Paying Attention to Top Tech Trends of the Future

Everything we do in work and life seems to revolve around and depend on technology. It certainly has changed the playing field for small business owners and entrepreneurs alike. With so much happening so fast in the world of technology, it is important to stay on top of the trends and understand what is predicted to change so that you can plan accordingly.

Recently, an article in Smart Company noted some of the top tech trends that are on the horizon for the next five years. Here is a summary of those tech trends and what they might mean for you:


 Good-Bye Desktop, Hello Tablets and Portable Devices
They say the desktop is on life-support soon to be put out of its behemoth misery by tablets, smartphones, and other portable devices. No longer will you need a monitor and keyboard either. It will be increased functionality and portability to work on the go.

Search Technology Goes Social
While you might not think that something so scientific would actually become social, it’s true. Social media platforms are impacting searches on search engines and vice versa. How information is delivered and shared will continue to change and will often become more influenced by peers and colleagues on your social networks. This means that businesses will also need to rethink their search strategies as well as their social media strategies to become more integrated.

High Resolution
Not only will we want a clearer picture when it comes to information, but we will also want it to appear more life-like when we view it on a display. That means technology will have to provide a way to offer high pixel density on every type of device.

Working on a Cloud
The cloud will replace the cubicle so that where and how you work will never be the same. There will be no need for a dedicated workspace when cloud computing allows you to access your files and collaborate anywhere in the world.

Tapping Your Networks
The whole notion that working and interacting online is really an anti-social activity will finally be put to rest. Instead, more people will recognize the importance of engagement and communication online as a valuable social interaction tool. It is a way to get more information and reach out to more people than face-to-face strategies could ever do. Every decision could now be based upon who or what is in your social network.

Stop Typing and Start Talking
The art of knowing the keyboard may soon become a lost art as technology allows for more voice-activated and voice-controlled functionality. Siri is just the beginning. There will be no more need for a keyboard or mouse; we’ll be doing more talking than typing.

Global Media Stream
All content will soon be streamed through your computer, tablet, smartphone or other device, including video and audio content. This could also mean the end to the television set! Time will tell if the future will leave this device behind as well.

What’s to Become of the 9-to-5 Work Schedule?
What was once the given in terms of work hours is not necessarily the common work schedule anymore. With people working on the road and with people all over the world, these hours no longer frame productivity. If anything, people are setting their own hours thanks to technology and working on the fly and as-needed. Whether it is working from home or the plane, work is getting done on a completely new schedule driven by work demands and facilitated by technology.

Custom Home Entertainment
We may no longer say, “There is nothing on.” That’s because we can leverage technology to create our own entertainment and customize what we want to watch and enjoy thanks to streaming media and access to a wider array of content that we can select when desired. This will be further possible through portable devices as well as voice and motion control capabilities.

A Strategic Partner
As business owners, it is good to note these changes and determine how you might leverage them to further interact and attract your key audience. At Flyline Search Marketing, we stay at the forefront of these trends to adapt our Internet Marketing strategies so that our customers are realizing the benefits of today and tomorrow’s technology and communication channels. Find out by contacting us today!

Search-based Marking Trends for 2012

Within the area of search-based marketing, which includes SEO, paid search, performance email and conversion, there are a number of key trends on the horizon for 2012 and beyond. In his recent article, Peter Stewart covers some of the hottest trends to take note of for this year:


Conversion Trends

He identified a number of conversion trends, including source-to-sale reporting, which is focused on measurability and metrics for greater performance management; growth in mobile and tablet apps; more in-depth user experience testing; and greater adoption of HTML5 for more solid user experiences.

Search Engine Optimization Trends

The key SEO trends noted were personalization of search results tied to social signals from major social networking platforms; Google’s launch of Your World social search integration for more customized search engine results; and private content in Web results tied to public knowledge about each user.

Paid Search Trends

Current paid search trends are geared toward strong growth in performance display advertising; a larger slice of the budget pie being spent on Facebook PPC ads; and the advent of high premium ad placements on YouTube.

Performance Email Information Trends

This is a significant area for 2012 due to the rapid increase around the world in the use of mobile messaging. Other areas of importance include qualified data tied to the Consumer Protection Act of 2012 in which more is required in terms of unsolicited messaging the need to opt in to ensure no stiff penalties.

Users want more relevance out of any email communication they receive or they will simply unsubscribe from their relationship with you. Therefore, personalization of communication is a top priority as is relevant and valuable content that they are looking for from a provider. You need to know what that content is and then be the one to deliver it in order to maintain valuable relationships going forward.

There is a movement beyond marketing to the idea of “ongoing, integrated digital conversation.” As the article noted, “With so many marketing channels available to both business/brands and consumers, gone are the days of the ‘silo’ approach.

Integration of profile and behavioral data across different marketing channels such as search, mobile, social, eCommerce, etc. will prove to be the key to understanding your customer and accompanying them through their individual journey with you.”

What This Means for You

Noting these trends is just the first step. From there, you must determine how you can address these trends in your own search marketing and Internet marketing strategies for your business. Whether you incorporate and implement them on your own or you leverage the expertise of a firm like Flyline Search Marketing, it is important to stay on top of these trends and how they can impact your business – both positively and negatively – so that you remain at the forefront of your industry or even earn yourself a spot at the top, replacing competitors that were not attuned to such trends.