Citysearch Offers New iPad ‘Magazine’

Citysearch is the first of the local directories to offer an iPad app. It’s called Cityseries. Here’s what the press release says:

Cityseries allows users to find the best restaurants, bars, shopping, spas and more in top metros, based on the acclaimed advice of Citysearch editors and expert users across the United States.  The new app features Citysearch’s top lists, great picks complete with business profile information, and local deals in a new innovative digital magazine format that allows users to review recommendations and discover new businesses.

Here are a few screens:

This is a great idea. But the execution right now falls a bit short.

The content needs to be beefed up and some additional things need to be “tweaked” to make this truly useful and engaging. But it’s an interesting start and effort to make the leap from iPhone app to iPad. Citysearch has much more content that can and should be included in an iPad “magazine” such as this.

However there’s an interesting model and a great deal of potential here.

YPA Research Head Defends Print YP

Larry Small, Yellow Pages Association research director, defended the yellow pages (print) today in a column at Search Engine Land, and further unpacked the recent study I also blogged about:

In order to make an informed decision, however, local businesses need to be up-to-speed with current usage patterns as they relate to both traditional and new digital advertising options. They also should be aware of how Yellow Pages companies are integrating new platforms into their portfolios in order to deliver a hybrid model that maximizes consumer reach and drives business results. In some cases, one’s perception about how people are searching for business information and the services that Yellow Pages partners provide is different than the reality.

The bottom line is that that local market continues to fragment. The challenge for local businesses is to decide where to put their limited resources in that fragmented market, when they’re getting 10 calls a day from competing publishers and sales channels. The noise and confusion show no signs of abating.

Increasingly some of those SMBs will turn to self-service and free social media (FB, Twitter) and some will turn to group buying, which doesn’t represent an upfront cash outlay. But there remains a big opportunity for trusted third parties to manage the SMB ad spend across multiple platforms.

The challenge for traditional media and publishers of all stripes is how to prove the value of their more expensive traditional offerings (e.g., print) as usage further fragments, though remains strong among some demographic segments.

Apple: 300K iPads Sold, Million App Downloads

About 30 minutes ago Apple put out its release:

Apple today announced that it sold over 300,000 iPads in the US as of midnight Saturday, April 3. These sales included deliveries of pre-ordered iPads to customers, deliveries to channel partners and sales at Apple Retail Stores. Apple also announced that iPad users downloaded over one million apps from Apple’s App Store and over 250,000 ebooks from its iBookstore during the first day.

These are strong numbers but less than the increasing numbers put out over the weekend, which I had believed too (600 to 700K). By comparison, Apple sold one million of iPhone 3GS devices during the first three days of that phone’s launch. The original iPhone sold one million in 74 days. For the launch of the 3G version the handset’s price was basically cut in half.

The iPad has outperformed the original iPhone. But a price cut and/or the addition of new features in a iPad 2 will likely result in a similar bounce for sales. As of March 16 there were 135K Nexus One handsets sold, according to various reports.

Mesmerized by the iMperfect iPad

The iPad is a strangely compelling device I’m discovering, less than a day after picking it up from my local Apple store. It’s at once familiar and very unfamiliar, like someone you think you’ve met before but can’t figure out where. 

On the critical side I’ll say this, it will need a $100 price cut to become mainstream (just as the iPhone found). It will also need to get a bit lighter. At only 1.5 pounds it feels heavy after holding it for periods of time. And right now there are only a few apps available. Notwithstanding the statements that there are 2.5K iPad apps it feels a bit like a ghost town compared to the iPhone apps selection. Then there’s the fact that sites like Hulu that are all Flash obviously don’t work:

But Netflix compensates for Hulu’s absence. And YouTube works too.

Beyond Netflix, which is the device’s first “killer app” in my view, the best of the media apps I’ve explored so far is the one from the WSJ.

It’s a much fuller digital realization of the WSJ than the PC version of the site — ironically because you hold it as you do the paper and because it can look (and act in a way) more like the physical paper. Every magazine should probably be considering building an iPad app. 

