According to a new study from Adobe Systems, almost three-quarters of businesses plan imminent investments in website redesigns or significant site enhancements to improve ROI. The study,
"Digital Marketing in the Next Decade," found the most-deployed tactic to date, used by 55% of respondents, was analytics tools for measuring and optimizing website experiences. 82% say they
plan to adopt the enhancements this year, up 8% from a year ago.
Time Frame
Planned To Deploy Additional Features To Enhance Customer Experience |
Time to Deploy | % of Respondents |
3 months | 10% |
6 months | 22 |
9 months | 13 |
12 months | 37 |
Other | 18 |
Source: Adobe Digital
Markting Trends Survey, May 2011 |
Mobile also is coming into its own as a marketing device, based on future plans. This year, iPhone apps are the
most-planned deployment, cited by 27% of respondents, sharing the top spot with interactive catalogs. Just behind are iPad apps, advertising on social networking sites and branded social community
pages, each cited by 25% of respondents.
1,941 participants in this year's survey represent businesses across diverse industries including advertising and interactive agencies,
media and publishing computer hardware, software and services and retail, headquartered primarily in North America, Western Europe and Japan.
73% of the businesses surveyed say they plan to
invest in site redesigns or would otherwise make significant enhancements to improve their site's ROI. 82% say they plan to deploy those enhancements within the year, up 8% from a year ago.
Analytics tools for measuring and optimizing website experiences represent the most deployed tactic globally, used by 55% of the respondents. Social media and rich media tactics also rank among the
most adopted. At least a quarter of all respondents have applied some executions in analytics, social media and rich media.
Mobile cracks the top planned deployments for the first time since
the survey first began measuring its executions in 2009. iPhone apps are the most planned deployment, cited by 27% of the respondents. It shares the top spot with interactive catalogs, which leads
planned deployments for the second year in a row.
Most Deployed And Planned
Executions Globally (% of Respondents) |
Top deployed executions | Top planned executions |
Website analytics: | 55% | Interactive catalogs & brochures | 27% |
Branded social community
pages (e.g.,Facebook, Twitter) | 40% | App-iPhone | 27% |
Blogs or micro-blogs | 34% | Advertising on social networking sites | 25% |
Dynamic displays (banner, carousel, tabbed, grid views) | 27% | App-iPad: | 25% |
Campaign analytics: | 26% | Branded social community pages: | 25% |
Animation: | 26% | Blogs or micro blogs | 24% |
Source: Adobe Systems, May 2011 |
Rich media and merchandising tactics
maintain their top effectiveness rankings by the highest number of people rating them "very effective."The features rated "very effective" by the most respondents
belong to the rich media category, with multimedia product viewing (integrating images, video, Flash, audio, spin, etc.) taking the top spot, followed by videos and mobile product information.
The features that drew the most "very effective" ratings (actual or expected) by respondents who have deployed or plan to deploy them are:
- Multi-media product viewing
(integrated images, video, Flash, audio, spin, etc.): 39%
- Videos for merchandising, advertising and demonstration: 36%
- Product information on mobile devices: 36%
- Product tours
(combinations guided spin, zoom imagery, videos or animations with copy): 34%
- Check inventory status, in-store or Web, on mobile devices: 34%
- Visual filtering & advanced search on
product features: 34%
- Interactive catalogs & brochures: 34%
Personalization features continue to be among the least deployed tactics, yet collect some of the
highest "very effective" ratings from people who have deployed them or are planning to deploy them. The personalization tactic with the highest planned rate is geo-targeted site content at
21%, with 30% of respondents rating it "very effective."
In the digital advertising category, serving impressions in social networking sites ranked first as the top planned execution
at 25%, while in the analytics category, tools for measuring social ROI is the top planned at 21%.
The top investment priorities focused on mobile applications and branded social community
presence:
- Android phone apps (23%)
- Apps for iPads and iPhones (21%)
- Branded social community pages (18%)
While the no. 1 planned execution in North
America is advertising on social sites (29%) and EMEA's is iPhone app (34%), the rest of the top planned deployments are more biased towards rich media. Interactive catalogs represent the second
most planned execution in both regions. Among EMEA's top five planned deployments are 3-D visualization and multi-media product viewing; in North America, quick looks and rollover views also made
the top cut.
Top Deployed Executions in North America (Executions With
Deployed Rates Of 20% Or Higher) |
Execution | % of
Respondents |
Website analytics | 51% |
Branded social community pages (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, Twier) | 44 |
Blogs or micro-blogs
| 34 |
Social sharing (post to social networking and bookmarking sites, e.g., Facebook, MySpace,
etc.) | 29 |
Facebook Like | 26 |
Display ads | 26 |
Advertising on social networking sites (e.g.
Facebook, LinkedIn) | 25 |
Multi-media product viewing (integrated images, video, Flash, audio,
spin, etc.) | 25 |
Email Friend | 25 |
Dynamic displays (banner, carousel, tabbed, grid views) | 24 |
Campaign analytics | 24 |
Animation | 23 |
Audio | 23 |
User comments and reviews | 23 |
Image ads | 23 |
Mobile keyword search | 22 |
Search landing pages | 21 |
Content distribution (publish video & assets to social portals, e.g., YouTube, Facebook Wall) | 21 |
Interactive catalogs & brochures | 20 |
Social media analytics | 20 |
Alternative images | 20 |
Source: Adobe Systems, May 2011 |
For
additional information and access to the complete PDF survey file please visit here.