9 New Posts Exploring Digital Trends In 2016: E-commerce Link Digest

Bundle up this weekend, Big Thinkers, ’cause it’s going to be cold outside. Me? I plan to build a cozy fire, pop open a lovely bottle of Malbec, and hunker down until spring… or at least until Monday. Oh, and I’ll be checking out these 9 new posts exploring digital trends in 2016. You should too. Enjoy:

1. CMO.com calls online video marketing’s ‘new currency.’ I agree. Big time.
2. eMarketer asks “why don’t consumers buy more via mobile?” Reading inside the data, the simple answer is that the overall experience is terrible. I’d recommend more companies check out these 8 killer entries about improving e-commerce experience for some insights on what to do about it.
3. USA Today reports that Google’s AI chief will take over the Google search engine. In a related story, Mobile Marketer explains why mobile, still king at Google, is poised for boost from machine learning. The key takeaway in both cases is how AI and machine learning stand ready to dramatically shift the way search works over the next couple of years.
4. While we’re talking about future innovations, take note of the PSFK article that says the U.S. connected car program is about more than the $4 billion. And once we see self-driving cars hit the marketplace, we may see yet another shift in consumer behavior. After all, there’s no worry about “distracted driving” if you’re not actually driving.
5. During the Super Bowl last week, I was impressed by Amazon’s Alexa ad (and the product itself), but, as I tweeted at the time:
   

   The Amazon Alexa ad was good. But I keep wondering, why isn't that your phone's job? #adbowl #brandbowl

   — Tim Peter (@tcpeter) February 8, 2016

   I still haven’t heard a good answer to that one. How about you?

6. Speaking of mobile, don’t forget that it’s not “mobile first.” it’s “customer first.”
7. Similarly, it seems like a good time to remind you to stop chasing the next big thing in digital. Sure, it’s fun. But there’s plenty of opportunity available if you look hard enough.
8. A recent episode of Thinks Out Loud, our weekly e-commerce and digital strategy podcast, looked at tying together three key e-commerce themes. You might want to give a listen and see how those will work for your business too.
9. And, as you’re wrapping up your weekend, don’t miss these 7 perfect posts to drive content marketing success part of the regular E-commerce Link Digest series, as well as these 8 excellent digital delights: the top posts of January, 2016 (with bonus insights included). Good stuff.

And if you want learn even more about how your customers’ changing behavior shapes e-commerce and marketing, be sure and register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You can also check out these slides and video from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions: Three Key Trends Driving Your Marketing Next Year”: