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.
