Is This REALLY Going To Happen In 2005?

Permenant Link To: Is This REALLY Going To Happen In 2005?


Ask me January 1st, 2006.

Until then, it's fun to speculate.

Here's my simple list of things I suspect will occur in 2005 (please do not take any of these predictions as fact. I'm pretty good, but I ain't perfect):

  • RSS use will continue to skyrocket as all major browsers will begin incorporating RSS readers. As a result, the general public will begin adopting RSS at a staggering rate.
  • Using RSS as a mainstream marketing tool will take off like wildfire, as marketers are introduced to it, have their own personal ah-ha moments, then jump in with both feet!
  • SPAM will continue to be a major pain in the butt! Actually, I predict that to be the case until at least 2010.
  • Microsoft will update Internet Explorer (despite their comments to the contrary - Firefox is becoming too much of a growing threat).
  • Using audio and video in marketing will explode. Tools like audioblog.com, audiogenerator.com, instantvideogenerator.com, and sonicmemo.com create a no-excuse situation for doing so. If you don't offer audio/video content of some sort, you'll be left out in the cold.
  • Practically everyone will experience and learn what a blog is (and not a year too soon, either)!
  • Innovative and profitable new uses for RSS and blogs will surface (watch this space for a few of them).
  • Google will begin offering RSS feeds for Web, image, and news searches (finally)! 
  • Google will offer audio and video searching.
  • I will finally release Search Automator.
  • Buzz marketing (Interview with God, Hot or Not, JibJab) will be behind the great successes of the year.
  • Social bookmarking (Furl.net, del.icio.us, spurl.com) will become a major trend.
  • Discovering peoples' challenges/problems/interests will become easier, allowing inventive minds to more easily create products for those groups.
  • Blogger.com will get major update
  • Webinars (virtual seminars held online) will become a hit!
  • Businesses with a local market will begin paying more attention to their online marketing strategies, now that local search is a reality.
  • Becoming an Internet marketing consultant will become a big business.
  • Creating Web content for broadband users will become of higher importance than catering to dial-up users. It's time to drop 'modem' from our vocabulary.
  • Bill Gates will get richer
  • A new search engine will appear that will take the online community by storm.
  • A majority of RSS feeds will be identified with an 'RSS' button rather than an 'XML' button (seems appropriate, doesn't it?)
  • Online retailers will have a record year, and I plan on doing my part to make it happen :).
  • As a result of the previous bullet point, affiliate marketers will have a windfall year. Ingenious affiliate marketers (who know how to capitalize on technology) will have a windfall decade in a year's space
  • I will finish 5 of the major projects I have planned (excuse my affirmation) :)
  • Yahoo will start their own blogging service
  • Squarespace rocks!...oops, that's not a prediction, is it?
  • I will lose 20 pounds. No, it has nothing to do with being online, but it is worthwhile prediction, don't you think?
  • A bunch of other good stuff.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please be sure to share them by leaving a comment.

Lab office


Monday, December 27, 2004   |   Comments (2)
2 Comments:
On 12:12 PM, Ellen Finkelstein said:

Derek,
All I can say is, "May it be so." I wanted to specifically say how much I agree with you about RSS vs. XML buttons. I'm writing a book on RSS (Syndicating Web Sites with RSS Feeds For Dummies) and I have a long rant about that in the book. I also mention your BIG RSS button there.

I hope you lose the 20 pounds and will you wish the same for me?
Ellen

 

On 2:38 PM, Derek said:

Hey Ellen,

With a little determination, I think we can get the whole XML/RSS button situation turned around. It doesn't make *any* sense to me either.

Now, as for the 20 pounds, don't hold your breath! :)

 

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