There is no doubt about it, 2012 will be a huge year for online shopping.
And with the rise of online shopping, we have also seen the rise of digital marketing.
Businesses have gone crazy to try and get a hold on what is happening online, and work out the best way to take advantage of the opportunities the internet presents for increasing profit margins.
Here are the top five opportunities that your business cannot afford to miss this year:
1. Content is King
You may have heard this one before, but the reason why content should be your main priority is because 2012 will be the year of “too much information”.
The internet is already over-crowded with a huge amount of information on just about everything, so it is more important than ever for you to offer unique and original content that makes you stand out from the crowd, and creates a buzz around your business.
And it’s not just great content, but fresh content that is essential.
In November, Google changed its SEO ranking factors to include a freshness update, making an algorithm that favours content that is both recent and relevant.
2. Mobile Location Marketing
Mobiles devices are becoming increasingly smarter and 2012 will be the year everyone wants a smartphone.
And what does a smartphone do? Smartphones like the iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S2 pick up your location and will help you find what you are looking for, for example, a nearby hairdressers, fashion shop, gym or restaurant.
The apps can even provide you with online reviews and ratings – again highlighting just how important it is for businesses to have a strong positive reputation online.
LBM (location-based marketing) is sure to play an even greater role in 2012.
3. Multi-channel selling
There are so many different ways that you can sell your products/service, that it would be silly for you to dismiss the opportunities that multi-channel selling represents. With the likes of eBay, Amazon, Gumtree and even Flickr available to showcase your products, there really is an incredible number of options when it comes to selling online. Find out which sites your audience visit and make sure you are there, along with everywhere else that they may be.
FitForCommerce vice-president Danielle Savin said: “The biggest opportunity for multi-channel retailers to understand is how and when their customer wants to shop and to utilise their marketing/adverting spend more appropriately across programs by creating better segmentation.”
4. Integrated marketing
Integrating all of your marketing efforts into one single strategy is a no-brainer. Your traditional advertising efforts need to line up with your online efforts. With mobile and social in the mix, the need for a “central repository with greater segmentation pertaining to demographics, psychographics and purchase behaviour will become more critical.” says Danielle.
5. SEO & Social are where it’s at
SEO is how your target market finds you, encouraging them to choose you over your competition. Social media is how many people communicate, and it has become ingrained into our daily lives, becoming the norm for people to engage daily and regularly throughout social channels.
2012 represents the opportunity for you to combine your SEO and social efforts so that you can reach out even more effectively to your potential customers and engage with them further.
Google+ will make the link between SEO and social even stronger, so it is crucial for you to fully understand the opportunities Google+ presents, and its impact on SEO.