LONDON – Despite the tough economic outlook, Strange foresees growth in digital marketing in 2009. This is because its many solutions and advantages will be highlighted as marketing budgets become more constrained.

The report, Online Marketing Trends in 2009 identifies 16 key trends. It is available free of charge on: www.strangecorp.com/news/view/online-marketing-trends-in-2009.

Some trends are attributed to the economic downturn, while others, such as the need for great creative, remain constant. Advances in technology and developments in web browsing are behind the greatest number of trends.

The economic climate is likely to affect consumer behaviour and the need for advertisers to improve ROI (return on investment). There will therefore be a greater emphasis on qualitative analytics and conversion optimisation, according to Strange’s report.

And as more advertisers look to digital, Strange believes that keyword inflation will most likely continue at a high level, and foresees more negotiating over CPA (cost per action/acquisition) advertising. Key areas for expansion will be mobile advertising, local search/localised services and social media.

Online Marketing Trends in 2009 also points to developments in web browsing, through the use of Internet Explorer 8 and netbooks that will affect advertisers and web designers, respectively. Web design will also be impacted by potential changes to the Google algorithm and the growing importance of UGC (user generated content).

“2009 is going to be an interesting year” said Paul Honey Managing Director of Strange. “But recognising trends is only half the story – our role is to help businesses thrive in a changing environment.”

Strange is a creative digital marketing agency founded in 1999. Please visit www.strangecorp.com for more details.