Tag: savvy

MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey highlights the rise of the ‘savvy consumer’

The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) has released its 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey, which takes the global pulse of the mobile ecosystem – from the point of view of the consumer.

This landmark study, with data from 15 different markets, combined with the analysis of results from the past decade, delves into the evolving perceptions and expectations of consumers, enterprises, and other stakeholders from across the globe. It sheds light on the challenges and triumphs encountered in building and maintaining trust through increasing awareness of how personal data is used, ensuring appropriate control over that personal data, and providing confidence in security safeguards.

This year’s Survey shows that while globally trust continues to decline and concerns about data collection increase, consumers are becoming more aware of how their data is collected and used, with a growing number of users now being classed as ‘savvy consumers’.

The key trends from the Survey over the last ten years are:

 

1) The rise of the “Savvy Consumer”: The reports highlight the emergence of the “savvy consumer,” who is more cautious about data sharing and demands greater control and transparency. This segment is increasingly seeking tools and services that empower them to manage their data.

 

2) Declining Trust: There’s a consistent decline in consumer trust regarding how companies handle their data. This is evident in the decrease in users who are “always happy” to share personal information and the increase in those who feel they have “no choice” but to share data to access services.

 

3) Increased awareness of data collection and use: Consumers are becoming more aware of how their data is collected and used. This is reflected in the growing importance they place on transparency and the desire to know how their data is being utilized.

 

4) Growing concerns about data security: Security remains a top concern, with identity theft and data breaches being major worries. This is driving the increased adoption of protective measures like password managers and antivirus software.

 

5) Importance of user experience and transparency: A poor user experience and lack of transparency are major factors that erode trust. Companies need to prioritize clear, concise privacy policies and user-friendly interfaces to build trust with consumers.

 

6) Impact of regulations: Regulations like GDPR and CCPA have increased awareness of data privacy rights and influenced consumer expectations. However, there’s still a gap between the perceived importance of these rights and their actual implementation.

 

7) Growing adoption of mobile payments: The use of mobile payments is increasing, but concerns about security and overspending remain. Companies need to address these concerns to build trust in mobile payment solutions.

 

8) Rise of Data Abstinence: In recent years, users are increasingly practicing “data abstinence,” choosing to limit data sharing as a way to assert control. This trend poses challenges for businesses that rely on data for personalization and targeted advertising.

MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey is an essential tool for the mobile ecosystem, letting stakeholders know where the issues lie and ensuring they have the data needed to make decisions about the future development of products and services. By understanding consumer concerns, companies operating in the mobile ecosystem can work towards allaying those fears.

“MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey serves as a critical compass, providing invaluable insights into the current state of trust in the mobile industry. With a decade of experience in examining trust dynamics, this study offers a unique longitudinal perspective, tracking trends and identifying emerging concerns. It explores a wide range of factors, including fraud prevention, data privacy, security practices, and the impact of new technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence.” said Gavin Patterson, Director of Data, MEF

Key Insights include:

  • Trust is a critical factor: It influences consumer behaviour, including app downloads, purchases, and engagement with services.

 

  • Transparency and control are paramount: Consumers demand clear information about how their data is used and want the ability to manage their data.

 

  • Security concerns remain high: Companies need to prioritize data security and proactively address consumer concerns to build trust.

 

  • The need for user-friendly solutions: Data protection tools and services need to be easy to use and understand to encourage adoption.

 

  • The importance of education: Educating consumers about data privacy and security is crucial to empower them to make informed decisions and protect themselves.

 

  • Stagnant Trust: The Global Trust Index, a measure of user confidence in personal data sharing, remains weak at 55% and has not improved since last year.

 

  • Awareness of Data use is a mixed blessing: While awareness of how personal data is used is high, it may be driven by negative news and data misuse. Increased awareness alone does not improve trust; greater confidence in control and safeguards is also necessary.

 

  • Positive perceptions have plateaued: Perceptions of ease, convenience, online confidence, and privacy have stagnated or declined, reversing a long-term upward trend.

