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The Next Big Thing in Online Marketing Written by Patricia Brusha on March 5, 2007
Recently I was on a panel at the Hotel Association Conference in Toronto and the final question posed to us was, “What’s the next big thing?” This is a difficult question to answer because everyone is hoping they will implement what is next to be on the cutting edge of Internet Marketing
Instead of trying to predict what might not be out there yet, I interpreted that question as, ‘What as an online marketer is the next big thing I need to address” (Or not turn a blind eye to hoping that it might not be critical to improving my online business). At a minimum all webmasters should A. , B. Address and understand how the new consumer uses online media, C. Understand that a website is not static, and “push out” optimized relevant content and D. Use Analytics to measure the success of online initiatives.
Once that is all in place, what might be the next big thing? I venture to take the position that the majority of websites in North America are built with this consumer in mind. Someone sitting at a computer, with a high resolution monitor, who has no disabilities, and speaks perfect English. Focusing on only this demographic is alienating a very large number of customers that are using the Web to shop, research, connect and play. Let’s break some of these segments down.
“Beyond the Browser”… To quote John Bray from Phocuswright, “consumers are moving away from the browser to obtain their information.” I spoke to a client of mine recently who had sent out their first “e-zine” and had followed up with the recipients to gather feedback. One of the most important questions she had was to identify if they had received it on a PC or a blackberry or other PDA. A good majority of the people she spoke with confirmed they had received it on their blackberry, and because they couldn’t read it just discarded it.
Eblasts, Home pages and other electronic marketing should be viewed and adapted for mobile viewing. This has to be one of the next “big” things in the space. However not everyone views information as there is also a growing population that finds listening to information an effective way to gain knowledge on the go!
Imagine this, you are going on a vacation with your family and can download information regarding tours, attractions, shopping and restaurants on your IPod. While on the plane, you can plan your trip with podcasts of city tours and reviews downloaded before you left.
“Website accessibility”…Just as buildings have continually adapted guidelines for accommodating people with disabilities, website designers need to address this issue as well. With the explosion of new websites entering the World Wide Web daily, most sites have managed to create some of the same hurdles to accessibility and participation by disabled people as in the physical world.
Many of the everyday activities that we perform on the internet such as booking a vacation, managing a bank account, or even just doing research are difficult or impossible for many disabled people.
Some of the most common problems encountered include the choice of only one text size, not providing audio files, cluttered pages, confusing navigation, failure to describe images, and poor colour contrast between background and text. For those interested in creating websites that are accessible for everyone, there are numerous books, articles and websites that address “Accessible Website Design.”
“English as a second language” …For most web designers in North America the thought of having a foreign language site is well, “foreign” to them. The biggest objection they may raise is, “We don’t do business outside of North America.”
According to the US census bureau there are over 51 million people who do not speak English in the home. This statistic does not include Canada. The “foreign market” that was part of your future growth plan, may actually include a high number of customers within driving distance.
So how do you enter the foreign language arena? I believe if you follow these three steps recommended by Blogger: Ramon Padilla in his blog, You will be at least heading in the right direction.
Padilla in his blog post says:
First, we need to decouple web design from content creation. In far too many organizations, these two concepts are synonymous. Our web sites need to be designed in such a manner that content in any language can be plugged in as an object and the site will maintain its look and feel.
Secondly, we can say the same for our web applications. Areas in these applications which contain text should be variables that can be filled with the appropriate language text without breaking the application.
Thirdly, when making the decision to make your web site multi-lingual, it is not an all or none proposition. Take those areas that are most informative/valuable and start with those when determining cost to do the work.
There is a World Wide Web of people out there who are online and actively looking to be engaged by your website! So the next time you hold an internal “Webmax” meeting and begin discussing what you think might be the “Next big Thing” in driving traffic and converting customers, I encourage you to embrace three major target markets close to home that you may have been missing. People on the move, people who need disability access, and people who don’t speak English!
About A Couple of Chicks:
Patricia Brusha is co-founder of www.acoupleofchicks.com offering a non-intimidating approach to , e-Distribution & Revenue/Campaign Measurement. The “Chicks” specialize in using Creative, Distribution and Technology together to bring clarity to marketing on-line.
Patricia is also the Co-Chair of the 2nd Annual , which will be held this May 28th and 29th at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto. Visit www.onlinerevealed.com for more information.
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