Latest Insights from Google’s HQ

Infinity Nation recently attended a Google seminar on online growth. And, in case you couldn’t attend, here’s the low-down of the seminar highlights: 

In this seminar, Google Premier disclosed some of their key
insights from the current digital landscape and an indication of their
predictions of the digital future.

Including:

• Ensuring online success in the age of assistance
• Changing tactics of digital strategy
• How to compete in the digital market place
• Google’s predictions of the digital future 

Digital Assistance is the New Battleground for Online Growth

Throughout the seminar, emphasis was put on the age of
assistance. This involves matching the searcher intent and assisting the
customer with whatever query or needs they may have.

In order to adequately anticipate customer’s needs, Google tells us that we must be aware of the micro moments of the consumer. These micro-moments of the consumer include:

• I want to Know
• I want to Go
• I want to Do
• I want to Buy

To succeed in the age of assistance, all online businesses need to be able to anticipate their customers’ needs. Otherwise potential customers have the power and technology to simply shop elsewhere online if they are not happy.

Changing Tactics for Digital Strategy

It’s no longer about having a specific digital strategy, it’s about having a marketing and assistance strategy in this digital age. 

To maintain your online competitive advantage, you need to:

• Show up: Ensure you are visible to your customers in the SERP’s, social and display
• Wise Up: Who are your target audience? How can you anticipate and expand upon your customer’s expectations and not just meet them?
• Speed Up: Site, shipping and communication speeds all need to be quick if business are to compete with the likes of Amazon and the ever excelling consumer expectation

Key Points to Consider when Creating a Marketing and
Assistance Strategy

• 53% of visitors will leave your mobile site if it doesn’t load after 3 seconds
• Over the last year Google has seen a 2x increase in search terms including or referencing “same day shipping”
• Google has also seen a 3x increase in search terms including the phrase “open now”
• Google has seen a reduction in search terms for “near me”. Improvements in technology and the increase of inpatient consumers has led to people reducing terms such as “Art supplies near me” (for example). They will expect to be served the same information typing or saying art supplies
• On the flipside there has been an 85% increase in search terms including the term “where to buy”. There has also been an increase in the term “buy now”
• Search terms including the term “best” have also increased

How to Compete in Today’s Fast Marketplace

As technology improves consumers are less patient, and they
expect communication to be quick. Consumers want to be able to speak to someone
about a problem via phone or online chat, and shipping to be quick without
needing to wait. There is often the view that:

“If you are going to make me wait, I will find someone to deliver it quicker”

With these ever increasing consumer demands, site speed on desktop and mobile has to be fast. It’s so easy for your customer to find another store, so if your site is slow, customers won’t hesitate to go elsewhere. 

Google’s Predictions of a Digital Future: What does the future hold?

Currently we are in the mobile-first era, which means that
your website being mobile-first and assistance with customer needs is where the
growth is for businesses to climb to the next level.

The next stage is AI-first which includes voice search. This
will be the next important step that retailers to see growth. Google does
mention that while the technology is not quite there yet, but businesses that
are ready will capitalise the most over slower competitors.

Google Predicts:

• By 2020 it is predicted 50% of searches will be voice
  activated
• Voice is faster than search and will slowly take over as the
  younger generation get involved and technology improves.

Those are the main points that were covered at the Google seminar. It’s clear to see that as the digital world and marketing continue to evolve, businesses will need to become ever-more adept at anticipating customer needs and being proactive, rather than being reactive and losing out on business as a result.

If you feel like your current strategy is lacking, or you need further insights on how to improve your marketing, then why not get in touch with us? Email us on chat@infinitynation.com or give us a call on 01793 238 697 today