 

  • Incremental decline in data harm is not enough: Although there has been a slight decrease in reported data harms, it hasn’t translated to improved trust. Most data harms remain more common than in previous years.

 

  • Fewer users are noticing improvements: The proportion of users who perceive improvements in data education, controls, and security has plateaued or declined.

 

  • Protective actions are no longer increasing: For the first time, there is no continued upward trend in protective actions taken by users. There’s also a lack of certainty that these actions significantly improve safety.

MEF’s 10th Annual Consumer Trust Survey was carried out in January and February 2024. On behalf of MEF, On Device Research surveyed 9,750 smartphone users, 650 in each of 15 markets.

“Ten years is a significant milestone, one that provides an opportunity to reflect on progress and future trajectories. With the annual Consumer Trust Survey, MEF has championed the importance of consumer perception of safety and privacy in mobile for a decade,” said Dario Betti, CEO of MEF.

For more information: https://mobileecosystemforum.com/10th-annual-trust-study/

10 Ways to Become a Tech-Savvy Entrepreneur

When you’re an entrepreneur, everything is your job and your responsibility. Even when you delegate, it somehow seems like the mistakes of others are your own and that, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t keep all the reigns in your hands. Now, while no one has solved this problem completely, it’s no secret that technology can help. So, here are the top ten ways to become more tech-savvy as an entrepreneur. 

1. Accept that your learning process will never end

By its nature, technology is always evolving. The problem is that today, it evolves at a much higher pace than ever before. Just think about where AI was one year ago and where it is today. Scary, right? 

You need to keep up with it.

Therefore, you want to allocate a part of your budget for self-improvement. Free learning materials are great, but they can do only so much. Instead, you want to attend events, look for online courses and webinars, and more. 

Reading the right books can help you grasp the fundamentals, but this is just a first step. Also, you need your daily source of information, so subscribe to newsletters dedicated to this topic and follow these blogs. Just embrace that continuous learning is the only way forward.

2. Embrace cloud

Even in this day and age, people fear cloud or avoid going for cloud integration. The critical thing to remember is that, as a tech-savvy entrepreneur, you’re leveraging all this tech to your convenience. There’s nothing more convenient than cloud. 

With cloud-based software, multiple people can collaborate and track progress in real-time. This way, if there are any edits to be made, you can make them once in the mainframe (without having to alter them manually or share an updated version).

Cloud-based storage enables you to access the same data from several different devices. This simplifies digital nomadism and helps you stay in touch with your team even when you’re not at the office. It also presents the only sensible way of leading fully remote teams. 

3. Buy the right hardware

If you’re conducting business in the digital world, your devices are your main tools. So, you can’t be skimpy when making hardware purchases. While a desktop station is great for comfort, especially those coordinating everything remotely, laptops give you more flexibility. So, look for high-end gaming laptops. Instead of just fixating on the cost, look at the ROI instead.

You also want a decent phone. Sure, looking at the camera is a default for many people, but as an entrepreneur, you also want to look at the battery strength, the processor, etc. You need these apps to work without lag, so focus on that.

Of course, your job is not done with two major devices. You also want a decent power bank and a good set of earbuds. 

4. Approach cybersecurity more seriously

The next thing to consider is the importance of cybersecurity. This is something that you have to be far more serious about. As an individual, the loss of private data can lead to a significant problem. It’s nothing short of a disaster for an entrepreneur doing business online. 

You need to start by downloading an antivirus software. While many people have it on their PC, few install it on their mobile devices. Also, you probably want to pay for a premium version.

Next, you should consider getting VPN. This way, you can hide your IP address and protect yourself from cyber (and real-world) attacks. Also, this can allow you to bypass regional restrictions and access all sorts of content (even make work-related price comparisons).

5. Use password manager

As an entrepreneur, you’ll have access to several platforms with the highest level of clearance. This means that losing your password may cause a massive problem for your enterprise. Losing all of them simultaneously, however, will be catastrophic.

