A Digital Renaissance

The focus of digital marketing is shifting from the now-well-understood trifecta of email marketing, search marketing and social media engagement* to more nuanced but powerful technologies and services that take advantage of both the changing nature of the web and shifting consumer expectations for relevant information and content. This change is re-defining what it means to be a digital marketer.

A recent survey of 200 global marketers reveals a growing interest in the following three priorities:

1. Customer data integration, analytics and personalization of market interactions.

2. Web site performance improvements and richer online engagements.

3. Lead acquisition, conversion and upselling/cross-selling of customers.

While these three trends at first blush might appear distinct, we see them as three shades of the same problem — relevancy. Once we re-cast the concept of a website from a one-size-fits-all static document to a rich and highly modular, data-driven document, the question is no longer,

“What features can I bolt onto my website to convert more visitors?”

but…

“Which highly targeted and relevant version of my digital experience does each visitor see that will suit their intent and context?”

The data show that a more relevant and dynamic experience will in itself increase the odds of conversion.

A Rapid Evolution

Over the past 15-20 years, the “website” has evolved from the portal-based, highly static document of Web 1.0 (think Yahoo), to the richer, Ajax-enabled world of user generated communities and content of Web 2.0 (think Facebook).

This shift has been accompanied by new standards and technologies that alter the underlying fabric of what a website is capable of doing.

We are now entering a new age of (for lack of a better term) Web 3.0. This is the world of

HTML5, even more powerful JavaScript, mobile devices and a very interconnected browsing experience (among many other substantial changes).

In this world, analytics and customer data are no longer an end in themselves or relegated to a silo somewhere. They instead become a stepping-stone to deploying the relevant digital experience (content, calls to action and design). Rich web interactions, integration of customer data, intelligent up-selling, etc. all become folded into the concept of the relevant and dynamic web. These are definitely dynamic and exciting times. And exciting times and technologies require new skills.

The next post will cover the shifting landscape of digital marketing skills. Stay tuned…

* We’re still seeing great innovation in these areas: MailChimp, MixRank, GinzaMetrics, etc.