Now is the time to take a look at some of the marketing trends generating some buzz for the fall of 2013, especially since any emerging online marketing trends are likely to be big online marketing news in 2014.
The fall 2013 online marketing trends can be divided into two basic categories: design trends and technology-based trends.
The first one focuses on the look of the content you’re displaying and the other one focuses on the way your consumers access your online content. Granted, not every trend will be practical for you to use, but it doesn’t hurt to have an idea of which online marketing trends are coming around bend.
Design
Color Combinations
You don’t have to make it look like MS Paint exploded, but color combinations are hot this fall. In your emails, for instance, change from a single color or pattern to different colors for your headlines and different colors for your links. The idea is to make all the information you put into your posts, website text or emails as easy to identify as possible, even with a brief glance.
Bold, Bright Colors
Forget about pastels and neutrals. Instead, go with bold, rich colors in your emails and social page designs. This extends to your website design as well, at least on the homepage or main landing page.
Retro with a Modern Twist
While the Internet didn’t exist in the 1960s, the minimalist look of the decade replicated in Mad Men is appealing for many reasons. First of all, it makes use of blank space. Instead of adding a bunch of graphics and links and other clickable icons, simply stating that you can get “15 percent off everything today” in easy-to-read bold lettering at the bottom of your site can be just as effective.
Mobile-Sized Design
As more and more consumers access the Internet via mobile devices, designs specific to mobile devices are starting to show up in all online marketing content. This includes clickable product squares, larger text that can be read on smaller screens and bigger call-to-action buttons that can be easily tapped with a finger on tablets and smartphones.
Technology
Growth Hacking
The concept of growth hacking, also known as CRO (conversion rate optimization), is to test different business models. This includes product offerings and pricing scales. Growth hacking is especially appealing to small businesses since it allows certain factors to be tested on a small scale before investing in different online platforms and activities. Think of it as testing the waters before diving in.
Customer Satisfaction Mapping
This particular trend maps the life cycle of your customers. This includes taking a look at how effective your customer service really is for your consumer. The concept extends to looking at what post-sale support you offer and determining where there’s room for improvement.
Micro-targeting
Heading into 2014, it won’t be enough to just target consumers by location. Micro-targeting refers to hitting consumers by using sponsored updates and targeted ads on the social sites and websites they’re likely to be visiting. More businesses are expected to at least start testing ways to better target mobile customers this fall before refining their efforts to include targeting right down to what actions a customer is likely to take based on where they’re physically located at the moment and what they’re likely to be doing online.
