A Dozen Digital Strategy Dispatches You Can’t Miss: E-commerce Link Digest

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Hey, Big Thinkers! Hope you don’t mind if we skip the setup this week and instead get you straight into this collection of a dozen digital strategy dispatches you can’t miss. Enjoy:

1. Mary Clark has written a great piece over on CMO.com that says “The Moment Is Now: Brands Must Embrace A Mobile-First World.” I completely agree, though might recommend that “It’s Not ‘Mobile First.’ It’s ‘Customer First.'”
2. Speaking of mobile, don’t overlook these “13 Key Insights About Mobile Commerce, Payments, and Content Marketing” from the E-commerce Link Digest series.
3. Brian Solis has an amazing piece over at Brand Quarterly about “Experience Design: The Next Evolution Of Brand Development” that you’ll definitely want to check out.
4. Meanwhile MarketingProfs put together a fantastic infographic highlighting “The Business Value of User Experience Design” that you simply cannot miss.
5. While we’re on the topic of customer experience, our own crack team here at Thinks collected a set of “10 Terrific E-commerce and Digital Customer Experience Insights” a couple weeks back that are totally worth your time.
6. Mobile, customer experience, and content all play key roles in improving your success with digital as shown in this Biznology piece that uncovers “The Simple Truth About What’s Driving Digital Next Year.”
7. What else is shaping digital? Well, Business Insider claims “Google and Facebook Are Destined to Wage a Decade-Long War for the Future.” Of course, I’d add Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft to that list — and, in fact, did just that in an episode of our weekly e-commerce and digital strategy podcast called “The Rise of AGFAM (Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft) and Everywhere Shopping”.
8. The BBC provides a handy, hundred-thousand foot level look at AI by asking, “OK, Google: Who Will Win The AI Wars?” that you may want to read when you have a moment.
9. Speaking of things you should read, be sure to review these “One Dozen Long-Weekend Digital Marketing Links You’ll Love” and this collection of “9 Nifty Digital Strategy Insights from the Past Week” also from the E-commerce Link Digest series.
10. Why does it matter whether you have an effective digital strategy? Well, as Fox News points out, many companies are now dealing with “Disruption in the C-Suite” as they require digital-savvy (if not digital native) talent in their corner offices.
11. This shift towards digital at the center of your business strategy is leading many companies to focus their energies towards undertaking a complete enterprise digital transformation. Not sure what that is? A pair of episodes from our Thinks Out Loud podcast can help you out. The first, “Digital Transformation: A Brief Introduction,” provides a primer for understanding the overarching attributes of a successful digital transformation, while “Why Digital Transformation Matters for Your Business” highlights all the reasons you should care. Give ’em both a listen.
12. Finally, let’s round-out this look at a dozen digital strategy dispatches you can’t miss with this post that asks (and answers), “How Can You Succeed at Digital Marketing Next Year? 17 Great Posts Offer Answers.”

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”:

Finally, you might enjoy some of these past posts from Thinks to help you build your e-commerce strategy and your digital success:

• 6 Mobile Commerce and Strategy Insights: E-commerce Link Digest
• Content is Still the King
• The Digital Strategy Myth
• Why Mobile Payments Will Rule
• Driving Seamless Experiences in 2016 (Thinks Out Loud Episode 149)
• Mobile is So Much Bigger Than You Think (Thinks Out Loud Episode 140)
• It’s Not “Mobile First.” It’s “Customer First.”
• 8 Killer Entries About Improving E-commerce Experience: E-commerce Link Digest