer (Hitwise) in his upcoming book: “Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters” reports that “How To” queries represent nearly 3% of all US search queries, making it the most commonly search question. Following the top search queries under “how to” Bill Tancer categorized the searches into three groups:

1. Accomplishing a task (how to: tie a tie, make a movie, solve a Rubic’s cube, draw (specifically Japanese anime characters!)
2. Sexual needs (yes, indeed..)
3. Self improvement (how to: lose weight, gain weight, write a resume)

Hitwise: Top US search (end of 2007)

1. How to tie a tie

2. How to have sex

3. How to kiss

4. How to lose weight

5. How to write a resume

6. How to levitate

7. How to draw

8. How to get pregnant

9. How to make out

10. How to make a video

As I myself am a search trend follower, I totally agree with Bill – if you know what millions of people search online - it does matter!

Senator Barack Obama addressed 200,000 people on Thursday July 24th in Berlin, near the site where the Berlin Wall once stood. This tag cloud shows the top 20 words used in Obama’s speech. The Democratic presidential hopeful’s speech metaphorically used the Berlin Wall, a Cold War icon, to reassure cross-Atlantic alliance. (The word “Berlin” appeared 21 times in his speech, and the word “wall” appeared 16 times.)

“The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand.”

Since last January Germany has swiftly developed “Obama-mania”. Infact Google Trends shows Germany is 5th most popular nation searching for “Obama”. Sen. Obama’s speech, as a proud citizen of the US and a fellow citizen of the world, acknowledges this popularity.

“People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time.”

Infact almost equal count of “People” (29 times) & “World” (28 times) in his speech , projects Sen. Obama as a Web 2.0 icon.

During the Bush administration, relations between Europe and the United States were often strained. Obama’s Berlin speech underscores new hope and optimism between Europe and America.

“America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”

“Obama-mania” may evaporate rather quickly if the senator becomes president. However Sen. Obama’s visits throws a strong signal of an imminent improvement in the transatlantic relationship.

What stands behind Cuil buzz?

The answer is quite simple - can one ignore such provocative statements?
But what makes it so credible?

Is it the fact that someone “dares” to challenge Google with no fear? (a great tactic whether you have it or you don’t..)
Is it the fact that Cuil involves Googles’ former leading employees who are perceived credible enough to challenge Larry and Sergy. (Can they really?)
This or that, fact is so much has already been said, and still we all want to present our own opinion on the matter. Thats the real buzz source. We make it a buzz because its too strong to ignore.

Read Write Web points to the language Cuil uses to present their new product

” When you throw around terms like “pioneering”, “significant breakthroughs”, “ideal search engine”, “complete user privacy”, “next generation approach to search”, … well you better have a good product to back that up. “

Buzz Tracking post launch:
Search Trends:

Searching for Cuil - July 27:
Cuil gets to # 15 (Cuill)

Searching for Cuil - July 28:
Cuil gets to # 8 (cuil stock)

Searching for Cuil - July 29-30
Masked by the California earth-quake, Cuil does not make it to the top searches in Google.
At the same time, Cuil is is still starring at Yahoo Buzz..

Buzz in blogs:

One day only - to get to the peak (0.35% out of all blog citations), currently a steady drop down.

What will happen next?
My guess - the buzz will continue few days more over the blogs (until all web oriented bloggers will have their say on this issue: consider some gossip, tech reviewers, marketing opinions, and financial bloggers following Google stock).
The Buzz will slow down in few more days, probably until Cuil will try to throw another bomb (and i have a strong feeling they will).
For Cuil to attract early adopters - it will need a strong positive approach among professionals in search engines.
Following the Web Influencer reviews - its not.

In the battle between Google and Cuil - Cuil makes the right PR, but Google wins the first act!

anecdote:
no cuil search results for cuil in cuil..

(another lesson from changing the brand name (which was planned to be Cuill) prior to launch…)

Facebook ’shank’, a part of its SuperPoke! application , has been removed following complaints from anti-knife crime campaigners. ‘Shank’ is street slang for stabbing. Most of the SuperPoke tools are although harmless , Shank - featuring a cartoon style image of a knife, raised a number of concerns. UK is gripped by a knife-crime epidemic with 28 teenagers dying violently this year.

