This is a short and sweet compilation of what our staff feels will be the trend in 2017. You can look forward to more in depth information on our website and mainstream news on many of these marketing, social media, and technology topics. If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your Account Director to discuss.
- AMP (web) pages are more wide spread and are a massively trimmed down version of content so unnecessary images, javascript and other files are never even sent to the user in the first place. That’s where the real speed comes from; bare bones text on a page without anything else. You have likely already seen this with news and events. (*Hint-see last trend in this list regarding speed)
- Mobile Indexed First is here. This is a major shift for Google, and something Google has been talking about doing for a while. We all know that for the past couple years that having a well designed mobile website helped your rank/results in Google. Now, Google is going to give priority to well-designed mobile websites and index them first.
- Both Facebook and Twitter are getting very good at offering refined audiences for advertising, making it possible to reach very specific niche markets without wasting ad dollars.
- With unemployment rates so low, reaching the right candidates is challenging. The refined audiences in Facebook/Twitter will help with this, and those knowing how to tap into this resource will be able to hire using social media.
- Both Google and Facebook have vowed to crack down on fake news. Their commitment to this will likely change their algorithms. Facebook has already released a crowd-sourcing method of reporting fake news.
- HIPAA regulations are newer in the area of social media advertising and considerations need to be made when thinking of utilizing Facebook retargeting.
- In regard to ADA compliance, you will see people getting ready for a new law in 2018 requiring accessibility for websites, as well as more legal ramifications for those who don’t comply. WordPress is going to require some things instead of them being optional, like it is now.
- You’re going to see less stock photos and more lifestyle/candid/real photos. Yes, it may require hiring a photographer at times and training your staff to take more important photos, but this is one trend we’re excited to see!
- Marketing will focus more on emotions and how a product makes you feel while using the product instead of focusing on the features of a product.
- All indications point toward websites using more animations in transitions between pages.
- Speaking into search engines like Lexa and Suri is just as common as typing now. How people search for what they need through speach is different than typed content, so this will be taken into consideration with web content, design, and search features.
- 2017 should usher in simpler navigation/sticky navigation. The hamburger-style is going away.
- How people consume content and news has changed. If something is important, people expect that they’ll see news come across their social media newsfeeds.
- Have you noticed the Facebook Call-To-Action buttons more? They will function more like apps, especially on mobile devices. If you’re in Facebook, go to your favorite pizza place, you can click one button and call to order a pizza.
- Digital and mobile ad spending budgets will exceed television ad budgets for the first time in 2017. Can you believe it?
- There continues to be less young people on Facebook. This year the main draw is Instagram and Snapchat.
- The Facebook newsfeed will have way more paid posts and less organic. People, including your target market, will get more picky with following pages, unfollowing pages, and adding things to their “see first”.
- From groceries, office supplies, and fresh meal ingredients in a box to a vast array of other products and services, subscription services will be on the rise.
- Solicitations and fraudulent texts, calls, and emails, focused on exploiting relationships is on the rise. Just because someone seems to know you, your town, your business, or name drop doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be leery of accepting down payments for services yet rendered. If you are wondering what this scenario would look like, give any of us a call.
- People will be less tolerant and more critical of user experience (online). The business owner(s) preference for the website look/feel/functionality/processes won’t matter compared to user experience.
- Just when you think things can’t possibly load any faster, speed will play another role. People will be ditching outdated technology faster and faster than in the past.
