The internet is a shockingly large place. To put it in perspective, more than three billion gigabytes of traffic have been used up today only. There are more than one billion websites, all sharing the same internet space.
Under these circumstances, catching the attention of your potential customers may seem impossible. Yet, digital marketing history (as short as it may be) proves it is not. With the right tactics and tools, your business can genuinely strive in the http://www.jungle.
What are the latest trends in digital marketing, and how will they help you provide a better experience for your users? We have some tips to help you out.
Going Very Mobile
It's been more than one year since Google announced half of their searches happen on mobile devices - and the mobile/wearable industry has only grown stronger since. Therefore, making sure your website is fully usable in mobile form so it provides a great user experience should be one of your top concerns in 2017.
More people will turn to wearables in the near future, which is a further indicator that your website absolutely needs to be mobile-friendly. Not only will you lose important SEO points for not complying with the ongoing, growing mobile trend, but you may lose a large share of your customer base as well.
Making Purchases Directly on Social Media
If you thought the entire social media craze would slowly fade away in the years to come, think again, because, in 2017, we're about to see even more of a social impact for a variety of eCommerce businesses.
Undoubtedly, social media has grown to be key for the success of just about every type of business. We live in a day and age when people take to social media to interact with their favorite brands. Thus, having a strong presence on a variety of social networks should be already aligned with your business goals.
Many of the social media giants have already implemented direct "Buy" buttons in their platforms, giving both users and businesses the opportunity to make transactions easier. In 2017, we will see even more of these buy buttons, as more social networks will implement them and more businesses will begin to use them, too.
Personalizing the User Experience
Given the huge amount of data flow in the online world, providing your users with a truly personalized experience has become critical to businesses of all sizes. Your users need to know they matter to you and your business - so customizing their experience is one of the essential things to do in 2017 to ensure your site visitors become loyal customers.
As of June 2015, 38% of marketers said they use customer experience personalization to increase prospect reach. But, more importantly, personalizing your prospects' web experience can increase sales an average of 19%.
In a world where businesses and customers interact more than ever before, your user experience customization process needs to go beyond changing the name tag in your emails.
There's a diverse range of techniques you can use to make your customers' experience truly unique on your site. These techniques include personalized content recommendations based on one's browsing history, advanced filters to help customers find the best products for them, quizzes, and much more.
Magento and the other major players on the eCommerce platform market will help you personalize your users' experience in a meaningful, impactful, and genuinely useful way. Make the most of it in 2017, and your business will reap the advantages.
Using Influencers to Your Advantage
To understand how your potential buyers function, think of your own online shopping process. Where do you go the first time you find a product and want to learn more about its quality? Chances are, you either Google for reviews, or you search on YouTube.
That's where Web Influencers help your business sell more. According to several studies, more than 90% of people will trust individual recommendations more than brands. What's more, almost half of the internet users have advertisement block technology in place. This makes influencers one of the best ways to reach out to your prospects and convince them your products are worth their attention, time, and money.
In 2016, Influencer Marketing was one of the biggest trends - and, in 2017, it will only continue to grow in importance. Establishing real relationships with influencers in your industry niche is crucial if you want to create a bit of buzz around your products and if you want to increase your customers' trust in your brand.
Relying on Big Data
If we had to choose two words that dominated the digital marketing scene in 2016, Big Data are the words we'd choose. These days, it's all about the huge load of information the internet has gathered under its umbrella - but, even more than that, it's all about collecting, filtering, and using all the data to your business's advantage.
Big Data has rapidly become an essential business success tool. After all, the best way to increase your sales is by knowing exactly who your buyers are, why they choose you, why other buyers don't choose you, and what you can do to draw them toward your business. Big Data can help you answer these questions.
Thankfully, we have the tools, and we're even growing the talent to deal with the staggering amount of information we've all created in the past couple of decades.
Final Thoughts
The year 2017 has just started - but, if you are like most businesses, you are already thinking of ways to make this a more profitable and successful year for your company. Digital marketing trends can help you achieve more, regardless of the specific industry you are active in. If you leverage trends in a smart, efficient way, as long as you coordinate them with your brand goals, you will reap their benefits.