In order for a business to be successful in today’s market, they need to be able to successfully navigate the sometimes stormy waters of the internet. Just when they believe that they have achieved a period of smooth sailing, the rules change, and what once worked in internet marketing is no longer as effective as it used to be. Simply put, businesses need to be able to adapt to the seemingly constant changes that take place online. Being able to know what’s on the horizon can certainly help make that task easier, so let’s look at what may dominate the internet marketing landscape this year & what any reputable Web Design and Internet marketing Firm will be keyed in on.
Content is key – The internet has always been about information, but it seems to be more so now than ever before. As such, content marketing will continue to grow and become a major factor in the growth of a business. The search engines have changed their algorithms in a way that gives quality the recognition that it deserves, making great content an absolute must.
New players in the game – Social media has always been a great place to share that content, but the landscape is changing there, too. Facebook and Twitter have traditionally been the places to go to share content, but the likes of Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and more are all gaining a stronger foothold in the social media scene. That makes diversification the buzzword of 2014 when it comes to social media marketing.
Images are in – The rise of Instagram and Pinterest should give a clue that image-centric content is what the consumer is beginning to crave when looking for information. Text is still great, but large pieces need to be peppered with images if they are to take a hold and go viral. That also means toning down the message a bit, as it seems the consumer has spoken, and they are not happy with the constant “in your face” approach employed by internet marketers. There are times when the less is more credo really does apply, and this is one of those times.
Mobile Search – Any business that hasn’t noticed the trend towards mobile devices is going to be left behind the times. There is a monumental shift taking place that is seeing people abandoning their PC’s in favor of smartphones and tablets when accessing the internet. Websites must be updated to reflect that trend, which means looking at responsive website design, which essentially ensures that a site will automatically resize to fit the device it is being viewed on.
Branding – Brand building is huge when trying to grow a business, and one way to make a brand stick with a consumer is to show it to them over and over again. This is where ad re-targeting comes in. Simply put, when the consumer leaves a website, cookies will note which items they looked at and will then serve them with similar type ads as they move from site to site. Brand recognition builds with each viewing, making them more likely to remember and purchase from a specific brand using this technique.
Those are just a few of the internet marketing trends that are sure to take hold in 2014, but don’t get too comfortable, as it may just all change again next year.
