Out With The Old, In With The New

At the beginning of every year, people around the world resolve to shed their bad habits and make space for better ones to take root. Yet, by February, approximately 80 percent revert to old behaviors. This year, I am determined to be part of the rarified 20 percent who make good on their resolutions, writes Simon Kahn, CMO, Google APAC.

- Simon Kahn

FOR ME, MAKING good on my resolutions means eating better, spending more time with the family (and travelling less!), and finding new ways to engage and delight customers. If you are like me, you will need all the help you can get. While I might not be able to change your diet, replacing this short list of old marketing habits in 2019 will help you make progress on your professional resolutions:

Out: Mobile on the margin / In: Mobile front and centre

At the end of last year, APAC led the world in mobile internet traffic with over 60 percent of web page views occurring on mobile devices. In Southeast Asia, this percentage balloons to a staggering 90 percent. More affordable devices and reliable data coverage have transformed the smartphone into the primary gateway to the Internet. The ubiquity of mobile means that marketers need to invest in superior mobile experiences now. Studies have shown that poor experiences can have anxiety-inducing effects and brands that do not optimize for mobile will get left behind. Brands can diagnose their mobile experiences by assessing these five principles:

1. Findability: How quickly and effectively can people find information on your site?

2. Product pages: How clearly are you presenting your products? How prominent is your call-to action?

3. Registration & conversion: Is the conversion process simple and safe to complete?

4. Mobile design: Are site pages designed for mobile users in mind?

5. Speed: Are site load times disrupting the overall experience?