Predictions 2010: Web Analytics, Social Media and Digital Marketing

This is the time of the year to make few predictions for 2010. Here are my 5 predictions for Web Analytics, Social Media and Digital Marketing.

1. Website Testing – What’s the point of creating a cool looking site that does not engage or covert the customers? Website Testing (A/B and Multivariate testing) is the key to those conversions, Website Testing won’t be optional in 2010. Website testing will become an essential part of website design and development. Website designs will make it easier to change the elements of page and hence make it easier to test them. Jobs in A/B and Multivariate testing are about to rise. For your reference there are currently 252 jobs for “A/B testing” on simplyhired.com.
2. Web Analytics - I have two predictions about web analytics (generally known as web analytics):
   
   1. Adobe will start incorporating Omniture into its products.
   2. WebTrends will be sold this year.
   
   
3. Mobile Analytics – Mobile usage will continue its upward trend and so will the number of mobile sites and mobile applications (apps). Just like a website, mobile sites needs to be analyzed and optimized and same goes for the mobile applications. There are already tens of thousands mobile apps and this number will continue to grow. It is critical that users download your apps, number of downloads is an important measure of success. But number of downloads do not equate to usage. If your app does not get used then what’s the point of paying thousands of dollars to develop them? Usage of your apps is even more important metrics. As the market gets crowded with all the apps, app providers would want to know if there apps are getting used and what features are getting used. The need to learn from the data and optimize the apps will rise this year. See above, Optimization is not optional.
4. Twitter – Twitter will need to prove its value to the businesses. There is a lot of noise on twitter, most of the clicks (and I have proof) on twitter links are not from real people. Is anybody reading those tweets? Yes tweets are now appearing on search engines but are they adding much value to the search results? This will be the year that will define the future of twitter. Twitter will either be sold or dead by the end of this year.
5. Privacy – Privacy will become a very hot topic putting a lot of pressure on behavioral targeting. Mobile Tracking will also be scrutinized. Privacy watchdogs will start looking at the data collection by Mobile apps (e.g. iPhone apps), desktop widgets/pass etc.

What do you think?
Related Posts

• Web Analytics and Behavioral Targeting Predictions for 2008
• Predictions for 2007

---

New Job: Analytics Associate at Huge (Brooklyn, NY)

Looking to fill your Web Analytics or Online Marketing position?

Post your open jobs on Web Analytics Job Board
--------------------------------------------------------------------------