To avoid this, you need a more robust password policy, or, better yet, you need a great password manager. This way, you can use a unique password for each platform without forgetting any. 

It’s also much easier to create unique passwords and change them regularly (every 30 or 90 days) without the risk of making a mistake or forgetting something. It’s a hack to help you become smarter with your passwords without even trying. 

6. Learn about digital marketing

You cannot run a modern business without digital marketing, even if you’re not tech-savvy. If you are, on the other hand, you’ll be able to pick a better agency for this job and be more accurate in evaluating their reports. 

The fields that you need to learn about are:

 

  • SEO

 

  • PPC

 

  • Social media marketing

 

  • Email marketing

 

  • Influencer marketing

 

In 2023, none of these can be considered obscure; however, understanding the term and how they function (like how to harness the full power of SEO) is not the same. So, make sure you find some materials to help you get to the bottom of things.

You also want to learn some practical skills, like how to set a digital marketing budget and which KPIs to monitor to see if they (the firm that you’re outsourcing to) have done a great job. 

7. Always focus on user experience

Regardless of your service, you should always emphasize user experience (UX). In one of the previous sections, we’ve mentioned the importance of using technology for convenience. Well, this is exactly what your customer wants, as well.

The problem is that to get there, you need to monitor their customer’s journey and rely on a massive amount of data. Roleplaying is great, but you won’t always be able to put yourself in their shoes.

Instead, you must brainstorm an idea and find the right prototyping tool. This way, you can get the actual data and see how well your ideas perform in practice. Then, you can tweak them and improve upon various factors. 

8. Try new things

Now and then, you’ll be faced with a new tool or a new device. Don’t fear trying it out. Even if it’s free or doesn’t have a free trial period, you can always find a review or a tutorial online. This way, you can determine if it’s worth your time.

You can also take a different approach and check out the cost of a subscription. If you can subscribe for just a month, cancel anytime, and don’t overextend (you have to switch from a platform you already use). 

Another thing to remember is that these platforms are always competing. Just because you’ve picked the right one at the moment, this doesn’t mean that it will remain the best one indefinitely. Don’t be afraid of change; consider the costs of switching your entire operation to a different platform. 

9. Don’t do it on your own

When making your team, surround yourself with tech-minded individuals. If you switch to a different platform and the people around you can’t keep up, the fact that it’s more competitive won’t be enough. Onboarding will take so long, and it will be so expensive that you just won’t be able to handle it for long. 

You can make this a part of your corporate culture. This way, it will be more justifiable to insist on some of these habits during recruitment. 

10. Automate whatever you can

Automation saves time, executes orders more precisely (no risk of human error), and lets you focus on matters that require your attention. 

First, you can easily automate this arduous task with the right email management tool. You can always automate your social media scheduling if you have too many posts to publish on social media. Appointment scheduling is a great way to improve your overall time management.

All in all, some tasks require your attention, and those that take you aware of your core responsibilities. It’s your job to automate the latter. 

Becoming tech-savvy as a 21st-century entrepreneur is a necessity, not a choice

Technology is there to help you out; however, technology is a broad topic. What some may consider a standard toolkit, others would consider high-tech. So, how do you navigate around this? The simplest way is to adopt the mindset of an entrepreneur and acknowledge that if there’s a competitive advantage you can gain through tech, it’s irresponsible to avoid doing so. 

The Best Vintage Car Games: Console Savvy Edition

There’s no better way to make your hands sweaty on the controller than with a fast-paced racing game. These timeless classics of racing games are sure to please gamers everywhere without requiring a working knowledge of suspension or shocks to satisfy your thirst for speed. Therefore, we are immediately doing away with the parking brake and stepping on the gas for these ten racing games. 

10 Best Racing Games You Should Play

Colin McRae Rally 2.0

Prepare to enter the fast lane in this rally car racing simulation. Learn to drift in the Swedish snow, race around the avenues of Corsica, and roar through the woods of Wales—all without leaving your home—in Colin McRae Rally 2.0. Another way you can play against a computer without leaving your couch is here, where you can engage for free using the bonus codes. 

