There is no question that ecommerce has growing in importance when it comes to marketing in today’s world. With the explosion of smartphones and tablets, as well as a growing consumer desire to research products before they buy, many website marketing solutions over the past few years have focused on search engine optimization, responsive design and better site performance in an effort to attract customers. Although these practices are still important, trends are emerging that many online retailers should be aware of in order to increase their market share and remain ahead of their competitors.
Mobile Growth
Not only does a website now need to be mobile friendly, it must also be mobile optimized. The current trend is to develop mobile sites that display better and provide more insight on mobile devices, not simply make them mobile friendly. In addition, mobile advertising is expected to increase. Mobile advertising may be a pop-up bubble in an interactive map that offers a discount to mobile users, for example. Another growing trend is the use of video mobile ads designed to be shared on social networks.
Increased Use of Long-Form Content
Google’s algorithm recent change makes link-building and guest blogging less attractive and the search engine now seeks quality, targeted content. White papers, informative blogs and other longer, written documents appear to be more in line with the new requirements from Google and other search engines. In addition, videos and podcasts will also help increase traffic to websites, as long as they information helps educate consumers.
Branding and Experience
Creating a digital brand has been important for several years, but with the demise of guest blogging, the need for a digital brand has become even more critical. Simply adding a few keywords to a website will no longer be enough for search engines to find the company. Instead, a focus on communities and informative blogs will become more popular as a way to create specific branding for the company. In addition, consumers are seeking a more personalized experience, even when shopping online. A website designed to display consumer-specific products based on previous sales will become more prevalent in the online world as customers become more comfortable sharing information with trusted companies.
As search engine algorithms continue to evolve and adjust to consumer behavior, online retailers must also focus on current trends in order to attract customers.