Everything has been changing from time to time and the same is applicable to consumers markets and marketing activities. As is always mentioned change is inevitable hence success comes to business only when it modifies or redefines its strategies according to the current market trends.

It’s high time every organization starts considering the current situation of the market where the entire marketplace has taken a shift and migrated into the electronic market space. The significance of this change has never been discussed as this change has happened so rapidly that it’s taken the marketing world by storm. Fixed and mobile access to the Internet is continuing to grow rapidly and seamlessly across borders and into an online world which is already inhabited by over a billion customers. Given the scale of operation and the reach and the enormous benefits it offers to the customers and business, it is surely a big part of the future of all businesses globally. It’s interesting to analyze the way business has adapted to this growing Internet rage and according to a recent study, 60 % of marketer’s time is spent on digital marketing activities.

Although the desktop access platform has been very dominant all these years and still remains significant, mobile platforms have emerged as a strong means of accessing data over the Internet and for almost all our communications. The most common way of accessing the Internet remains the desktop computers or laptop but there are many up- and coming ways of accessing the Internet today. Mobile phones, Interactive digital TV and access to the Internet anywhere from trains, planes, and even automobiles have all created a vast array of possibilities for marketing and reaching consumers. Today just about anything can be wired up and all credit goes to the fast development of technology which is coupled with powerful computer chips and cordless as well as wireless technology. It’s the growing higher speed of data transfer protocols which has taken us from the age of 2g’s through 3g’s and now into the 4g’s and 5g’s.

Given this scenario digital marketers need to evaluate and understand the main platforms which need to be managed today. Let’s take a quick dive into the various platforms available now.

Desktop, Laptop & Notebook platforms:

• Desktop browser based platforms: This is a very traditional way of accessing the Internet and still prevails. The consumers use multiple choices of browsers as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Safari for access.

• Desktop Apps: There are a growing market and opportunities for brands to engage via app stores as App users access paid as well as free apps and the same goes with Windows platforms too.

• Email Platforms: Though we cannot consider email as a traditional platform it can still be taken as an alternative to browser’s and app based applications in order to communicate to our prospects or clients.
•  Feed based API: There are a good number of users who still consume data through RSS feeds and today Twitter and Facebook updates can also be considered a form of feeds.

•  Video Marketing Platforms: There is a different way of delivering television channels through the Internet which is also known as IPTV. Other than this there is a load of video content streaming and sharing done which is browser based and App based.

Even all major Social Networks like Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter can also be called as platforms though many would like to call them as Ecosystems which is normally accessed across multiple platforms.

Mobile phone & Tablet Platforms: The options which we have on mobile hardware platforms are quite similar to that of desktops but a major difference being these can be used in different locations and at any time. Hence, it gives us many new opportunities to engage the consumer’s via mobile marketing and can be targeted based on location and proximities.

The current scenario in marketing has taken a huge transformation from the traditional way of selling and has shifted to virtual markets and consumers which have to be connected to via such platforms. Ever evolving and adaptive technology is driving and transforming business every single day and hence more time and money has to be focused on evolving the current business to that of E-commerce and E- Marketing.