Web Marketing: 5 trends for 2017

As is often the case with the arrival of the New Year, predictions are out regarding marketing trends.

Here are 5 marketing trends to watch for this year:

1. Mobile marketing

Like in 2016, mobile marketing will still be essential in 2017 and will continue for years to come. We are using our smartphones constantly and everywhere we go, and it represents main way we access social networks. As you know, mobile web usage has exceeded desktop since 2016 and will continue growing. We do more and more tasks with our mobile devices i.e. purchases, reservations, restaurant ordering, etc. Remember towards the end of 2016, Google announced the upcoming Mobile First, an indexation project based on mobile content. This project will take into account mobile factors to position a website on search engines (markers, mobile adapted website, etc.). Think about creating mobile adapted content that allows for quick scanning and reading. As well, Mobile only social networks such as SnapChat, Facebook Live or payment via mobile will experience unprecedented growth.

2. Content marketing

This year, you must continue developing quality content to respond to your target’s expectations and interests in order to increase your chances of conversion. Since you must create more content, companies will recruit more and more specialists, or teams dedicated to content, for creating unique content under different formats and to present it on diverse platforms. Live streaming and augmented reality will open new possibilities in content production. Video content has asserted itself over the last few years. In 2016, Youtube became the 2^nd ranked search engine, behind Google, and videos will soon occupy 80% of web traffic. Augmented reality technology amplifies interactivity among users and encourages the emergence of new content formats. With visual content sharing platforms such as SnapChat, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube, becoming very popular with users under 35 years old, the content snacking phenomenon is growing into quick consumption of ephemeral content. Messages will have to be more and more personalized with the help of very precise analysis of Internet user’s data. Co-creation with niche influencers and bloggers will allow a more and more specialized content to audiences.

3. Vocal recognition

In 2017, vocal search will impose itself among SEO trends so needs to considered in planning your referencing strategy. Numerous users will use voice recognition system such as Google Now, Siri or Cortana for their web searches. Marketing professionals will have to adapt their SEO practices to get closer to spoken language. As an example, instead of typing 2017 Web Marketing Trends on a search engine, we will ask our smartphone a more complete question such as: What are the web marketing trends in 2017? Since voice recognition is mainly used on mobile, your mobile referencing strategy will be paramount for 2017.

4. Automation

Knowing your clientele and prospects with the help of surfing data analytics (website, social networks, newsletter and email campaigns) should allow you to offer the right content, to the right people, at the right time. By automating content, we talk directly to a specific market segment and we are able to communicate with our audience on a regular basis. As an example,

automation of email reminders during the buying process is a simple trick to help close sales. We’ve noticed also the emergence of chatbots since 2016, their aim is to automatically answer user questions via email or chat.

5. Remarketing

2017 will also be the year for data analysis collected while surfing the web. As a testimony to this trend, is the outbreak of remarketing in 2016 and the massive exploitation of your data supplied to Google, Facebook and all the other advertising networks. The remarketing strategy consists of renewing contact with users who have already visited your website by offering products, services or personalized content based on their profile (sex, age, education) and their commitment (which buying stage process they are at). As such, advertising professionals (Google, Facebook, etc.) always offer more tools to reach the Internet users who have been on our website or have abandoned their buying process. We increase the conversion rate by closing sales efficiently and addressing captive users. It is suggested to use this tactic sparingly.

Once you have identified the objective you want to reach for the new year, do not forget that the most important aspect is your user experience throughout the buying process, either online or in store. Learn from the good and the bad from 2016 marketing and establish a multichannel strategy based on a mid to long term vision.

Happy New Year 2017!