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Another year has passed, good bye 2007 -- hello 2008! We hope everyone had a wonderful new year. The celebrations are now over and it's now time to get inspired again.
These are truly exciting times to be running a business. Many experts are predicting some big changes that will have the ability to change the face of business forever. Will you be taking advantage of these trends before your competitors do?
Changes to Google, for better or worse?
Many businesses rely on the sheer volume of targeted traffic that Google provides. When changes are made it is often felt all around the world. We have already seen plenty of changes over at Google in past few weeks, giving us insight into the future trends of Google in 2008:
- No more paid links - Google announced that paid links are now against their terms of service. Meaning anyone paying other websites to link to theirs will soon find their rank on Google slowly disappear.
Never pay for links. I personally believe it is bad practice and unethical. Instead, take advantage of the recent announcement by creating a reason for people to link to you (with great content and excellent service).
- Google experiments with user-created content - Google recently announced Knol , an ambitious initiative to blend search results with user-created content. The full effect on businesses will not be felt until the system goes live later in the year. This is definitely something to keep an eye on.
- Universal search - You may have noticed it already - When using Google there are now related maps, news and other information blended with the search results. Be sure to add your site to the mapping system to make sure you get a place within the search results, visit Google Local and follow the prompts.
- A stricter Google? - It would seem that Google is getting serious about providing the best quality search results. When marketing your site be sure to do so ethically, don't spam or pay for links. If you employ an SEO firm be certain that they don't use any of these techniques on your site.
Social Media is the place to be in 2008
Social media isn't new, but it is really starting to gain momentum. It has been predicted that Social Media will be one of the leading sources of website traffic in 2008. And it's not hard to see why, they are massive networks of friends who share links and recommend websites to visit (the pinnacle of "word-of-mouth" advertising).
- Digg - A link that is published on the front page of Digg can attract well over 70.000 visitors within a few hours. After which the traffic will decrease. Click here to visit »
- StumbleUpon - While not delivering the same number of visitors as Digg, a popular website submitted to StumbleUpon can drive a few thousand visitors a day. The community is much friendlier and willing to help any new-comers. It is also worth noting that visitors from StumbleUpon spend more time on a site and contribute more to online discussions. Click here to visit »
The above sites are well established in social media industry, meaning it can be difficult for new-comers to make an impression. I personally recommend trying out the following alternatives. They won't deliver the large numbers seen above, but they will help you get started in social media.
- Mixx is similar to Digg (mentioned above) and is relatively new to the game. The site recently partnered with USAToday, Reuters, TWC and other widely known news sources. Click here to visit »
- Streamy is still in private testing at the moment, but when launched it promises to bring a whole new experience to social media. I recommend signing up to their newsletter to be one of the first to try it out when they open the doors. Click here to visit »
Blogs a-hoy!
You are reading one right now. The Adamant Solutions blog attracts much more traffic than any other section of our website. The blog alone accounts for 99% of our traffic (without any exaggeration). So why aren't more businesses taking advantage of this phenomenon already?
In 2008 business and corporate blogs will finally make their mark online. We can start to see it hitting the mainstream now: with Coca-Cola, Dell, Cisco, General Motors, Microsoft and Nokia joining the newly created Blog Council. These are huge names, "old fashioned" companies that don't want to be left behind.
Take action, before it's too late!
Don't let your business get left behind, take advantage of the above suggestions before your competitors do - trust me, they will soon catch on sooner or later.
Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to post a comment with your thoughts on the trends in 2008.
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| Jonah commented on January 3, 2008
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Great article Adam! Other trends to look out for include mobile portability and blog rolls.
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| Gary R. Hess commented on January 3, 2008
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Yep, agreed. Social Media is definitely the way to in 2008. For new blogs and websites, social media has opened up a door to webmasters that hasn't been open since 2003... quick traffic.
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| reputation management commented on January 3, 2008
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Thanks for the summary of the future hot points but you can't stop good old seo for smo
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| Adam Lyttle commented on January 3, 2008
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It looks like you are doing your best to do a bit of SEO and SMO on my blog! Thanks for the input though "Reputation Management". Jonah, I don't know if I completely agree with you. The mobile space has been volatile for a while, maybe 2008 will be the year (maybe not).
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| Petey commented on January 3, 2008
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Adam I believe Twitter is gaining momentum. Maybe it's a trend to look out for in 2008?
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| Adam Lyttle commented on January 3, 2008
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You have a good point Petey, I have noticed more and more businesses taking advantage of the sheer volume of people using Twitter.
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| Tanny commented on January 4, 2008
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Adam this post is great, thanks for sending me the link, I think you got it, social media is the place to be on 2008
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| ronan commented on January 20, 2008
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hey, thanks for the info and links, my site could do with a few more hits and regs.
thanks for the tips :)
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