As we enter the second year of the global pandemic, we continue to live with uncertainty, every month seemingly bringing change and new challenges. For organisations looking to their digital strategy in 2022, it makes it difficult to have a concise outlook for the year and invest in the right digital trends for 2022.
Should you be jumping on the bandwagon for the next ‘hot new thing’ in digital marketing or machine learning? Or is this the time to work on improving existing digital frameworks and investing in working better, to be better?
Danny Bluestone presenting at a Cyber-Duck quarterly business meeting
In our 2020 trend outlook we envisioned big changes: predicting stronger regulations for data privacy and protection, an elevation of personalised digital customer experiences and more focus on brand values and purpose. What we could not predict is how the pace of digital transformation would be vastly accelerated due to a global pandemic...
We have all had to adapt over the last two years, with our personal, social and work lives being turned upside down. Consequently, many organisations were forced to scramble to update – or even create – the necessary digital products and services to adapt to the new, seemingly ever-changing, reality.
Looking beyond fleeting 2022 digital trends and making an impact in the new normal
A ‘return to normal’ is unlikely. We continue to deal with new strains, changes in government regulations and conflicting global legislation. What we must deal with now is the ‘new normal’.
Digital transformation was already forcing legacy organisation worldwide to compete on a new playing field. Digital-first businesses – such as Monzo, Netflix, Spotify and Uber – have been showing what good needed to look like for years. But what we've observed since March 2020, is that those who invested in digitalisation at speed and scale have continued to grow.
The biggest takeaway from the last two years, is that the time to act is now. This does not have to mean investing your entire budget into the Metaverse, quantum computing, artificial intelligence and the hottest 2022 digital trends. It can mean elevating your existing digital frameworks.
2022 is the year to focus on what you can action today.
My team at Cyber-Duck has identified 7 Secrets to Digital Success that you can act on right now in 2022. And we are always here to help, today.
The key digital trends for business in 2022
1. Digital Inclusion is Everything
Throughout lockdowns, we have seen digital usage explode. However, many still forget the digital divide due to skills, ability and resources. As online and digital becomes the gateway to many services, organisations need to find better solutions to a range of customer barriers.
2. Delivering Connection in a Hybrid Reality
Our expectation of office life is changing. The new workforce is showing a greater demand for flexibility and working from home. Businesses need to strategically look at balancing remote working with what still needs in-person interaction.
3. Privacy by Design
2021 saw the biggest GDPR fine so far. The likes of Google, British Airways and WhatsApp all paying out a substantial fee. And more data privacy laws are coming into action. As such, organisations will need to upskill digital teams and invest in a robust privacy by design strategy.
4. Sustainable by (Web) Design
We all play a role in addressing the climate crisis. We will need to change the way we work and live. Putting sustainability at the heart of digital means committing to reduce your digital carbon emissions. Properly addressing how your website is built (for example, optimising code and enabling a faster user experience).
5. Agnostic, Open-Source, Agile
The complexities of what organisation want to achieve with their digital platforms is growing exponentially. As web and technology experts, we need to be open and adaptive to a variety of tools and platforms. There are no static, one-size-fits all tech solutions in 2022. The best solution is identifying your specific digital needs and finding the right technology and software to support you.
6. Personalisation in Practice
Digital leaders have been speaking about personalisation for decades. Yet, despite the demand for more personalised digital customer experiences, many organisations are still not even attempting to provide this. These organisations may struggle if they do not start in 2022, as the cookieless future and stricter data protection laws adds complexity to putting personalisation into practice.
7. Happiness is Heuristics
Investing in UX is critical to staying ahead of your competitors. Major digital players, such as Amazon, Netflix and Google, have invested heavily in their UX strategy. Because they recognise a quality user experience is key to generating a higher ROI.
With a heuristic analysis (provided by Heurix) you can identify and fix potential usability issues before usability testing.
Download the 2022 Digital Secrets report now
Download our 7 Secrets to Digital Success in 2022 white paper for an insider’s view on what should be actioned in response to the 2022 digital trends and paradigm shifts that are truly changing our world.
Contact us today and benefit from digital transformation that delivers tangible results. We're also offering a free UX audit to see if your website is up to speed when it comes to usability.
