Mobile Personalization: Top Trends For 2020

5G. Mobile SEO. Virtual worlds. Long-awaited mobile experiences like these have arrived.

Mobile Personalization: Top Trends For 2020

5G. Mobile SEO. Virtual worlds. Tailor-made recommendations. Long-awaited mobile experiences like these have arrived. And in 2020, they’re going to take off in a big way.

According to Adobe’s “AI in Personalization” survey, 36% of companies are already personalizing mobile site experiences, and 12% are doing the same for mobile apps. So for organizations that want to stay relevant now and in the future, keeping an eye on the latest mobile trends is crucial.

That’s why we’ve gathered some of the top trends in mobile optimization and personalization—half to act on now and half to plan for. These are just a taste of the trends to watch for.

Many companies already provide personalized experiences on mobile. For brands that do not, here are some trends they can get started on now.

Trend 1: Mobile Sites Take A Front Seat

If companies’ mobile sites are simply a smaller, shorter version of their main websites, they need to flip the switch. According to Adobe Digital Insights (ADI), more consumers visit retail sites on mobile than on desktop. And by the end of 2022, more than half of retailers’ revenue will come from mobile. So instead of playing second fiddle to desktop, teams should set aside adequate resources—and personalization efforts—to mobile.

Trend 2: Mobile SEO Heats Up

Last year Google made the shift to mobile-first indexing for new sites. That means instead of looking at desktop sites, Google now crawls those sites based on how they render on mobile, which puts mobile SEO front and center. In particular, brands should keep their eye on local SEO, as Google has found that mobile searches for “where to buy” + “near me” have grown more than 200% over the past two years.

Trend 3: Personalized Recommendations Make Strides

According to Accenture, 63% of consumers want brands to provide them with personalized recommendations. But these days, recommending products based only on the last item viewed isn’t good enough to keep buyers engaged. Because consumers expect companies to know how they shop and what their interests are, they expect recommendations to be based on the same.

Emerging technologies like 5G are set to transform mobile experiences in the near future. Here are a few of the most important trends to plan for now.

Trend 1: 5G Goes Mainstream

This is the year 5G will really take off, as most major mobile carriers have already introduced 5G networks in major cities across the country, and more smartphone manufacturers offer 5G-enabled models. Research by Strategy Analytics shows that 5G smartphones will make up half of all smartphone purchases within the next five years. Brands should ensure they’re ahead of the curve by designing personalized experiences for 5G.

Trend 2: Virtual Worlds Become A Reality

As consumers take their social interactions to the next level, they’ll expect companies to provide experiences that are out of this world. With the launch of Facebook Horizon in 2020, personalized virtual reality (VR) experiences will be in demand. And personalized advertising in those worlds will take off, too.

Trend 3: Public Screens Get Personal

From vending machines to refrigerated cases, the opportunity to provide consumers with personalized experiences is exploding. This could include targeted advertising on cooler doors that change based on consumer interests, or push notifications for preferred snacks as hungry consumers approach vending machines.

Personalize Like It’s 2020

Mobile is the space to watch in the upcoming year—and personalization is the way to get ahead. By understanding consumer wants and needs, and delivering experiences on the devices people use most, brands will be ready for any trend that comes along.

Drew Burns, group product marketing manager at Adobe, offers a final piece of advice: “The more that it can feel familiar and the more it can feel like part of the full experience, the better those experiences will be.”

Download the full article, ”20 Can’t-Miss Mobile Personalization Trends.”