1. Biotech On The Rise
2014 will bear witness to a spike in biotech devices and applications that will help us better understand what’s going on within our bodies. Just look to the emergence of smartpills, personal DNA ancestry, smart food tracking , sleep cycle monitoring and the rise of smart watches for evidence.
2. Connected Technology
Smartphones are fast becoming our day-to-day remote controls. From smarter homes and connected cars to wearable tech devices, 2014 will see the adoption of many more connected technologies. The list of products like Pebble Steel , Nest, Belkin WeMo , Kevo and Viper will only grow longer this year.
3. Mobile Traffic To Eclipse Desktop
In 2014, mobile traffic in the US will finally overtake desktop browsing. As you may already know, ecommerce is leading the way in this mobile trend. As a result, we’ll see significant rise in mobile wallet applications including Google Wallet, Apple Passbook, LifeLock Wallet as well as the continued adoption and widespread use of Near-Field Communication and Bluetooth 4.0 applications. Recent credit card leaks will continue to stoke security fears, which will slow full consumer adoption.
4. “Mobile First” Finally Takes Hold
As a result of increased mobile traffic, we’ll see organizations finally embracing a “mobile-first” attitude. Likewise in 2014, just about everyone will adopt responsive web design as the new standard. Making mobile-friendly sites optimized for KPI’s is especially important for your mobile ad spend. Check out this site for proof (which went from an 86% to 1.5% bounce rate). If that doesn’t shake your boots, you’re probably still using a pager.
5. Contemplative Computing
This term has been floating around the blogosphere for years. 2014 is the year we’ll see it come to life in the form of applications and ideas that – instead of distracting us – focus our attention on the things we care about most. Look to products like Concentrate , Self Control , OmmWriter and Dejal for a peek at how our operating systems will shift in the coming years to favor productivity over multitasking.
6. Beacons Galore
During 2014 we will see a significant rise in applications that rely on beacons (low-cost transmitters that operate via Bluetooth technology). Look for innovations in retail, healthcare and home appliances. Keep an eye on Apple’s iBeacon, Estimote, Gimbal beacon, Swirl networks and PayPal’s beacon.
7. Disappearing Screens
2013 was the year innovators tried to get Google Glass, voice control, gesture-based gaming and virtual reality off the ground. 2014 is the year when many of these ideas will gain adoption. Innovations to watch include Oculus Rift, Leap Motion, Meta Glasses, as well as some of these wearables.
8. Local Services Delivered Via Apps
Smartphone apps and local services have been converging faster than ever. 2014 will see an incredible growth in food ordering, car rental, taxi services as well as home services ordered via smartphone application. Keep an eye on Uber, Seamless, Lyft, Airbnb, Hotel Tonight and TaskRabbit. Overall, we’ll see more and more local services handled digitally.
9. Context & Local Targeting Converge
2014 will be the year local targeting functionality reaches the masses. And players besides Foursquare will find success. By honing in on our exact location and habits, applications will offer us deals, reminders, contextual data and services to further simplify (or complicate) our lives. Look to mobile apps like Google Now, Vayable, Tindr, Banjo, Circle and, of course, Twitter and Facebook to push the envelope in this space.
10. Paid Search Takeover
In 2013, huge changes happened in the search world. Facebook and Google made significant algorithm updates – both favoring paid ads over organic content. In 2014, this trend will continue. Expect intense paid advertising competition in social media. Same goes for Google, Yahoo and Bing. As companies scramble to fill the void left by their collective organic nosedive, things will get more competitive in the paid space. We can also expect increased ads seen across Google+, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
11. Continued Video Growth
The online explosion of video shows no sign of slowing. In 2013, marketers tried to get shoppable video off the ground, advertisers flooded YouTube with pre-roll, Vine burst onto the scene and social media followed suit with a slew of video-friendly features. You can expect more of the same this year. Expect also to see a significant rise in microvideo platforms and content proliferating throughout the year.
12. Hashtag Fatigue
The hashtag is an effective way to queue in on and start conversations with people across the world. In the last two years, consumer sentiment is leaning toward hashtag fatigue, while brands on the other hand are lining up in droves, begging to join and start conversations. Sit back and watch as some brands nail the hashtag game and others miss the boat entirely. We predict most companies will find themselves backing out of the hashtag game entirely by the end of 2014.
13. Expiration Dates On Social Content
Facebook has lost ground among teens in the last year due to its poor handling of privacy issues. And kids certainly don’t want to be on the same social network as their grandparents. In addition, 2013 was the year of Wiki Leaks, an NSA conspiracy and growing skepticism among consumers toward tech giants. As a result, you can expect to see an increase in products catering to user privacy in 2014. Check out SnapChat, Glide, and BackPeddle for a peek at the coming onslaught of expiring social content services.
14. The Year of Subscription Everything
Customers won’t pay for one movie when they can get a month’s worth of movie viewing for the same price. The trend that has already taken hold with Netflix and Spotify is soon to wash over a variety of industries. This same model is already drastically changing consumer purchase habits in books, education and audiobooks. You can even get high-end monthly meat delivery via Carnivore Club AND monthly man goods via Bespoke Post. More subscription services will certainly follow suit.