According to a study by Zenith’s Media Consumption Forecasts, more people are using smartphones and other mobile devices than desktop computers to access the Internet. The implications of this trend are substantial for your small business. If you do reach consumers on their mobile device, you may never have the chance to convert them to a customer or get their repeat purchases.
In order to stay competitive, businesses must keep up with the times. Why is it that a huge number of companies still haven’t hopped on the bandwagon? It is because they continue to rely on traditional marketing methods that are tried-and-tested, and find the idea of developing digital, mobile-friendly strategies overwhelming.
This does not have to be the case. Taking steps to reach new customers via mobile technology can be relatively pain-free, and you needn’t be a tech genius to implement these tools. Common sense and learning a few new procedures will suffice to get started. Take a deep breath and remember that mobile is an opportunity to convert consumers into customers unlike any other technology. Here are two of the fundamentals to crafting a mobile strategy.
Mobile-Friendly Website Design
The most important step is to ensure that your website reads and functions well onto all viewing platforms. If more people are going to your website from their mobile device, then your website must have a mobile-friendly design that’s easy to navigate.
Speed is imperative: 74% of consumers will wait 5 seconds for a web page to load on their mobile device before abandoning the site. If your website does not load content quickly, you will lose the user’s attention and very likely their business. To speed things up, avoid embedded videos, over-sized images, and large, complicated menus. If it’s not working on mobile, get rid of it. There’s no point in marketing to people who won’t see your content.
Use Social Media
Social media has become an extension of everyday life. According to content marketing hub Shareaholic, social media was already the #1 driver of website referrals two years ago. This means that there’s no way you can go without social media to market to consumers. Instead embrace this new digital age and encourage people to ‘like’ or share images and get involved in conversations about your products or services. By engaging users on social media, you’re unlocking a whole new level of brand potential.
What social media should you use? Of course there are Facebook and Twitter, but what about Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumbler, SnapChat and all the rest? Don’t worry – you don’t have to use them all. Find out which platforms your best customers use, and concentrate on them. (See this article for an introduction to a few of the most important social media channels.) You can start with just one and expand gradually as you gain experience and confidence.
Have more mobile marketing questions? Want to build a mobile-friendly website or just learn how to grab your share of online shoppers? Contact us to start planning your mobile strategy.
