Two Trends You Need to Know About

Okay, I admit, this blog is meant to give you the "one thing you need to know." Today, though is different. It's 2008, and in this era of multi-tasking, one should get their double-dose for the big event. So here are two things you should know about: Personalization and Localization. Ingrain these words into your mind if you haven't already; something tells me you will hear more about them in the coming years.

• In regards to personalization: People are becoming more and more aware of their online persona, and they're tracking it on more frequently than they once did. According to PEW, more than twice as many people (47%) are googling themselves than did five years ago (when the googling rate stood at 22%). Indeed, "google" is an official verb in Merriam-Webster.


• In regards to localization: A report pins the penetration of the Internet to stand at only 16.7% of the world population, mostly in the developing, English-speaking world. The same report says that the "majority of corporations are ill prepared to expand globally. And until they put a premium on localization, their expansion efforts will be at risk of failure."