As marketers we really like trends. Trends help to drive new ideas, shake-up strategies, and provide opportunities for testing and growth.
But not all trends come-and-go or have expiration dates, some trends cause shifts in behavior that can’t be ignored.
Here are three trends that aren’t trends; they are happening and here to stay:
Mobile is Now More Than Ever
From planning and researching, to price shopping and purchasing; every step of the buying process now happens on mobile. This fall, Google reported that shopping-related searches surpassed desktop searches.
Mobile isn’t is trend, it’s here to stay:
- Over 50% of the world’s Google searches now happen on a mobile device.
- Shopping related mobile searches have grown more than 120% year over year.
- During 2014, more than 1 trillion dollars was spent using a mobile device.
Shift from Shopping Marathons to Micro Moments
Mobile influences purchasing more than ever. The expected consumer journey and steps towards a conversion is thrown out the window when it takes a second to grab your phone in a moment of need.
Whether it’s ordering food or researching a vacation, it takes just seconds to find what you need on mobile. And there are unlimited resources for researching, maybe too many, which is why consumers are looking towards trustworthy sources like YouTube for reviews and product advice.
According to Google, video is an important element of micro moments:
- One in four shoppers say that online videos are their go-to source for gift ideas.
- 32% will use online video more this year for holiday purchases.
- Compared to last year, US shoppers are spending twice as much time watching fashion and apparel related videos.
Local Counts
AdWords continues to roll out new features that benefit local retailers. From geo-modifiers and location extensions, to local inventory ads and recent sightings of “remind me when I’m near” extensions, local businesses have a better opportunity than ever before to engage consumers and encourage in-store visits.
Even in a competitive space, local businesses can cultivate a presence on Facebook, engage with reviewers on Yelp, and provide experiences that online retailers can’t always achieve.
If a business doesn’t have a local online presence, can it survive? (That’s a real question, can it? Maybe I’m asking the wrong audience…)