SuperPoke! and Facebook came in for criticism in today’s Sun. The uncle of Rob Knox, the Harry Potter actor who succumbed to stab wound in May, told the paper that the application “incited violence”. The Online Petition on Sun grabbed more than 23,000 signature.

“Slide does not condone violence whatsoever, and our SuperPoke! application is meant to foster fun, virtual communications between friends. We have removed this particular action as it misrepresents the SuperPoke! brand” - Slide spokesman told.

Last year we discussed Facebook ‘Poke‘ - meaning & psychology behind it. Since then Facebook has become a place for distasteful buzz words like ’stab’ , ’smack’

Occurrences of Shank , Stab & Smack on Facebook Walls over time by counts

Facebook users are already challenging this trend. Already there have been organised demonstrations in Facebook groups ‘Stop our young people killing each other’. One of the best argument comes from within Facebook only :

if you don’t like the action…”DON’T USE IT”

Knife crime is a serious issue, but it’s not Facebook’s fault.

Did you notice today that Google’s homepage has a small message at the bottom: In Memoriam Randy Pausch (1960-2008) ?.

Last September 18th Randolph Frederick Pausch , an American professor at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, gave a lecture to about 400 students, faculty and friends about some life lessons he’d learned that became an internet sensation and a bestselling book.

“The lecture was for my kids, but if others are finding value in it, that is wonderful, but rest assured; I’m hardly unique.” Pausch wrote on his Web site.

July 25th , Pausch died at the age of 47 of complications from pancreatic cancer. The book “The Last Lecture” , translated into 30 languages , remains the nonfiction best-seller lists after its publication in April & inspired many to make their every interaction count. The book deal was reported to be worth more than $6 million. More than 4 Millions viewed the complete or abridged version of the lecture, titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” at Youtube. Pausch’s demise & last lecture sparked a buzz in the blogosphere.

Trendsspotting pays tribute to Randy Pausch. He may be resting in heavenly abode, but his spirit and remembrance, are still alive on his site.

This month Google made a buzz in several fields: new acquisitions, new achievements and new products.
We collected them all for you to follow:

1. Google announced today that it is now indexing 1 trillion unique URLs. According to Read Write Web, Google used to have a counter on the front page of its search engine, displaying the number of sites in the index, but they dropped this information from the site around 2005, when the focus was clearly changed from quantity of results to quality and relevancy.

2. According to Hitwise, Google reaches new scores: it accounts for 69.17 percent of all U.S. searches in June. (Yahoo! Search, MSN Search and Ask.com each received 19.62, 5.46 and 4.17 percent respectively). Note that in the U.K. and Australia, Google is reaching over 87% market share.

3. Google is now TOP Consumer Brand in the UK , replacing last year’s winner Microsoft

4. Can Google’s Hot Trends be manipulated?
Philippp Lenssen, our friend from Google BlogoScoped was first to cover the story of the Swastika (the Nazi symbol) appearing at Google’s top Hot Trends list.
It was later discovered that a post on 4chan.org instructed users to Google ‘…#21328;’. When thousands did, they discovered that it was a piece of code which, when processed by a web browser, translates into a swastika. Their collective queries sent the symbol soaring to the top of Google’s Hot Trends.

5. Did Google get its appetite back?
After eight months in which Google was not involved in any new acquisitions, it has announced two new deals: the acquisition of ZAO Begun (a leading Russian context advertising service), and the plan to buy Digg, News UGC site.

6. This week, Google launched Knol - Google’s Wikipedia version. Unlike Wikipedia, writers are authorized, identified and receive an ad share revenues. Can Google compete with Wikipedia? it sure will try.
Wikipedia became one of the most popular platforms to provide a meta support for the web. Few are the search items that will not link first to Wikipedia. Google fancys that. Imagine you start and end your search all in Google’s territory…