Display and rich media ads that are thoughtfully done are going to hit it out of the park on the larger screen:

As everyone has said this is primarily a media and content consumption device rather than a content creation device — though apps such as Brushes and a few others contradict that early assessment. I would still rather write a blog post on my Macbook than on the iPad, though it’s possible to write one with the WordPress app or just through the traditional browser-based interface. Indeed, the Internet browser experience via the iPad is much more satisfying than the iPhone and other smartphones, and in many ways more satisfying than on the PC. 

I also really like iBooks and the way they’re presented. Others have criticized me for this, but I like the page turning simulation that it offers rather than a pure electronic rendering of the text. 

The device is also very fast. Many people have commented on this but it’s a striking feature of the tablet, as is the beautiful screen resolution. 

As I speculated yesterday, the iPad is not an “on the go” device. You’re not going to walk around the streets of New York with it. Much like the PC, you’ll use it to help make choices of where to go or what to buy (in the future) in the real world.

However the fact that its screen is large and you can carry it with you on the bed, in the bathroom, on the couch is what makes this such an interesting and compelling piece of aluminum and glass. It’s too early to tell but the iPad has an aura of leisure around it. I spent this morning reading the online version of the NY Times in my kitchen on the iPad and answering email. GMail on the iPad, by the way, is very nicely done and very satisfying. 

I haven’t done enough with it yet to know how it fits in to my digital activities entirely. I can tell you however that it has displaced my iPod Touch already, which had taken the place of my PC for many tasks. 

I have to say that the device, in the end, is “unnecessary” — but then so was the iPhone.

Reserve (iPad) Online, Pick up in Store

I will be traveling to the Apple store in beautiful Emeryville, CA later today to pick up my iPad, which I reserved rather than purchased online — mostly to give myself more time to decide if I really wanted one.

I had an interesting conversation on Friday with Trulia CEO Pete Flint about whether the device could be considered a “local” device. In my view all digital media has a local aspect (especially in a commercial context) in the sense that they drive offline purchases. However, it’s a very different use case than a smartphone.

Trulia competitor Zillow is already out of the gate with an iPad app.

Among the nascent top apps, there are no “local” ones. As with the PC or laptops, iPad owners will be doing location-based searches and shopping, which ultimately is about the offline world. The clear distinctions between local and non-local will blur further and even collapse over time. Case-in-point: Skyhook Wireless’ new API that adds location and related maps and pages to any mobile app.

NearbyNow’s Scott Dunlap told me last week about some pretty interesting stuff they were cooking up for the iPad that enhances and extends what they’re already doing: linking brands and products in magazines to stores where they can be purchased.

I must admit to being excited about the possibilities of this new “form factor” and even by the uncertainty of how people will use it.

Local, Mobile Hot Areas for SEMketeers

I finally got a chance to take a look at this year’s SEMPO survey, based on responses from 1,500 advertiser and agency search marketers from 68 countries (most respondents were from North America and UK). The breakdown of responses was: 64% agency, 36% advertiser:

The report features a good deal of data across a broad range of questions. However I found most interesting the fact that the areas that respondents identified as most significant were local, personalized search and mobile.

The results varied somewhat depending on whether the respondent was an advertiser or an agency (click to enlarge):

Companies:

Agencies:

Notice that the question asks not whether these are areas of future opportunity but inquires about the “impact” of these trends.

‘Detect My Location’ Part of New Google UI

Some people are seeing the new richer Google UI (three-column format). Among other features it has a “detect my location” pull-down that allows for transparent automated detection of location or for manual input of location. Here’s a screen from Barry Schwartz’s story at Search Engine Land:

This means that content can get more locally relevant and more precise location (perhaps) can be factored into ads. Google is still testing this UI reportedly and isn’t yet rolling it out for the rest of us.

Fablistic: Getting to the Short List

Malcolm Lewis’ new startup is called Fablistic (Lewis was the founder of PremierGuide, which he sold to Local.com). It’s part of a new group of local sites — though Fablistic is broader than local — which try to “get you to the short list,” in Lewis’ words.

There are no reviews, only recommendations as reflected in the compiled and ranked lists.

The site is evolving so it’s a bit of a work in progress, but the concept behind it is compelling: enable people to see recommendations (lists) from friends and colleagues (or those they follow) across a broad range of categories. It’s a bit like the old LivingSocial, which shifted and become a Groupon clone.

Of course it’s integrated with Facebook Connect.