Does racing against a computer need to be more exciting for you? Test yourself against friends in head-to-head battles to see if you have what it takes to wear Colin McRae’s driving gloves.

Need for Speed Heat 

Do you enjoy the roar of powerful machinery? Do you fancy the fun, exciting vehicle races and chases with the police? The Need for Speed Heat is the perfect game for you.

Gamers in the 25th version of the wildly successful car racing games series pilot a Dodge Racer as they compete for cash and reputation in legitimate daytime races and illegal nighttime races. The latter can turn violent in the hands of the authorities if you’re moving too slowly. 

Mario Kart

The Mario Kart titles for home consoles are fantastic racers in their fun way. However, there is a secondary line of games that is just as impressive and adds a lot of excitement to the arcade market. Nintendo and the talented people at Bandai Namco are responsible for creating each Mario Kart Arcade GP game. 

With the first game’s inclusion of fan-favourite Bandai Namco mascots to the mix, the second adds new racing cups and colour commentary. The third version includes two features from Mario Kart 7 and two new ways of playing. Each game gives a fresh take on the kart racing formula. 

The tiny guy in blue dungarees and red headgear (together with his lively sidekick) is back for more mischief in the eighth version of the colourful vehicle racing game franchise (what gave it away). You can throw them out of the competition with a boomerang flower, eat your rivals with a piranha plant, or rely on the old-fashioned banana peel.

Gran Turismo 4

Can you indeed call yourself a racing gamer if you’ve never started up Gran Turismo? More than 700 automobiles from 80 manufacturers are available in GT4, making it the pinnacle vehicle in the best-selling cars racing games category on PlayStation. 

There are plenty of tracks with 51 tracks and 34 objectives to complete on the way to becoming an A-Spec racer and a royal family member.

Toca 2: Touring Cars

The TOCA Touring Car game first came out in 1998. The second version was playable on Windows PCs and PlayStations. It made significant advancements in aesthetics, physics, and game mechanics, making it advanced for its time. Touring car driving was a common pastime for young motorsports racers worldwide.

Formula 1 97

The 1997 Formula 1 season was included in the second instalment of the Formula 1 video racing games series. It improved upon its predecessor significantly and became a top seller in the United Kingdom. The game included every team and racer from that season and four secret tracks that gamers would do anything to get their hands on.

The Fast and the Furious

To publish arcade games based on The Fast and the Furious made perfect sense for the highly regarded Raw Thrills. The Fast and the Furious is a racing video game based on the first two movies in the famous film series, and it allows players to reach incredible speeds and perform stylish jumps off the backs of other players.

This game and its variants (The Fast and the Furious: Drift, The Fast and the Furious: Super Bikes, and Fast & Furious: SuperCars) put you in the driver’s seat of various high-tech vehicles. If you like the Cruis’n movies, you’ll have a blast with The Fast and the Furious arcade games.

Sega Rally Championship

When it first appeared in 1994, this game was hailed as a watershed moment in the history of the racing video game genre. It was subsequently released on the Sega Saturn and personal computers. Varying road surfaces affected how the cars were handled, and everyone was eager to get to the fourth secret “Lakeside” course.

Pole Position 

After its release by Namco in 1982, Pole Position immediately became a worldwide phenomenon in the arcade industry. Players had to first qualify for a race and then beat off seven other competitors to win it. It was ported to PC and consoles in due time.

Outrun (Series)

The OutRun series allowed players to explore the world in a classic red convertible. The majority of the arcade games in the series followed this winning model, while Turbo OutRun added severe challenges by having you race against an opponent driving a Porsche 959. 

The game’s soundtrack shines today, making even the most mundane tasks, like racing to a new place before the clock runs out, a satisfying experience. Some of the highly recommended The OutRun series include: 

  • Turbo OutRun
  • OutRunners
  • OutRun
  • OutRun 2)

There are a few aspects to consider when considering the best racing games available. Everything from realistic racing simulators to fast-paced arcade titles may be found in this article.