Can you believe that 2012 is right around the corner? Though technology hasn’t provided us with hover boards or light sabers (yet), it has presented us with some great new technological advances for the Web. For those of you who haven’t upgraded, 2012 is the year to strap on your jet pack and get your Web initiatives up to speed.

Much like life as we know it needs water, your business will get the most out of online marketing in 2012 by consuming vast amounts of the following:

In the distant future, the Internet will be navigated using your mind and a special leather jacket.

• Mobile – Your site needs to be mobile accessible. There is no way around this. In 2012, there will be 114 Million people in the US who use the Internet on their cell phones. 114 MILLION! That’s almost twice the population of France. Think of all that customer engagement you’re missing out on! Also, think of all those ringtones.  Or in this case, Les Ringtones.
• Usability – Patience for confusing or broken user interfaces will be in even shorter supply in 2012.  Visitors need to know how to engage with your site within 3 seconds – that’s right: 3 seconds! Max! Otherwise, another prospect bites the dust. Cluttered, complicated and confusing applications and websites will increasingly have a very negative effect on a company’s brand. Since your most likely very familiar with your site, have a fresh pair of eyes audit your web site’s ease of use in 2012.
• Social– Good luck being taken seriously without a consistently executed social media strategy. Having a Twitter account and Facebook page isn’t enough; you have to regularly use it (this is on our 2012 to-do list as well). Think about it… you might want your business to have more of a social media footprint than your niece.
  We posted a number of resources a while ago, but if you still need help, please let us know and we’ll refer you to one of our excellent social media partners.

It takes a consistent effort to maintain and take advantage of the constantly evolving world of online marketing. We’re always here to chat, clarify and keep you up to date so please don’t hesitate to give us a call Also, please like us on Facebook, so said niece will regret calling us as a bunch of “friendless techies.”

We hope that the New Year brings you health, happiness and success.  If you are looking for last-minute catch-up gifts or urgently need to make a tax-deductible donation, we encourage you to check out Charity: Water, a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Clean water is a key ingredient to health, sanitation, education, economic stability, food, and gender equality.  For more info, check out their website and store.

Thanks for reading and see you next year!