What's changed? The Consumer.

What’s changed? The Consumer.

A little history first…

From roughly 2007-2009, I was heavily engaged in link building, social media development, consumer engagement, web analytics, reputation management and content management. I have changed roles lately, becoming more involved in sales than Internet marketing. As I jump back into the realm of SEM, SEO, and Web Analytics, I am reminded that many of the tools and tactics I used just a few years ago are still being used today.

For the most part, it seems that what was important three years ago from a marketing perspective, remains and will always remain relevant—finding, understanding and engaging the consumer.

While there are certainly more web analytics tools, more social media sites, better content management systems, and better technology today than last week, it all still pretty much works the same. The one elusive component that seems to change faster than marketers can keep up is the consumer.  

The biggest change: The consumer

Over the past few years, wireless and mobile technology has also changed the way people use the internet by making us more connected, whether socially or otherwise. A recent study by Google and IPSOS analyzed Internet usage of 1,600 U.S. adults. The study found that “90 percent of consumers now move “sequentially” between different screens
the same day (Sterling, 2012).”

The study also monitored ‘“simultaneous” screen usage (TV + smartphone, PC + smartphone, TV + laptop) (Sterling, 2012)”’ and found that “77 percent of TV viewers use another device at the same time in a typical day (“Google Mobile,” 2012).”

Google's 2 "modes" of multi-screen usage visualized:

Consumers are becoming more attached to the Internet, spending more time online and growing more comfortable with social media.

A recent study by Forrester (Sverdlov, 2012) suggests that customers are spending less time watching TV and more time on the Web—so much so that they don't even realize it.

It seems odd then, that for the first time since 1997, "US online adults are now reporting a decline in the amount of time they spend using the Internet compared with 2011 and 2010."

Gina Sverdlov, Forrester Research analyst, explains:

     "Our analysis revealed that “being online” is becoming a fluid concept. Consumers no longer consider    
     some of the online activities they perform to be activities related to “using the Internet.” In fact, given the
     various types of connected devices that US consumers own, many people are connected and logged on
     (automatically) at all times. The Internet has become such a normal part of their lives that consumers don’t
     register that they are using the Internet when they’re on Facebook, for example. It’s only when they are
     actively doing a specific task, like search, that they consider this to be time that they’re spending online
     (Sverdlov, 2012)."

Consumer habits are changing, so how exactly are businesses responding?

Read my next blog to find out!

References

Sterling, G. (2012, Aug 31). "Study: 90 Percent Use Multiple Screens During The Same Day." Marketing
       Land. Retrieved on November 5, 2015 from http://marketingland.com/study-90-percent-use-multiple-
       screens-throughout-the-same-day-20386

Google Mobile Ads Blog. (2012, August 29). "Navigating the new multi-screen world: Insights show how
       consumers use different devices together." Retrieved on November 5, 2015 from
       http://googlemobileads.blogspot.com/2012/08/navigating-new-multi-screen-world.html

Sverdlov, G. (2012, October 17). "For Consumers, "Being Online" Is Becoming A Fluid Concept."
       Forbes. Retrieved on November 5, 2015 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/forrester/2012/10/17/for-
       consumers-being-online-is-becoming-a-fluid-concept/