Digital marketing has undergone massive evolution and growth over the years, and the only constant is changing. Executives continue to predict and forecast trends to stay ahead of their competition. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has entirely changed the game and taken digital marketing down roads they never could have imagined. The technological world is now at a stage where they can easily adapt to any curveball or unexpected event.
We have highlighted some shifts in the digital marketing realm and headed in the coming years. Businesses need to be prepared for what is about to come if they want to make it in this economy.
Advertising and Digital Privacy
Advertising is now more focused and tailor-made than ever before. Businesses can target users with the massive amounts of data they have stored, and that is one aspect that will not change. However, changes in the digital and ePrivacy laws might force businesses to reevaluate their methods.
Currently, companies use browser fingerprinting, which uses all elements such as browser preferences, time zones, location and even the recently used emojis to create a user profile. This data is unique to every user and is their identity, making it more reliable than cookies. The data is tracked through your virtual private network (VPN) and can be traced back to you.
VPN is meant to evade tracking tools and protect your internet history, but the browser fingerprint can bypass it. The GDPR privacy regulations enforce it, and now users can accept or reject cookies upon visiting a website. Therefore, companies have to stop relying on the data and find new ways to target customers.
Digital marketing agency is now facing the challenge of better ways to collect user data that do not breach their ePrivacy. They are moving towards contextual marketing or falling back on old methods of data request forms. Social media platforms are coming up with ways to make data available to the brands their users enjoy.
No Clicks and Visual Search Results
Google is working towards making search results more relevant, but they also want to provide their users with a seamless experience when they look something up. The pay-per-click advertising on Google might not be as successful anymore since the engine fits more content on their primary screen.
Users no longer have to click to get the necessary information because recipes, financial calculations and holiday booking portals now appear on the search results page. It is the age of zero-click searches, and although they are more convenient for users, they reduce traffic websites would otherwise receive.
Visual Search Reform
This reform does not affect all businesses, and B2B software is not replicable on the search results page. The impact the trend will have on companies varies, and it depends on the susceptibility of the website to Google’s algorithm. There is a need to diversify strategies for acquiring traffic and getting more site visitors.
Visual search is also another trend that requires attention from SEO marketing agencies. With digital platforms like Pinterest, the visual search is much more important and has been adopted by Google. They have introduced a pilot project for allowing users to build boards and follow topics or hashtags for inspiration. They also have the lens or image recognition technology which allows users to look up the origins of a picture or find products using their camera.
Visual searches are easier and provide much better results when you do not know what to type. You can point your camera at it and get the results instantaneously, and it is better for fashion, retail and other consumer brands. SEO teams should optimize their content for visual searches to make them searchable. Tagging images with keywords and optimizing the website’s visual content can help increase web usability. eCommerce retailers will benefit from partnering with social media platforms and visual search tools to make their products more discoverable.
User Experience and Lead Conversion
User experience is an important element in digital marketing, and it should be on the top priority list of any agency. Businesses need to focus on their UX more than ever and test it for usability and customer satisfaction. Performing the tests and making sure everything is in order can help reduce risks.
The team needs to apply user testing which makes it much easier to figure out the mistakes. You have to ensure that they are not repeated. A business that does not consider the consumer and how changes will impact them are flawed in their model. They should know how to balance the consumer needs with their stakeholder’s requirements. The smoother the user experience is on your platform, the easier it will be to use. An intuitive interface can make all the difference between an abandoned cart and a successful sale.
User Interface and End Result
However, improving the UX does not necessarily require you to build a new website from scratch. As a result, the developer can limit the changes to a single page and focus on more conversions using the existing content. There are options to redesign if you are not happy with the current interface. The content must be engaging enough to keep the visitor hooked and urge them to complete the purchase.
A design team can make changes as required and improve site sections so the overall experience is better. Small changes can make a lot of difference and improve the business-customer relationship. People often underestimated the relationship between user experience and lead conversion. The interface is a work in progress, and companies continue to improve it over the years.
The user experience is a combination of brand, design, development and copywriting. It requires a lot of decision making and, in the end, comes down to whether or not there is a value addition to the website.
