Mobile Marketing 101 – A Beginner Guide to Mobile
The number of mobile users has exceeded desktop users, yet many companies are still putting off creating a comprehensive mobile strategy. If you are one of those business owners who has not yet integrated mobile into your marketing strategy, here’s why and how you should do it.
The Why
There are two main reasons why you need to optimize for mobile users: (1) mobile users have different needs and behaviors than desktop users, and (2) your competitors are, and it’s giving them a leg up.
Users interact with websites and content in a different way on mobile vs desktop because they are different devices that come with different gestures, screen sizes, and capabilities. Savvy business owners should acknowledge this reality and pinpoint what their mobile users might need that their desktop users don’t (and vice versa.) What works for one medium will not necessarily work for another, and with more users than ever being introduced to your business via mobile, you could be greatly damaging your first impression on these users if you aren’t optimizing for them.
In fact, according to McKinsey & Company, “61 percent of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing,” and “40 percent visit a competitor’s site instead.” That statistic alone should be enough to convince you of the importance of mobile marketing.
Moreover, Google now rewards mobile-friendly sites with greater search engine visibility. So not only will your users have a better experience on site, but they will also be more likely to find you in the first place when they search for relevant terms.
The How
Hopefully we’ve convinced you of the importance of mobile marketing at this point, which means now you just need to know how to do it. Start with these initiatives:
1. Convert to Mobile-Friendly Website Design
If your current company website is built on CMS or a platform like WordPress, switch to a mobile-friendly theme. Analyze your consumers’ needs and adjust your mobile website accordingly. For example, make sure any third-party apps installed on the website are mobile-friendly, make sure the consumer doesn’t need to fill in a lot of fields since typing extensively on a mobile device can be cumbersome, design buttons that are easily clickable with a finger, etc.
2. Consider Building a Mobile App
Having a mobile app is another way to improve consumer experience while also creating more touch points for driving business, and it’s much easier than you think. In fact, there are apps that can help you build an app! Try something like AppMakr to get you started.
One of the biggest benefits to creating an app is that it gives you direct access to your consumers via push notifications, so you can alert them about sales, promos, discounts, events, you name it. Granted, consumers can choose to disable these notifications if they become too frequent, so tread lightly when you first get started until you know which kinds of notifications your customers are most interested in.
3. Develop a Mobile Messaging Strategy
Mobile messaging is very similar to email marketing in that you first need to have the consumer subscribe to it. A great way to garner interest in your mobile campaign is by granting subscribed customers access to more exclusive promos. Mobile messaging can increase traffic (and business) to not only your website, but your social media pages as well.
Final Thoughts
As you get more familiar with mobile marketing and advertising, you’ll figure out what’s right for your business. Mobile marketing isn’t going to look the same for every company, which is why you have to get to know your target audiences specific needs and behaviors as you build your strategy out. The possibilities of mobile marketing are only growing. From in-app ads and banner ads to text ads and more, mobile advertising will need to become an essential part of your marketing strategy moving forward.
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