10 Internet Trends You Need to Know About

Technology is moving faster than light speed, it seems. Every time you look up, there’s some amazing new gadget or app that makes your life better.

Each year, Mary Meeker, a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, publishes a dense deck of Internet trends. Techies and digital marketers jump on it. But what about the average business owner? Do you really care what these trends are?

You should, because they’re going to affect you (in fact, probably already do). Take a look at some of them.

Trend 1: Mobile Is Skyrocketing

Sure, you’re tired of hearing about how mobile search is quickly overcoming desktop search. But while smartphone growth is slowing in developed nations, tablet use is still powering ahead, with 52 percent early stage rapid unit growth. All that aside, the really big story here is the data that all those mobile devices are processing. Mobile data traffic is up 81 percent and growing, thanks primarily to video use on mobile.

Trend 2: Desktops Are So 2010

Quite frankly, desktops appear to be headed toward the same fate as typewriters. People are buying laptops and tablets instead. And they’re accessing visual tools like Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr from other devices.

Trend 3: The Internet Trifecta

Heard of the 4 Ps? Now it’s all about the 3 Cs, at least according to Meeker:

•   Content
•   Community
•   Commerce

The three play together nicely in marketing to digital-savvy consumers.

Trend 4: Data Sharing Is About to Explode

Videos. Social updates. Photos. Blog posts. All this content is data, and it’s growing 50 percent year over year. A full percentage of that data is created not by brands, but by consumers.

Trend 5: Mobile Advertising is Gaining on Desktop

We haven’t quite abandoned traditional Internet advertising, but it’s slowing compared to mobile advertising. However…

Trend 6: Advertisers Haven’t Quite Figured Out How to Beat Mobile App Revenue

Revenue from direct sales of apps and in-app purchases. Mobile advertisers haven’t found the formula yet to get people to click on ads within apps. But they will.

Trend 7: The Invisible App Is Coming

Meeker points out that we’ve moved from multi-purpose websites and apps to single-purpose apps that do just one thing really well. Now she predicts (as does Matthew Panzarina of TechCrunch) that we’re moving toward invisible apps that don’t bother you unless they have information for you. An example is when your bank app pings you when your account is low.

Trend 8: Content Needs Are Getting Specific

It was only a matter of time before the muck of content online started irritating people and they started demanding specific types of content. Meeker looks at several examples of the following, all with astounding numbers of reads:

• Lists
• Explainers
• Quizzes
• Breaking news
• Video

Trend 9: We’re Using Online Interaction to Connect with People IRL

Not long ago, people became concerned with how social networks and online communities took the personal interaction away from life. But now with apps like Tinder, people are connecting in person with people who share common interests.

Trend 9: Sensors Are Hot

First, we got excited about voice recognition on our phones. Now we’re all about sensors that take our heart rates, fingerprint us to unlock our phones, and provide ambient light. Sensors are expanding markets in Gaming, Cameras, Wearables, and other industries.

Trend 10: Big Data Is Being Leveraged to Solve Problems

We’re tired of hearing how Big Data is looming ahead, so it was nice to hear how it’s being used for the greater good to

• Improve voice recognition search for Google
• Reduce heating and cooling costs (Nest)
• Analyze data to find efficiencies

I, for one, am loving where we are with these trends, and can’t wait to see them all hit the mainstream.

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Brenda Stoltz is the CEO and founder of Ariad Partners and has over 20 years of experience in helping companies of all size, from Fortune 100 to startup, increase sales and accelerate value. Through Ariad Partners, Brenda provides creative, practical, sales-driven integrated inbound marketing and strategic planning services to software, technology, manufacturing, professional services firms, and other industries. As an educator, Brenda shares her business knowledge locally teaching classes in Marketing, Social Media, and Leadership and Business classes at Northern Virginia Community College. Read her content about inbound marketing on her blog.