Zone’s Mark Sylvester handpicks and shares the five best news stories on digital trends, experiences and technologies…
1. Ease and privacy the key to e-commerce
While online shopping provides plenty of opportunities for brands, it also has a high bar for consumer satisfaction. The E-commerce Relevance report by AI (Artificial Intelligence) platform Coveo reveals that most consumers expect a better experience online than in real life, whilst an almost equal number say they encounter irritating problems that prompt an early checkout.
In the battle for customer trust and loyalty, making the web experience rewarding is key. There is a cocktail of factors that count for consumers, and we’ve given you a big spoiler above.
2. Will marketing be boosted by bots
In the previous chapter of the Friday Five’s unofficial Bot Watch, it appears that marketing is the latest landscape on the brink of an AI invasion. Despite many admitting to a lack of AI understanding, a majority of marketers plan to slip some generative AI into their strategy in the coming year, a survey by software form Sitecore has revealed.
So, is AI filling the skill gap and taking on some of the heavy lifting in marketing campaigns? Government guidance expected later this year could give us a clue.
3. Stop putting productivity first
Urgent Urgent deadlines, packed schedules and the power of productivity may seem the norm in the modern business world. But according to global leadership coach Donna McGeorge, they’re symptoms of the ‘busyness trap’.
McGeorge believes we’re being hoodwinked by the apparent need to always be producing and that quantity often comes at the cost of quality. She identifies ‘capacity’ as the key metric in managing our workloads. And luckily, she also has some techniques to help us create more time, better work, fewer errors, and less irritability.
4. A glitch in the switch to green power
Renewable energy might be the future, but plugging into a cleaner tomorrow isn’t as simple as flicking a switch. Research by the BBC discovered more than 1,000 solar and wind power sites are waiting up to 15 years to connect to the National Grid.
The problem centres on an ageing system not designed to cope with vast amounts of new suppliers. A solution is needed soon if the UK is to reach its climate change targets. And it’s a reminder to us all that existing infrastructure can be an obstacle to putting green projects into practice.
5. Time to bridge the gender tech gap
We’re so familiar with gender inequality in the tech industries that it’s easy to forget what a divisive role it plays. A recent survey revealed that few students could name a famous female techie, and just 15% of start-ups are run by women.
Education, expectations, and an industry forged in the furnace of masculinity are some of the main causes. Luckily, from collaborating with colleges to new hybrid working and proactive hiring and promotion practices, many are attempting to build a more inclusive environment where talent is the key component for success.