It shares a conceptual approach and orientation with AlikeList and Tellmewhere – and with the new direction of CityVoter. In a sense it’s a cousin of “best of” lists that have been around forever, but reinvented in a post-Facebook, post-Twitter world.

People develop lists over time and then those lists and rankings can be shared and sorted according to several criteria. I can search, for example, for books, wines, movies and restaurants (among other categories) and then sort by a variety of filters.

Those filters include most popular, people I’m following or “just me.” The latter capability means I can use this site as a way to compile my own lists, as a “memory aid,” and consult them online — or in mobile later. (No app here yet.)

While many of the use cases are going to be similar to existing verticals or IYPs, these new types of “recommendations” engines or directories — Buzz.com is AT&T’s entry — are a potential successor in many circumstances. We’ll have to see, but they’re more mobile friendly and, if they can get the content and gain adoption, many people will likely embrace them as new directories for a more “cloudy” and socially networked world.

Milo Will Show BestBuys with iPads

For those who interested in finding BestBuys that have iPads in stock tomorrow, Milo will apparently be showing real-time inventory according to a press note I got last night. I searched and the data aren’t there yet but maybe by late tonight early tomorrow am.

April Fool: I’m Not Joining Google

I must say this was very interesting to watch as a number of people congratulated me and wished me well. By the middle of the day many people had caught on that this was a clever ruse.

In the interim I was the recipient of many kind remarks for which I’m grateful and humbled (actually). However I’m not joining Google. 

I’m staying here. 

April fool.

I’m Joining Google As Head of Local

Roughly five years ago I secretly interviewed at Google for a position. At the time we both agreed there wasn’t a fit.

But the past couple of weeks I’ve been in talks with Google about a role at or near the top of their local team. I was initially surprised when I received a call from them a month ago. There’s been a shuffle in personnel over there and there’s something of a “crisis of leadership” going on in local. Finally yesterday at the Where 2.0 show they made me an offer that was very hard to refuse — so I didn’t.

It was an extremely difficult decision and very hard to give up my role as independent blogger and “pundit.” But the stability, money and opportunity to lead Google’s growth in the local, mobile and SMB markets proved compelling. I’m now going to be steering local on the PC and in mobile, on both the product side as well as handling SMB ad products. 

I’m very excited and hope to continue working with all or most of you but in this new position of power and authority.

I’m not sure whether they’ll allow me to keep this blog — probably not. In the event that this is one of my final posts, let me say I’m very grateful to all of you for your comments, feedback and support since 2006.

Where 2 Discussions Yesterday

I had a range of fascinating discussions yesterday with people at the Where show:

• Tellmewhere (the France-based social directory, chiefly on the iPhone)
• MapQuest about a bunch of new stuff coming
• Placecast about geofencing (65% of people receiving ShopAlerts in their trial went into the store and bought something. Ka-ching!) and cleaning up location data
• Locomatix, a new “real-time” location platform (right now ahead of the general level of sophistication in the market)
• Everyscape: many partner announcements coming
• Ted Morgan about Skyhook Wireless’ new “local favs” SDK for developers to add location pages to any app
• Tyler Bell (formerly of Yahoo) now at AlikeList
• Perry Evans of Closely

The local market is changing and the confluence of new marketing platforms, social communication and mobile devices is going to radically alter it for both businesses and consumers. The past several years of “local search” will probably, in retrospect, resemble a quaint “Jurassic” period five to seven years from now.

Where 2.0: GOOG, MSFT, YHOO, Yelp

Yesterday at the Where 2.0 show I watched the big search engines (and Yelp) discuss local. It was a short, 35-minute panel and in some ways it was similar to a Kelsey or Borrell panel but also quite different in the context of the developer-centric Where show.

From a product standpoint this is the hottest show about local because it cuts across domains: mobile, social, local. However I’m running the only discussion on monetization later today at 2pm Pacific. The conference has historically not cared about business models and making money; it’s mostly about “cool stuff.”

I’ve written up what I could capture of the local panel discussion at Search Engine Land.

What you see crystallizing at this show are the connections between mobile, local and social and you get a sense of how the entire market is accelerating. Foursquare epitomizes this but the trend is by no means limited to Foursquare.