Digital Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2017

The increasing dominance of video ads.

Though video advertisements are certainly nothing new for social media giants like YouTube and Facebook, the news of Google entering the fray with in-SERP video advertising will change the whole spectrum of online advertisement.

This also suggests the increasing acceptance of video ads among users and, as the trend continues, we may expect different types of video ads popping up on our screens very soon.

Mobile will completely dominate desktop.

We have seen how Google virtually phased-out all websites not optimized for mobile. The ubiquitous presence of hand-held devices and fading away of desktop traffic clearly indicates that the smart money rests on mobile-focused internet marketing.

Mobile search and mobile optimization should, therefore, be a top priority for digital marketers in the year 2017.

Dedicated apps will find their way. 

A dedicated application offers all the features of mobile-optimized website, but in a more intuitive, convenient, and accessible way.

Google has offered app indexing which will certainly bring in advantages to having a dedicated app in the future. Although we’re still years away from apps completely replacing websites, business owners are realizing their potential, and 2017 will be a pivotal year in mobile app development.

Social conversion is coming.

Enough has been said about the power of social media. In the year 2017, the online communities will not be bound to only company-consumer conversation or attracting new prospects; instead, they will provide opportunities to improve conversion rates.

We have witnessed the same for e-commerce and lead generation websites. Social media will work as new conversion channels and offer tools to convert prospects directly into buyers.

Year of wearable technology and smart devices.

In the past few years, we have seen the unveiling of the Apple iWatch, Google Glass, Moto 360, and other similar smart devices that can be worn on-the-go and keep you connected with the digital world.

The year 2017 will see more of such smart devices and innovations in wearable technology that will change the entire landscape of local marketing. Digital marketers will focus on the potential of wearable technology that can diminish the difference between “online” marketing and “real” marketing.

Search algorithm will change. And change again. 

Like it or not, but the search engine algorithms will change. With the enormous amount of information being added to the internet every second, search engine giants will keep on updating their algorithm to decide which content should get priority and rank higher in search engine result pages (SERPs), and which should not.

Therefore, the only strategy should be to remain original, informative, and helpful to your audience. Also, digital marketers should not remain focused only on Google’s algorithm, but give due consideration to Facebook’s algorithm and Bing’s algorithm as well.