The end of the year is a time of reflection, especially for business owners who want to reach new heights. Whether you’re thinking about updating your business website or restructuring your business plan, it’s useful to pay attention to the shifting tides. Speaking with our Wix experts, we’ve compiled a list of emerging small business trends to watch in 2023 so that you can stay ahead of the curve. Small business trends Here are seven small business trends to keep an eye out for in 2023: Artificial intelligence Mobile marketing Personalizing customer service Growing an online community Data transparency Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence, or AI, remains a buzzword for most small business owners. AI automates mundane tasks to reduce time, improves customer service and helps with data analytics. But how can small business owners implement and leverage AI and machine learning to overcome these small business challenges? “We all use AI in our day-to-day life without even realizing it,” said Wix data engineer Eitan Shalev. Search engines, smartphone cameras and social media all rely on powerful AI technology. AI is becoming a hot commodity for niche businesses, too. For example in the hospitality industry, travel technology trends revolved around voice assistants and chatbots. Shalev says all small business owners should consider using automated chatbots in 2023, either to improve customer support or make their websites more interactive. “AI could also be used on an eCommerce site to offer suggestions for products that the customer might be interested in, based on their past shopping behavior or their segmentation, if that data is available,” he adds. Mobile marketing Mobile usage is increasing with no signs of slowing down. According to Pew Research, 85% of US citizens owned smartphones in 2021. And, according to projections from the World Advertising Research Center, 72.6% of internet users will become mobile-only users in 2025. For that reason, it’s essential that small businesses invest in mobile marketing. One important step you can take is to make your website as easy to use on mobile as it is on desktop. It needs a responsive design, easy navigation, call-to-actions that stand out and a “Back to Top” button. As an added bonus, all these changes can improve your ranking on search engines like Google that rely on mobile-first indexing. You could also try SMS marketing and setting your Google Ads to geo-target potential clients in your area. Tip: Wix users can manage their mobile marketing strategy from the Wix Owner App. They can also use it to create a mobile app experience in which customers can connect with your business, book services and purchase products. Personalizing customer service Personalized customer service is about adapting services to the specific wants and needs of each of your clients. Today, people expect businesses to know precisely what they want and manage their preferences to maintain a smooth customer journey. Plus, fully engaged customers are 23% more likely than average customers to spend with your business, which may also help increase your long-term profit. To personalize customer services, explore web analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Wix Analytics. These tools can help you gather insights about your visitors, including how they got there (i.e. search engine or social media), which products are top sellers and what’s driving users’ purchase decisions. You can use all the data you gather to tailor their personal experience. Consider setting up an automation to send new subscribers welcome emails. You can also offer freemium memberships or custom coupons based on their buying history or interests. Growing an online community Creating an online community of like-minded individuals can foster valuable connections to your brand. By sharing quality content about your field of expertise, you'll establish yourself as an authority in your industry and gain the trust of your audience. Consider making webinars, offering online courses, hosting live streams or creating a blog. Another great way to build a community to build a forum on your site where your customers can chat with one another. Take it up a notch with a Members Area, a space dedicated to your most loyal customers. Here, site visitors can log into their personal account to manage their order status or appointments, chat with other members and access other types of gated, exclusive content. Data transparency Consumers want more transparency on how businesses handle their data, a new Cisco survey shows. “Organizations need to explain their data practices in simple terms and make them readily available so that customers and users can understand what is going on with their data,” said Harvey Jang, Cisco’s vice president, deputy general counsel and chief privacy officer. If you’re a small business handling personal information, it’s important you implement and provide a privacy policy for your site. A privacy policy is a statement that discloses some or all of the ways a website collects, uses and manages the data of its visitors and customers. Having a privacy policy will also fulfill a legal requirement to protect your client’s privacy. Be clear with your clients about the type of information you collect and how you use it. You can also mention your site’s use of cookies, which are small pieces of data stored on a site visitor’s browser. Being as transparent as possible with your customers reinforces your credibility.