Updated - Read the 20 Digital Marketing Things to Do in 2020 for a more up to date list of things to consider this coming year. Over the past five years, online trading has changed massively, and it continues to change to this day. Some of the key changes gathering momentum include the way consumers search for goods and services, device preferences and the rise of mobile searches. In order to keep you and your business ahead of the digital curve, we recommend that you consider the following elements for your online focus this coming year. *Content Marketing: Content Marketing is set to play a vital role in the Irish online marketplace this year, as more and more companies harness the power of quality content. Identifying your target consumers and creating positive and engaging content that wows this audience is the key to driving quality in market traffic to your website. We highly recommend developing a content calendar and social media marketing strategy to aid businesses throughout the year and bolster efforts to gain a larger slice of the ‘online pie’. Dmac Media’s Recommendation: Put quality content at the top of your digital to-do list in 2017. *Mobile First Indexing: Mobile access is playing an ever increasing role for consumers, and search engines are now taking notice and action which you should be aware of if you want to attract traffic. This year, Google will launch its first ever mobile first index, whereby the search engine will rank your mobile content before your desktop content. In this regard, Google’s hand has been forced by the changing patterns of consumer search. In fact, it is a direct result of the surprising statistic that over 50% of searches are occurring from a mobile device. Looking beyond 2017, Google have confirmed that in the near future, their algorithms will primarily rank mobile content first, so this mobile first indexing appears to be a stepping stone to normality. The following quote is taken from the Google Webmasters Blog; “Although our search index will continue to be a single index of websites and apps, our algorithms will eventually primarily use the mobile version of a site’s content to rank pages from that site, to understand structured data, and to show snippets from those pages in our results.” Dmac Media’s Recommendation: Get ahead of the trend now and begin optimising your mobile content. If your website isn’t mobile responsive, contact a Dmac Media Digital Marketing Manager account manager today. * Big Bold Type & Homepage Video : With content becoming the primary focus for web designers in 2017, the design and choice of typeface and screen-space is paramount. Concise, powerful statements overlaying images are vital on customer facing pages (particularly the homepage). Inevitably this will further emphasise the need for a good collaboration between content marketers and graphic designers to deliver the most inviting website possible. With rich media playing an ever increasing role within the online environment, videos are coming to the fore as a primary focus from both a content and a digital marketing perspective. Nationally and internationally, web designers are continuing to move towards quality video content being hosted on the homepage as consumers become increasingly demanding and accustomed to a certain standard of website. Dmac Media’s Recommendation: Contemplate the unique points of your product or service and deliver that message in a clear, concise manner. Think about the client when developing your website pages and create meaning for the end user. Take time to put clear and engaging content on your webpage. Remember to include images, videos and external links as appropriate. Mix it up and make it happen!