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.

Amazon.com does it right. They hired a thousand tiny butlers to serve up personalized recommendations that are appear right before your eyes. .

DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks continue to be a significant problem for online businesses. In addition to the threat of financial losses, they can also irrevocably damage critical client relationships. Today, the wide availability of DoS tools and services that enable execution of DDoS attacks has lowered the bar for perpetrators, creating a reality where every online business is a potential target. If your company has a web presence, the need for reliable mitigation solutions and a strategic planning has never been more important.

We’re just about there…only a few more days. Thanksgiving, you ask? No. Okay, I know – you’re talking about Black Friday. Nope, wrong again. I’m talking about something that is much, much more important than both of those days - Cyber Monday!

It is one thing when you make decisions that affect your life. It is another thing when you are making decisions that affect Jane, your better half. The cascade effect of a bad or uninformed decision can sometimes be felt for days, months, or years afterwards. Hopefully you will learn from your mistakes and Jane will be a forgiving soul. But if you are smart about it, you will research and get feedback from others in your situation. You will look for guidance and use the provided wisdom to make the right decision. Your efforts will pay off as your decision-making skills flourish and you grow closer together in your relationship while navigating any bumps in the road.

The keys to social media success hinge on media. Being quick on the trigger, and fast on the post helps distribute content, and make your page come alive. However, with all quality photography, the learning curve and accessibility is always something to overcome. Light aims to change that with the L16.

Pay with Amazon helps grow your business by extending the Amazon checkout experience to your site and apps, making it simple for hundreds of millions of customers around the globe to check-in and check out using information stored in their Amazon account. It’s familiar and trusted and doesn’t require customers to create new accounts and passwords. Americaneagle.com and Amazon Payments have teamed up to provide a simple integration so you can get up and running fast.

When it comes to online marketing, nobody doubts the huge influence of utilizing Facebook for promotional purposes. After all, almost everyone these days checks and updates their Facebook accounts and regularly browses through their newsfeed. Facebook, on the other hand, continues to provide more valuable tools for e-marketers. With so many companies and organizations, big and small, employing this popular social media platform to endorse products and services, strengthen branding, and expand their reach, it is certainly worthwhile for you to study the ins and outs of the marketing tools on hand.

Your website and your users’ interactions should not be in separate silos. The two can work together in a cohesive online environment where information and resources are constantly circulated. The ideal online experience can be achieved by bringing your collaborative networks together.

Video is hot! As a content type, it’s rapidly taking the lead in what people want to consume. In fact, according to Cisco, 80% of Internet traffic by 2019 will be comprised of video. But you probably already know this, at least intuitively.