Not since the huge growth in home broadband, when we saw a migration from workplace to domestic internet use, have we seen such a widespread shift in usage.

Internet on the move, via smart phones, is the current and next big thing.

Obviously website owners need to consider whether their current website is positioned to deliver to this new platform, mobile web browsers, whilst at the same time the use of apps, whether integrated into their existing online presence or standalone, is now a huge opportunity.

We’ve seen a gold rush in the apps arena, with many apps launched on a paid-for or advertising funded revenue model.

Other apps are being offered which serve a specific business purpose, such as utility companies giving customers an app from which they can submit meter readings.

But I think there is another way to use apps for brand building benefits.

Instead of paying to appear on an existing app via advertising, brand owners should consider funding the development of apps to a precise spec of their own, then offer the app for free via an app store.

This way they get their brand in front of a growing audience for the fixed price they pay for its development.

A good app will always get downloaded, particularly if it is for free, so this concept presents a huge opportunity for brand owners in my view.

Some brand owners bid on their brand term, some don’t.

Clearly, you now can’t stop another site bidding on your brand name, but my understanding is that you can stop them using your brand term in the ad - as to do so is to imply that they are you, or have an association with you.

I’ve advised all my clients to monitor their brand term each morning (it only takes a few seconds) and to write to Google if someone is using the brand in their ad.

The second issue is whether to bid (or continue to bid) on their brand term.

Clearly this depends on where they rank in natural search.

If they rank number 1 in natural search for their brand term (which all of my clients do), there is little point in also bidding to appear in the sponsored results, partiuclarly as the bid prices will now rise due to others bidding on them.

So I’ve advised my clients not to, unless of course the client is a bid budget PPC operator and wants to take no chances.