2012 was an exciting year for digital universe! Online shopping increased further, while Pinterest and Instagram took over the world of Social Media.

The realization of the phrase “Content is King” came with the launch of Penguin update by Google, a change in its algorithm that detects and penalizes automatically spam SEO techniques, but most importantly, a large upsurge in mobile shifted the way businesses do marketing, as smart phones proliferate, and retailers’ efforts are targeted to tech-savvy consumers who want a unique shopping experience.

A combination of technology innovations and trends will cause 2013 to be a pivotal year for the digital landscape. Here are 4 trends we need to watch in 2013:

1. The Mobile Challenge: Bridging the gap. According to Adobe Marketing Cloud Data, by the end of 2013, one in three paid clicks would come from a tablet or smartphone. However, businesses are not able to monetize this sharp growth so far, as customers have different objectives and therefore mobile will struggle to reach its potential.

2. Cross-channel and cross-device measurement will be vital. As the world increasingly uses many different devices across various channels, the continuous evolution of cross-channel measurement platforms and tools for more accurate and real-time reporting and analysis is undoubtedly expected.

3. Understanding the data. Although available consumer data has been rapidly increasing thanks to advanced technology systems, it’s becoming more challenging to make this data digestible and use it strategically. In 2013, companies will focus on deriving insight value by data to better serve their customers’ escalated expectations.

4. Content Marketing growth. As Google’s algorithm has become efficient enough in cracking down on unsavoury SEO techniques, organizations should focus on the creation of high quality, original and updated content in a daily basis, integrated across their SEO strategy, so that they can stand out in search results. But most importantly, setting up goals is the one way road to success.