Mobile is not going to go anywhere anytime soon, if anything it is just going to get bigger. With everyone and their mother using their mobile phones to do everything from keeping in touch with their family and friends, to looking for directions to the nearest coffee shop, to making purchases online and paying bills – it is easy to see why your business should get on the mobile wagon ASAP if you want to remain relevant. Here, I list a couple of tactics for your business to benefit from mobile marketing. The good news is that most of these techniques do not require a huge budget or advanced technical knowledge to implement – so it’s a win-win situation.
Optimise Your Website for Mobile Browsing
If you have not done this already, you should really optimize your website for local search. According to a recent study conducted by Google, as much as 60 percent of search queries (done globally) now come from mobile devices. That figure is only set to rise in the coming years. Suppose, for example, your business is a coffee shop in Glasgow. The majority of your potential customers will probably be searching from their smartphones or tablets, using terms such as “coffee shops Glasgow.” They are also likely to also search by neighbourhood, such as “coffee shops Glasgow West End.”
Mobile Payments
Start accepting mobile payments. You could make things so much easier for your mobile customers by giving them the option to make payments through their mobile device. Nowadays, there are many services available on the market that make this possible. The most popular are Google Wallet, Apple Play, and Venmo. Of course, some businesses can benefit from this more than others. If your business is wholly based online – then not only is it essential but it is also very crucial. However, even brick-and mortar stores can benefit immensely, by letting customers order and pre-pay on their mobile phones.
If you are selling goods or services online, be sure to make the buying process as simple and streamlines as possible for mobile users. Certain social media sites, such as Pinterest and Instagram, have a “buy” button where people can make purchases without even leaving the social media site. This has not quite picked up yet, but this could very well change in the near future. You certainly have nothing to lose by using “buy” buttons whenever possible. Apart from this, it is of utmost importance that you make sure customers can easily navigate the shopping cart or get to the order page easily. Test the process frequently and fix any glitches.
Social Media for Mobile
With the rapid growth of mobile devices and social media activity, it makes sense to cultivate your social media efforts with mobile users in mind. This being said, be sure that the content you put on social media is the kind that your audience really needs and appreciates. Often, businesses just send out links to offers. However, it is important to remember that people on social media do not only want to be informed but also entertained.
