8 Scary Good Reads: E-commerce Link Digest

Happy Halloween, Big Thinkers! Hope you’re having a spook-tacular holiday, wherever you might be. Now what’s say we get on with the links? Here you go:

1. Scary stuff: Forrester reports that most marketers’ use of mobile technologies does not match customer behaviors. It’s not just scary, though. It’s downright silly. And it’s something to pay attention to as you finalize your holiday season and 2015 marketing and e-commerce plans.
2. Speaking of scary stuff, Marketing Charts looks at how mobile owners respond to difficulties when using apps to shop. More than half abandon their cart and close the app. How’s that for scary?
3. One last “scary” item: this week’s podcast continued the Halloween theme, looking at some scary changes coming to marketing in 2015 and beyond. Spooky good, if I do say so myself.
4. Marketing Charts also reports that mobile now accounts for two-thirds of Facebook’s ad revenues, while Mobile Marketer suggests that Facebook’s mobile ad prowess may be matched only by Google. Actually, I suspect that should be the other way ’round (Google may only be matched by Facebook). As we talked about in last week’s podcast episode, “What the Hell Just Happened to Google?”, Big G hasn’t quite figured out how to make the most of mobile. Facebook definitely has. Don’t be surprised if you start to see increased growth from your social marketing activities relative to Google in the coming months.
5. Google clearly isn’t standing still in the race to gain more mobile ad revenue, though. Search Engine Land reports that Google is testing a new mobile friendly design using its material design format from Android. Mobile, of course, is just one of the the little-known factors behind e-commerce growth in 2015. What are the others? Read on and see…
6. Among the biggest factors, eMarketer discovers that smartphone-toting Millennials are fueling Demand for mobile-optimized sites. The growth of Millennials in the marketplace is another key factor behind e-commerce growth and is a key demographic realities driving mobile commerce.
7. Speaking of Millennials, eMarketer also uncovers that Millennials’ social shares don’t stop with the post. Important observation as you think about your content marketing in 2015.
8. And speaking of content marketing, our old friend Linda Bustos at GetElastic has great tips on closing the gaps in the content + commerce trend. Great read.

Want more good stuff to get you through this Halloween weekend? Well then check out these 11 must-read trends and tips, 6 great weekend reads, 8 potentially game-changing trends, and the rest of the weekly E-commerce Link Digest series here.

And, if you’re interested in learning even more about how customers changing behavior shapes e-commerce and marketing, 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.

Plus, don’t miss these slides and video from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions: Three Key Trends Driving Your Marketing Next Year”:

Finally, you might also want to check out some of our past coverage of the mobile, local, social web and how to make it work for your business, including:

• What Your Customers Expect from Mobile and E-commerce in 2014
• 10 Key Posts about Millennials and Mobile: E-commerce Link Digest
• The Secrets Behind “It’s All E-commerce” for 2014
• Should Marketers Really Trust Google in 2014?
• The Zen of Digital Marketing Strategy
• 7 Steps to E-Commerce Heaven
• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and The Changing Customer Journey
• Mobile Makes E-commerce Even More “Frictionless”
• Your 2014 Internet Marketing New Year’s Resolutions – Thinks Out Loud Episode 56