If You Haven’t Done These Things Yet, Do Them in 2014

There is something to be said for waiting a trend out to see if it sticks before jumping on the bandwagon.

If you rush into everything, you could do something stupid. Like redesigning your brochures, business cards, or flyers to incorporate a QR Code to express how innovative you are… without redesigning your website to be responsive.

If you fail to see the irony in that example, ask somebody else to explain it. The point I’m making is that sometimes it’s okay to not be the first person diving into unfamiliar waters. Patience is a virtue that prevents foolish mistakes.

With that being said, waiting too longis another problem with similar results. Instead of bring the jerk who didn’t bother to understand something new before jumping on board, you become the slacker who is not even trying to keep up with the ever-changing times.

Not everything on this list covers innovative new technology. In fact, some of these suggestions are just there to motivate you to make a decision because…

Social media is either hurting you, or it’s helping you.

It’s tricky to measure ROI on social media because it’s about brand engagement. Not marketing. Definitely not selling. It’s about engagement, and it can also be about customer support but it’s mostly about maintaining a strong relationship with people.

It also doesn’t have to be as hard as you might have been making it out to be. Maybe you don’t need to manage a Twitter, Facebook, G+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. Maybe all you need is that one Facebook page.

In 2014: make the decision to simplify. If you’ve been juggling too many social media accounts and you still don’t know why… it’s because you’re putting your eggs into too many baskets. Or maybe you’ve been trying too hard to reach the wrong goal. Take a look at 2013 analytics and choose to make 2014 a much better year because you can rest assured knowing that social media will continue to become the most visited part of the internet. Even more than…

Search Engines. They are still your friend.

Sure it can be hard to keep up with the ever-changing rules, but search engines are still the most powerful way to gain new traffic.

But not if visitors are losing interest. So stop putting SEO before:

• Lowering your bounce rate
• Capturing—and keeping—attention
• Building and expressing an unforgettable brand.
• Conversions.
• Maintaining lasting relationships, starting with superior customer service.

Google has made it clear that getting on the front page of Google is a fools plan. Instead, you should dedicate 2014 to establishing the kind of website that will stay on the front page of targeted search results.

Mobilize.

No you don’t have to use QR Codes but you do have to recognize that mobile phones and tablets are replacing desktop and laptop computers. If your website isn’t responsive (mobile & tablet friendly) then 2014 is definitely the year to budget for redevelopment.