With the new year right around the corner, you have probably already started examining your current marketing strategy and what will help you get to the next level come January. Here are three key trends that you should keep in mind when planning for 2016.

Mobile

If 2015 was the year of mobile, 2016 is the year of getting mobile right. Ofcom found that smartphones have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for getting online. A third (33%) of Internet users see their smartphone as the most important device for surfing the web, compared to 30% who are still sticking with their laptop. Consumers do prefer shopping and buying on desktop computers and laptops, but I wonder for how much longer, especially given that 23% of online shoppers ages 18-29 prefer shopping on a smartphone.

Google’s algorithm announcement on giving an added boost to mobile-friendly sites should have already caught your attention. But being mobile-friendly isn’t just about SEO. Customers increasingly use their phones to window shop, to check out prices when they are in the store, or park items in a shopping basket to look at later. Having a clunky mobile interface discourages shoppers from shopping with you.

It’s critical to understand how consumers use mobile devices and craft a plan that works for your organisation. Whether omnichannel or online only, make your mobile shopping experience inviting, engaging and worthy of the return trip.

Social

There has been a lot of press about social media ‘buy buttons’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 2016 will show which platforms prove most successful for selling directly to consumers. There are numerous ways to deploy social media to enhance your ecommerce efforts, effectively use your advertising budget, and most importantly, bring shoppers to your website.

To begin with, use your email information to inform what segments you’ll buy on social media. For instance, if female, 25-35 year-old shoppers in specific postcodes are responding at high rates to a specific offer, buy ads on social media using those same demographics. Then take the information from the social media ad performance, and use it to refine your ecommerce messaging and segmentation.

What about millenials? Do you need to market differently to this age group? Probably not. Research suggests they are more interested in mobile and social, but the percentages aren’t strikingly higher than older consumers. Some older consumers are just as apt as millennials to browse on a tablet or buy through a social ‘buy button.’ What is most important? Engaging them with stories and through social media. These are actions you should be taking anyway.

Personalisation

If mastering personalisation isn’t on your list of New Year’s resolutions yet, it should be. With so many shopping choices, you need to get the right content to the right customer at the right time:

Welcome series work. Every retailer I’ve worked with that deployed one saw double-digit revenue increases. Use automation to turn your welcome series into a unique journey for each customer by tailoring the messages to the actions the recipient has taken previously.

End promotion code abuse. Technology exists to create unique promotion codes that can’t be easily leaked all over the Internet. Use them to not only end unnecessary discounting but also track the metrics on your promotions to further enhance personalisation.

Smartly ramp up segmentation. Strong segmentation requires input from merchandising and creative teams to construct deals and messages that resonate with shoppers. If you try to jump from two segments to fifty, you will overextend the staff and potentially fail. Expand slowly, measure success and employ A/B testing.

As you look to 2016, it’s important to keep distractions to a minimum and focus on the basics. Is your website mobile-friendly? Are you exploring social platforms for added customer engagement? Can you personalise multiple types of messaging? Ultimately, can you deliver an ecommerce experience that suggests you know your customers and what they want? Because if you don’t, someone else will.

 

By Saima Alibhai, Client Services Manager at Bronto Software. 

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