These are the digital trends for 2026

2026 marks a turning point in digital development for many Swiss companies. Digital systems will not only become more efficient, but also noticeably more intelligent. Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing information searches, purchasing decisions and service expectations – with a direct impact on customer journeys across all channels. Websites, platforms and portals must structure content clearly, process data reliably and use technologies that support AI in a targeted manner and integrate it in a meaningful way.

At the same time, the requirements for automation, personalization and end-to-end digital processes are increasing. Marketing is evolving from a campaign tool to a learning system, digital sales channels are gaining in importance and self-service portals are becoming the standard. Experience platforms are increasingly forming the foundation of complex IT and system landscapes – even in highly regulated or federated environments.

For companies in Switzerland, this means making digital architectures more modular, networking services better and understanding AI as an integral part of value creation. The following trends show how digital communication, sales and platform strategies will develop in 2026 – and what opportunities will arise for organizations that actively tackle this change at an early stage.

Changing customer journeys through AI

Artificial intelligence is not only changing what people do online, but increasingly also how they use digital services. AI systems are increasingly involved in the customer journey – often in the background and barely visible to users. They help with information research, recommend suitable products or services, answer inquiries via chatbots or take on tasks via voice assistants. As a result, the points of contact between companies and customers are shifting and becoming more situation-based, context-sensitive and personalized.

For Swiss companies, this means that websites, platforms and digital services will become central sources of data and trust for AI systems. Content must be clearly structured, comprehensibly formulated and provided in a technically clean manner so that it can be reliably interpreted and correctly summarized by AI. Clean semantics, a logical content structure as well as topicality, relevance and credibility are crucial here – aspects that are particularly important in regulated and quality-oriented markets.

Companies benefit in particular when they understand their customer journeys holistically and develop their digital touchpoints in a targeted manner. This allows them to identify users with real interaction or transaction potential and guide them to their own platforms in a targeted manner. AI supports this process by analyzing usage patterns, assessing behavior and automatically playing out relevant impulses – efficiently, scalably and based on data.

New user expectations, new interfaces: AI-based search is changing everything

The use of services such as ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overview, Perplexity and similar AI-supported offerings is increasingly shaping user expectations – and these are being transferred directly to websites and business-related platforms. Traditional search functions based on keywords and rigid filters are less and less able to meet these requirements. Instead, the focus is shifting to AI-based search and assistance solutions, in particular modular RAG chatbots (Retrieval Augmented Generation), which transfer company-specific knowledge into an intelligent assistant.

This gives visitors a digital assistant that builds on its own, controlled knowledge base and can provide precise answers to technical and industry-specific questions. It recognizes connections, provides relevant information in context, refers to sources and adapts its answers to the respective context of use. The search thus evolves from a pure query tool to a dialogue – structured, personalized and adaptive.

Thanks to modern language models and the increasing data quality in Swiss companies, such solutions can now be designed efficiently and integrated into existing system landscapes. Technologies such as RAG, semantic vector search, current language models such as GPT-5 or voice interfaces also enable fully language-based interaction – intuitive, low-barrier and increasingly hands-free.

AI-supported marketing automation

Marketing is changing from a reactive discipline to an adaptive system that reacts to data, signals and behavioral patterns. Artificial intelligence is increasingly taking over the orchestration of digital communication – from the initial contact to individualized content and supporting service and advisory functions within digital channels.

With increasing automation, new requirements are coming to the fore. Solutions that evaluate user behavior in real time, derive preferences and display content depending on the situation must remain reliable, transparent and controllable. This requires a solid foundation of consistent technology, clear responsibilities and well-maintained databases. This is the only way to create processes that not only generate reach, but also provide sales with measurable, usable contacts – particularly relevant in complex B2B structures and consulting-intensive industries.

The targeted use of marketing automation plays a central role in this. Systems that combine and interpret various data sources recognize potential demand at an early stage and respond with suitable offers, information or services. At the same time, caution is required: automation is not an end in itself. Where relevance, trust or context are lost, efficiency also loses its value.

The focus is therefore on a marketing approach that enables growth without losing impact. AI should simplify processes, relieve teams and support decisions – not replace human expertise. Especially when it comes to sophisticated products or services that require explanation, personal advice remains a decisive factor for quality and sales.

Organizations in Switzerland that rely on robust, data protection-compliant and auditable automation solutions at an early stage create a resilient digital foundation. This communication infrastructure acts like a stabilizing system: it withstands everyday operations, can be managed transparently and remains adaptable to new regulatory, technological and market conditions.

Why experience platforms (DXP) are becoming the key architecture for industrial value creation

The Digital Experience Platform (DXP) has evolved from a simple web system into a strategic platform solution. Its core objective is to create an end-to-end, consistent experience for users by seamlessly connecting all applications, services and data sources.

Whether customer portal, e-commerce or product presentation – complex systems such as CRM, ERP, content and asset management as well as marketing tools work invisibly hand in hand in the background. It is this seamless integration that hides the complexity from the end user.

DXPs no longer just act as an information hub, but as an operational platform for the entire digital value chain. They link content, transactions and services in a targeted manner to enable scalable, secure and adaptable interactions. For Swiss companies in particular, this combination of high performance and adherence to strict quality, data protection and compliance standards is essential.

A key feature of modern DXPs is the modular, API-based architecture. Functions such as content management, e-commerce or personalization are technically decoupled but closely networked (headless approach). This makes it possible to quickly integrate new cloud components or replace existing ones without jeopardizing ongoing operations. This flexibility safeguards the investment and allows the platform to be developed gradually and agilely.

The development of these systems is also transforming. The use of generative AI and AI-supported approaches is massively accelerating the implementation of interfaces, functions and content. Developers are increasingly taking on the role of system architects who control and optimize the entire platform instead of programming isolated modules. This results in solutions that can be continuously adapted to new market and customer requirements.

Today, DXPs are far more than just marketing tools. They form the technological foundation of digital business models, especially when growth, security and flexibility are required in equal measure. For Swiss companies, DXPs are thus becoming a decisive lever for designing digital experiences holistically and ensuring long-term competitiveness.