Blog
5 Digital and Tech Predictions for 2016
11
Dec
Dec
It seems that just when we become comfortable with the way things are, someone goes and changes it up on us. It takes a constant effort to keep up with new trends in technology and marketing. The coming year will be no different. While we’ve just been getting used to the idea of smart phones, mobile devices, small screens and app shopping, the tech developers are furiously working to create new and different tech to keep us on our toes. It is refreshing to know that there are still advances to be made, and that there will be new and different technology trends to look forward to in 2016. Here are some of the trends that are on the horizon in the world of digital marketing.
Mobile Devices will overtake Desktop
Mobile devices have been on the rise for several years now, and that trend is only going to continue. Google announced earlier this year that indexing of search results no longer relies on traditional SEO, but that only mobile-friendly websites will now be ranking in search results. More people are carrying mobile devices than ever before and it looks like, for the next generation of computer users, that the desktop may soon be going the way of the VCR.
Digital Assistants
Cortana and Siri are the new girls in town, but they’ve changed everything about the way we search for information. The use of digital assistants is leading us to a new kind of optimization in the next few years. These digital assistant search engines use traditional search queries only when necessary. The new way of conducting searches will require you to market your site so that Cortana can easily find you. This is a change from the way we used to use SEO. No longer are we only trying to drive traffic to the website for the pay-per-click, we need to design future websites to be available when Siri comes looking for them.
Video ads
Video ads may be annoying, but according to the marketing experts, they’re here to stay. Indeed, in 2016 you can be prepared to see even more video ads. Many YouTube videos have advertising now, and the majority of the public, it seems, has come to accept them with their vids. Facebook and Bing are already using video ads as well, and now Google has gotten on board with in-SERP video advertising. This means video ads interspersed with your search results. Since Google owns YouTube, it’s a sure bet that the future will be replete with video ads.
Wearable Devices
The advances in tech, while not quite at the virtual reality level, are certainly coming fast and furiously. We saw the launch of the Apple watch in 2015 and already there are several other companies, including other big names like Samsung and new companies like Pebble, vying for a piece of your marketing dollar. Wearable tech includes not only smart watches but fitness trackers such as FitBit and other fitness apps. Imagine turning your wrist into a touchscreen! Paris-based company Cicret (pronounced ‘secret’) has a smart bracelet that mirrors your iPhone on your arm. This is only the beginning for wearable tech. We can be sure to see more wearable devices in 2016 and beyond.
Advertising will become more expensive
2016 will see an increase in online advertising. This has been a growing trend in the past several years, and the experts predict that it will be even more so in the coming years. As supply and demand dictates, all of these new competitors in the marketplace will drive up the prices. Online ads have been relatively inexpensive up until now, but that is predicted to change , possibly in a dramatic way in 2016 and the coming years. While the increases are likely to be small and incremental at first, they may ultimately be enough to push some of the smaller advertisers out of competition.
These are not all of the predicted trends for 2016, but only a sampling of what you can expect in digital tech and marketing. In technology as in life, change is the only constant.
Cortana and Siri are the new girls in town, but they’ve changed everything about the way we search for information. The use of digital assistants is leading us to a new kind of optimization in the next few years. These digital assistant search engines use traditional search queries only when necessary. The new way of conducting searches will require you to market your site so that Cortana can easily find you. This is a change from the way we used to use SEO. No longer are we only trying to drive traffic to the website for the pay-per-click, we need to design future websites to be available when Siri comes looking for them.
Video ads
Video ads may be annoying, but according to the marketing experts, they’re here to stay. Indeed, in 2016 you can be prepared to see even more video ads. Many YouTube videos have advertising now, and the majority of the public, it seems, has come to accept them with their vids. Facebook and Bing are already using video ads as well, and now Google has gotten on board with in-SERP video advertising. This means video ads interspersed with your search results. Since Google owns YouTube, it’s a sure bet that the future will be replete with video ads.
Wearable Devices
The advances in tech, while not quite at the virtual reality level, are certainly coming fast and furiously. We saw the launch of the Apple watch in 2015 and already there are several other companies, including other big names like Samsung and new companies like Pebble, vying for a piece of your marketing dollar. Wearable tech includes not only smart watches but fitness trackers such as FitBit and other fitness apps. Imagine turning your wrist into a touchscreen! Paris-based company Cicret (pronounced ‘secret’) has a smart bracelet that mirrors your iPhone on your arm. This is only the beginning for wearable tech. We can be sure to see more wearable devices in 2016 and beyond.
Advertising will become more expensive
2016 will see an increase in online advertising. This has been a growing trend in the past several years, and the experts predict that it will be even more so in the coming years. As supply and demand dictates, all of these new competitors in the marketplace will drive up the prices. Online ads have been relatively inexpensive up until now, but that is predicted to change , possibly in a dramatic way in 2016 and the coming years. While the increases are likely to be small and incremental at first, they may ultimately be enough to push some of the smaller advertisers out of competition.
These are not all of the predicted trends for 2016, but only a sampling of what you can expect in digital tech and marketing. In technology as in life, change is the only constant.