Technology is impacting the ways businesses operate across industries. In the case of digital marketing, strategists work tirelessly to keep up to date with the latest tech trends so they can adapt them to fit the unique voice and needs of individual brands. Marketing professionals who fail to recognize the correlation between technological advancements and consumer expectations will be useless in helping to drive business forward. The bottom line is that that technology advancements greatly impact digital marketing.

Rapidly-changing technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), remote collaboration, and data analytics are reshaping the way digital marketers do business and create strategies. In addition to technology, marketers must find ways to meet higher consumer expectations.

New generations of shoppers such as Gen Z are disrupting digital marketing with their values, habits, and relationship with technology. Your target audience (whoever that may be) has an unprecedented amount of information at their fingertips. Your best bet is to give them the buying experience they’ve come to expect is utilizing today’s technology.

After examining some of the ways digital marketing has changed and evolved, you’ll be able to confidently formulate a plan and implement strategies. This will help you harness the power of new technology to drive results for your business. Understanding the scope of how technology impacts digital marketing is the first step.

Impact of technology on digital marketing

From internet-of-things technology and remote collaboration to AI and business data analytics, new technology has and continues to greatly impact business marketing. To start, more devices than ever before are connected to the internet.

In a single day, you could be checking your email on your laptop, scrolling through Instagram on your phone, and binge-watching Netflix on your smart TV. Internet-of-things technology has resulted in a large network of smart devices meaning unprecedented opportunities for new lines of business and increased revenue.

Some digital marketers are adopting a multi-channel, multi-device approach to accurately track consumers through their entire buyer’s journey. They are doing this instead of just looking at the last touchpoint before the purchase occurred. AI and machine learning offer impressive tracking and analytics capabilities. This make it possible to determine which touchpoints are most effective in leading to a conversion.

Rather than throwing money at Instagram influencers or spending valuable resources on Facebook ads, implement a multi-touch attribution model. It makes data-driven decisions about where to invest your marketing budget will ensure you get the highest return on investment (ROI) possible.

Additionally, AI and machine learning can reduce the time you spend on tasks, improve flexibility and responsiveness, and lower costs. Instead of hiring (and paying) someone to help with customer service issues, you could use online chatbots to assist with communication.

Digital maturity for e-commerce sites

With more devices connected to the internet and people spending more time online, it’s no wonder that customers are outgrowing basic web store functionalities. Savvy customers have increasingly heightened expectations for their online shopping experiences. To meet the growing demand, many businesses are making their web stores the focus of their business growth plans.

Recognizing that this is their only option if they want to stay ahead of their competitors, many businesses are investing in e-commerce solutions, new technologies, and innovative approaches. Those who don’t are likely to get left behind in an increasingly digital world.

Digital marketers must rise to the challenge of incorporating Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality into their overall strategies. Along with AI, these technological advancements will be essential in creating an immersive e-commerce experience.

As e-commerce sites reach digital maturity, they will be providing a shopping experience that doesn’t stop at responding to, meeting, and exceeding the requirements of their customers. Thanks to technology, digital marketers will be able to construct an e-commerce site that also predicts their customers’ needs. 

Google Analytics and website traffic

Technology is impacting the way digital marketers organize their budgets. Where traditional marketing efforts meant spending money on newspaper or TV advertisements, digital marketers are utilizing technology such as Google Analytics. They are also investing resources into search engine optimization (SEO). With proper SEO, you can improve the ranking of your website. You’ll be able to target specific keywords and attract website traffic from your target audience.

Around 50% of mobile searches result in a purchase, according to BusinessTown. Emerging AI technology could boost Google conversion values even more. Your business’s website is a valuable tool for generating leads and enhancing growth.

To reap the benefits, you must put in the work to position your website on the first search engine results page. Furthermore, your website must be optimized for mobile so that it is easy-to-navigate for customers shopping on their smartphones.

Google Analytics can help you understand important website traffic metrics. For example, it can help you answer questions such as:

• What types of devices people are using when they visit your site?
• Where in the world the traffic is coming from?
• What pages your users are visiting the most?

Google Analytics helps you comprehensively analyze this data so you can improve your website and maximize your return.

Technology, digital marketing, and the future

Since arguably creating the industry itself, technology has continued to shape and impact digital marketing. In the ever-evolving landscape, marketers must create new strategies. They must adapt the way they do business in order to keep up with advancements in technology. It’s equally important to stay up to date with how technological advancements are influencing consumer expectations.

To some, it might seem like technology complicates the job of a digital marketer. With the industry in constant motion, how is one supposed to formulate a long-lasting, results-producing strategy?

Rather than succumbing to overwhelm, successful digital marketers understand that new technology, when used strategically, will ultimately make their jobs easier. It can greatly aid them in improving the customer experience. Succeeding in digital marketing means accepting that change is constant. It’s important to navigate it with every resource available to you.

With more data and tools at their disposal, in the future, digital marketers will be able to devote more resources to tasks that drive business growth and bring in revenue. Technology can help marketers give customers more of what they want and need while data-driven decision-making lessens the risk. 

This guest blog article was written by Beau Peters, a professional writer with a passion for purpose-driven business content. When he is not writing, he enjoys reading and trying new cooking recipes. Follow him on Twitter @beaupeters7.