A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…
Online News Sites Get 80% of Traffic from Facebook and Google (Business Insider)
Facebook is now the number-one source of referrals to news sites, according to January-February 2016 data from Parse.ly, a digital media analytics provider. Google is right behind it, and the two of them together provide almost 80% of all traffic to news sites. Digiday: The winners and losers in Facebook’s news feed change.
Openings and New Hires at Adelphic, ClickBank, Web.com (Street Fight)
Every two weeks, Geoff Michener covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. This week’s edition includes moves and new openings at Serviz, CBS Interactive.
Walmart, Challenged by Amazon, Expands Free 2-Day Shipping (Wall Street Journal)
Wal-Mart is stepping up its battle with Amazon, expanding a free two-day shipping program and seeking to list even more items on its website. On Wednesday the retailer said it would open its free two-day shipping program to any U.S. customer. (Subscription required.)
How Uber and Lyft Have Changed the Game for All Travel Brands (Skift)
Uber, Lyft, and their rivals aren’t just disrupting the taxi industry. The companies have set a new standard of service that all brands in the travel industry are being forced to imitate, whether they’re ready or not.
Raise Report: Fresh Funding for Verve, Thrive Market, InVision (Street Fight)
Every two weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. This week’s edition includes new rounds for Condeco, Lystable, Narvar, and Farm Hill.
Amazon Revamps Alexa Skills to Stay On Top of Smart Home Market (Business Insider)
Amazon recently revamped the “skills” that allow its Amazon Echo connected speaker and smart home hub to integrate with third-party apps and services like Uber and Spotify. The improvements to the Alexa app will make it easier for Echo users to fully utilize all of the skills third-party developers have made, which currently number 1,400.
TomTom And Sensewhere Form Alliance To Uncover Hidden Places On Digital Maps (Geomarketing)
“We recognized that having accurate indoor maps is only one piece of the puzzle and without accurate indoor positioning the solution is only partially completed,” said Andy Marchant, Product Manager for Maps at TomTom.
Google Maps Testing Video Verification For Businesses (Search Engine Roundtable)
Merchants need to verify their business on Google My Business to be listed as a verified business in Google Maps results and the local pack nicely. This can currently be done via snail mail verification, phone verification, Google Search Console verification and more. Now Google is testing a video verification method — where merchants do a video call with a Googler who will verify they exist.
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