Remington BeggMobile is now a key part of most companies’ marketing efforts, is yours one of them? Google recently announced that mobile devices, like cell phones and tablets, were the main source of its search traffic, an announcement that came much more quickly than anyone ever predicted. Since 89% of all smartphone users conduct Google s
earches on their devices, mobile is having a significant impact on local businesses like you. If you aren’t reaching consumers while they’re on their smartphones and tablets, you aren’t maximizing your outreach capabilities. Here’s what you can do:
#1 Strengthen Your SEO Efforts
SEO is critical for any company’s marketing efforts, but even more so when mobile becomes a focus. Now that people rely so heavily on their mobile devices, they’ll often conduct Google searches while on the go- for example searching for a nearby restaurant while driving. As a result, you need to take steps to make sure your mobile websites appear high enough in search rankings to increase your company’s visibility. Very few people scroll to the bottom of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) on a desktop, and on a mobile device that number is much lower. If you aren’t showing up at the top of a mobile SERP, you aren’t being clicked on- it’s as simple as that.
#2 Size Matters
In a lot of ways, smartphones and tablets are essentially just miniature computers. There aren’t really many things a laptop can do that must smartphone can’t. Probably the only real difference between today’s smartphones and computers is the smaller screen size. Even the biggest iPhone 6 Plus has a screen of 5 and half inches. With only a few inches of space, a smartphone screen will display your business’s content very differently than desktop will. If your website is overly crowded, cluttered and demands significant bandwidth to load properly, mobile viewers will have an unpleasant experience, and they’ll navigate away quickly. Whether you develop an entirely different mobile site or have a responsive site that appears on both is up to your and your dev team, just make sure your website looks great no matter where it is being displayed.
#3 Think Local
Beacon technology, which uses wifi technology to know exactly who is near a place of business, has surged ahead recently. At the beginning of 2015, it was predicted that beacons would drive $44 million in retail sales by 2016. These beacons will help you provide immediate relevancy and value to mobile customers. Beacons allow you to detect where a customer is at any given moment, and then send them push notifications with sales promotions. You could send a coupon to a customer near your own store, or even while they are near a competitor’s business.
#4 Offer Mobile Coupons
Since many mobile shoppers are looking to make a purchase in the immediate future, consider integrating mobile coupons into your digital advertising strategy to win them over. Instead of running old-fashioned newspaper advertisements that most people will skip right over, try offering mobile-only coupons that will delight today’s modern consumers. You can also use tools like QR codes to connect with deal-hunting buyers on social media, and post scan-enabled promotions on your social media pages to connect with smartphone shoppers.
#5 Don’t Forget About PPC
An effective mobile campaign can make the difference between PPC success and failure. While mobile searches have been growing exponentially, mobile CTR drops off 45% faster in lower positions than on a desktop. When setting up your mobile ads, be sure to use all possible ad extensions. That means making sure each ad has a phone number, “Get Directions”, “Call Now”, and anything else that will allow someone to connect with you right away.
According to a recent Bronto Software report, 65% of shoppers surveyed will use their mobile device to attempt to find promotional offerings and coupons on items they hope to purchase in the near future. Also, 63% will check current pricing on their digital device, and 61% will check out a competitor’s price to make sure it isn’t lower before making a purchase. Once you realize that mobile is no longer is a small segment in digital, the need for a definitive mobile marketing strategy becomes clear.
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