Trends to help your business grow in 2012

The key themes and changes driving the business agenda this year

Free guides

Editor's Choice

We’re just two months into the New Year, and already we’re seeing trends emerge that could define business growth strategies for 2012.

Last year, the monetisation of web content was one of the biggest trends for growing businesses. In tough economic times, business of all sizes needed to find more innovative ways of making money out of their products, content and services.

So while smaller businesses were able to take advantage of more democratised e-commerce and social commerce functions, media outlets were also looking to a return on investment: in July, the Times reached 100,000 subscribers to its behind-paywall news site.

This shift will have a lasting impact in 2012. Social commerce, in particular, will lead to newer ways to make money. A recent study has shown that 26 million people now visit social networks per day using a mobile device. Mobile commerce (or m-commerce, for short) is therefore the next step in this chain, and a trend we at Moonfruit.com are particularly excited about when it comes to growing businesses. It’s all about letting customers buy where they want to, on platforms and devices they use every day.

But what else will help growing businesses in 2012?

Content, curation and search

In January, Google launched its “social search” function: Search, Plus Your World. Its aim, as well as enhancing the profile of its social network Google+, is to deliver more personalized results for users – based on their friends and their social activity. So essentially, when you enter a search term, you can ask Google to prioritise personal results, with relevant content appearing from within your social network. It’s part of a wider trend towards personalisation and content curation that is likely to characterise 2012.

This trend is relevant for businesses because it shows the biggest player on the web taking notice of people’s online habits. Social networks will not only be important because of how many people use them, but also what they’re saying – and, crucially, what they’re buying. Google’s social search could be very important in the evolution of social commerce because it prioritises people’s contacts and what they’re saying online about search topics – including what they buy.

“Curation” is another trend we expect to come to the fore for businesses in 2012. Curation means gathering content together: web users and brands are accustomed to consuming all sorts of media types, and curation is the action of choosing what to exhibit – much like a curator at a museum or an editor at a newspaper. Sites like Pinterest encourage users to curate content in a scrapbook-style social network, much like a curator in a museum. We expect businesses to pay more attention to curation this year, especially now brands can become publishers in their own right.

Paying it forward

This year, I am supporting the government-backed Start Up Britain initiative and its recent ‘Business In You’ campaign – which aims to show there’s a business idea in everyone. As well as reaching out to potential entrepreneurs, the campaign brings together business people from across the spectrum: from large corporations such as PayPal to small businesses like ours, and from entrepreneurs and mentors to government figures.

Start Up Britain is a sign of the times. A challenging economic climate has brought about collaboration between all types of businesses, united in their need to achieve business growth, economic improvement and the creation of new jobs. So while start-ups and SMEs still need the support of big corporations, larger companies can call on the agility and speed of smaller businesses. Every business needs the support of its government, which in turn relies on its businesses to boost the economy.

It’s a symbiotic relationship that requires goodwill and cooperation: a pay-it-forward model. At Moonfruit.com, we have already seen the benefits of working in this supportive ecosystem: a recent launch attracted participation from Start Up Britain (a government-backed initiative), PayPal (a large, global corporation), 150 SMEs and several customers. We expect more and more businesspeople to set cynicism aside this year and become supportive of others: a better 2012 for all concerned.