On average, only 5% of the consumers’ time is spent searching; the other 95% is spent on reviewing content as they secure their decision on what to buy, and from whom. It has become obvious that customers don’t always end up purchasing the brand they initially set out to buy. Facts, figures and information placed in front of their faces can sway their decision-making. In addition, the competition is actively seeking their business as well, bombarding them from every direction.

The holiday shopping frenzy has begun, and consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to discover what is in, who they should purchase from or where they should go to find it. Last year, over half of the holiday shoppers polled said that they would be willing to buy from new retailers. They certainly don’t stick with the same vendor just because they have been there in the past. Today’s consumers want to find the best product at a fair price, and this is gold for marketers.

Most brand marketers recognize that we are now living in the future; at least technologically. Now, successful companies are recognizing that they must be there for consumers during the pertinent moments of their purchasing journey. With the new mobile technology, advertisers can now reach out to more consumers than has ever been possible in the past. Thanks to the advancements in programmatic digital marketing, engaging consumers in all walks of life has become much easier; but they must be present in the moment!

Online consumers are used to seeing ads pop up as they browse the internet. This is not a bad thing. In fact, with the programmatic technology in full swing, these ads can be a great assist to consumers as they search for products and services that they have heretofore displayed an interest in. That fact, however, has spurred certain technology companies to introduce software that effectively blocks ads from coming through to them, allowing them to surf the internet practically ad-free.

Nearly 70% of all smartphone users look at their phones within 15 minutes of waking up each morning. Their uses may vary; glancing at the morning’s news stories, catching up with friends or watching videos that entertain them. All said and done, we tend to place our mobile devices right smack-dab in the center of our lives. Brand marketers have been adept at transforming content for mobile devices, and the advertising industry is continually striving to keep up.

Brand marketers will give up a record $5 million for a 30-second ad during the FOX broadcast of this upcoming 2017 Super Bowl. However, things are a bit different this year. Because of the chatter about the game happening online, those wanting to market their goods in conjunction with the big game are also pouring record amounts into their digital advertising platforms. According to Jesse Cahill, head of planning for North America at Essence, “You don’t necessarily need to be in the live broadcast with the rise of the cultural wave for particular events.

According to recent research, less than 30% of small businesses use website analytics. In fact, 18% of them admit that they do no tracking at all. Also, one third of advertisers indicate that they don’t know which digital marketing tactic produces the largest positive impact on their bottom line. As an example, 26% say that it’s email, 17% say it’s SEO, 15% indicate that it’s paid search and 5% speculate that it’s online display advertising.

A High Bounce Rate is Not a Problem … As a Matter of Fact, It’s to Be Expected! Here’s why: People are watching something else, or possibly involved in a project when they see an ad They may be watching the game, or a movie, or even funny YouTube videos that they don’t want to break away from … BUT … they may click on the ad to get the name of the company, with intentions of going back to it when they get a chance Because cookies can be dropped after a set amount of time, by the time the viewer eventually gets to the customer’s site, it may not be credited to the ad, but it will count for organic, direct traffic or even a paid search ad With new and broadening knowledge of conversion optimization and website design, users needn’t navigate deeply into a website to locate info they are seeking.

The future has arrived, and it’s called 360 Degree Immersive Video. Viewers can now submerge themselves into the middle of a scenario rather than watch it from the sidelines. This goes for all kinds of productions, including sports, music, tours, exploration and more. With traditional film and video, the director films what he wants. The editor then determines the right moments and the proper angles that he deems most effective.

There is no denying that mobile digital advertising has become a key component for brand marketers. Recent data indicates that there are more than 200 million smartphone and tablet users in the United States. Mobile now represents 65% of all digital media time, with mobile applications dominating that usage. Since 2013, desktop has lost 12 percentage points and has now receded to 35% of digital time spent. But, while it’s pretty clear that mobile is continually on the rise, marketers would be remiss to place all their eggs in one “digital basket,” and allocate 100% of their advertising budget to mobile.