Web Predictions for 2011

It’s the last work day of 2010 and those of us who didn’t take time off between the holidays are winding down our year in the office.

We got to talking (okay, I introduced the topic and then pushed, er, encouraged the conversation) about what we think the web and interactive are going to be doing in 2011. Here are some of our random predictions:

Social Media

• A significant number of companies will move towards a social media presence in order to do business, and not just use it for awareness or “listening.”
• Advances in social media platforms will create new consumer behaviors, social shopping on Facebook will become an expected facet of major online retailers, mobile / social shopping will continue to gain adoption.
• Companies will take social marketing seriously, and will dedicate resources to building their brand and earning new customers in the social landscape, re-allocating significant spend from formerly traditional means like print, adwords, and email marketing.
• Social media delivery companies will devise a way to prove ROI for such spend, killing the last reason why skeptics refuse to adopt a serious social media campaigns.
• Marketers will reach a wider audience using targeting to indirect communities like Facebook and Twitter than they did in prior years with direct marketing campaigns like email newsletters.

Web Development

• jQuery Mobile Alpha 2 was released late this year. The first stable version should be out by Q2.  Developers have been waiting for a mobile framework/library to emerge as the front runner. It will be jQuery Mobile and it will cause a major push in cross device compatible mobile websites due to the robust interfaces and platform that jQuery Mobile will provide.
• Cloud computing will continue to grow as more and more companies realize the benefits of web collaboration and sharing.  The immense growth of mobile web devices will further the need and use of cloud computing, while the idea of “private cloud” will remain stagnant until more secure solutions are realized.

Mobile Apps

• The web as we know it will die; the executioner will be Apple.  Apple will break exclusivity with AT&T allowing Verizon to enter the mobile smartphone market, creating a compelling reason for current Verizon-contracted Blackberry users to switch to the Apple platform.   This should mark a drastic decline in Research in Motion’s US footprint, but should tremendously strengthen Apple’s grip on the mobile market.
• Cell tower providers like Crown Castle and American Tower will work hard to keep up with the demand for huge amounts of mobile data transfer.  The end result will be consumers’ expectation that their day to day experiences with online banking, shopping, research, messaging, email,  etc.  will be seamless across smartphones, computers, tablets, and televisions.
• The future is in mobile applications. A new mobile framework, SDK or IDE, will emerge in 2011. Most companies will invest in Mobile web development.

Video

• In video renting, Netflix leads the pack and is trying to move the majority of its business online rather than through the mail. Amazon Video and Apple TV are already doing this very well. It should be a very interesting year as they fight it out – and good for the consumer.

Politics and the Web

• The government will try to take steps in limiting open content on the web, as it pertains to the wikileaks incident.
• Privacy issues (on social media engines such as Facebook, etc.) will significantly change how those social networks are used.
• There will be higher standards introduced for Web and mobile security, particularly for user privacy controls.
• The political fight over web neutrality will continue into the new year – and the concerns of big business will prevail, at least at first.

Then there’s one imedia developer’s final word on social media, which I think makes a fitting end to this post on web predictions: “Social – contrary to my wildest dreams, it just won’t die.”

And on that note, we wish you all a Happy New Year and we’ll see you on the flip side of 2011.