It seems like every time you log on the internet there’s a new marketing trend emerging. While it can be overwhelming to keep up with what’s new, it’s critical to understand which trends are worth your while and appeal to consumers. After all, they’re the ones you’re trying to connect with. So here’s a few key marketing trends your business should consider to kick off your marketing plans for the New Year.
- Mobile, mobile, mobile
What was once considered something “nice to have”, a mobile friendly website has become a NECESSITY, as well as an incredibly valuable investment for the future. The world is becoming increasingly tethered to their mobile devices. And thanks to Mobilegeddon (Google’s decision to include a site’s mobile-friendliness in its search engine rankings), you can’t afford to NOT have a mobile accessible site.
If that’s not enough to convince you, take a look at these compelling numbers gathered by Reach Local:
- 79% of mobile phone owners use their devices to conduct local searches. In 2015, the number of searches on mobile devices actually surpassed desktop searches for the first time.
- 72% of consumers want a mobile-friendly website.
- 74% of users say they are more likely to revisit a mobile-friendly website.
If it’s not already, your website needs to be mobile-friendly in 2016.
- Eye-Catching Design
At this point, there is absolutely no excuse for an outdated website. Regardless the size of your business, the importance of a modern and aesthetically pleasing website is critical for a brand’s image. According to a research study conducted by Google, the first impression of a webpage happens in the blink of an eye. And actually, it’s the design, rather than content, that makes the first impression of the site and the brand that is associated with it. If you want to have a successful site in 2016, make sure it looks the part and is up-to-date, and not from the 90’s.
- Google’s 3 Pack
In 93% of local searches, Google will now only show 3 search results (instead of 7) on the first page. With fewer spots available now, optimizing your Google listing is more important than ever. Claim and optimize your Google business page to increase your chances of showing up in Google’s 3-pack.
- Buy Buttons
Buy buttons are great for consumers because they create a seamless purchasing experience and integrate shopping with social media. If you’re running an ecommerce site, think about including buy buttons in your social media and search advertising strategies for 2016.
- Polls & Quizzes
In 2015, quizzes were the most shared content type on Facebook. Create some polls and quizzes about your industry to share on social in order to increase engagement and encourage users to interact with your business online. Twitter has even simplified this process by enabling you to create polls directly through the status update field.
- Get Personal
We’ve entered an age where the opportunity for brands to get connected with their customers is within our grasp. Relationship marketing, or personalization, focuses on building strong relationships with users and building long-term customer engagements. Companies can develop these strong connections with their customers by collecting data about a user’s behaviors, interests, demographics, and more. By obtaining this information, brands can personalize a users’ experience, implement more data-driven marketing, and utilize marketing automation platforms/tactics. Gone are the days when you could send massive, intrusive marketing messages. Consumers want personalized messages that pertain to them and their needs.
Based on our experience with our clients and implementing marketing strategies, these are trends we know consumers love and engage with. And after integrating them into your own online strategies, we think you’ll agree! These won’t be the only trends we’ll see in 2016, but quite possibly the ones to have the biggest impact.
Cheers to a successful 2016 and another year of marketing trends!
