INTRODUCTION
Table of Contents
This subject is one that may seem self-evident these days, once in a while it is worth it to look what is behind the “givens” in online marketing and see why such statements are made and accepted.
Today is where I do just that. We all have heard that mobile marketing has changed the way we do business and how we must plan for business when it comes to online marketing.
We will drill down briefly and see what is actually happening now in the mobile world and how it impacts our programs from top to bottom.
At the end of this tutorial, you will have a greater appreciation for what actions throughout your program you must take now to continue to grow and have success.
Let’s get started!
HOW PEOPLE ACCESSED THE INTERNET IN THE PAST AND HOW THAT IMPACTED IM
If you are like me you have seen the technology that has rolled out over the past twenty years and looked at these changes it has brought about with wonder…
I can remember using some of the very first computers out there, where the memory in the entire computer held was far less than a simple chip now can add for a phone…, and where 2 or more Terabytes of memory are normal.
Now 2 or more Terabytes of memory are normal for laptops or desktops, and even smartphones have 100 x the memory of those early days…
The speed at which people can access the internet has increased, where you have access has improved, and the amount of data that is passed across the internet has increased many thousands of times…
Of course, the early adopter online marketers were able to tap into this brave new world and make a lot of money, and many did so through offering less than performing products or services.
I mean by that they did so by delivering often a lot less than what was promised. These days are gone, the consumer is a lot smarter and unless you offer high value and overdeliver, you will not have a business for long.
As things have advanced in how we access the internet and the speed at which we access the internet, and as the use of video has come to the fore as a communication tool of choice for viewers and marketers, no more can you offer crap and get away with it for long.
Things they are a changing…Again!
WHY YOU NEED TO SERIOUSLY FACTOR IN MOBILE USE FOR YOUR IM PROGRAMS
First, I would like to add in an interesting and useful infographic that will open your eyes regarding the use of smartphones today and its affect on marleting:
The Now…
✓ Smartphones and tablets are still increasing in use, replacing PC’s for many “passive” tasks such as web browsing and consuming media…
✓ All statistics estimate that the mobile market will keep growing for a number of years to come…
✓ Almost half of Google’s surveyed users said they would think a company didn’t care about their business if it didn’t offer a mobile optimized website…
✓ Both software and talent has adapted to mobile, and it is easier than ever to get your website optimized…
✓ Mobile users prefer using dedicated apps over browsing the web…
✓ Mobile advertising is also growing and is now taken seriously by most companies…
So What Actions Do You Take Now
✓ Figure out what type of mobile site that would best work for you, taking the pros and cons of the different alternatives into account…
✓ Consider hiring someone to help you build your mobile website unless you’re skilled in web development…
✓ Keep your mobile design as simple as possible, using big links/buttons and lots of white space…
✓ Go easy on social media integration, and completely avoid requiring plugins like Flash or Java…
✓ Make sure your site works on every kind of mobile device before going live…
✓ Consider moving to a theme that will sense and automatically convert its appearance based on the device used to access it.
Do You Need A Mobile App
✓ There are both advantages and disadvantages when comparing an app to a mobile optimized website…
✓ App development is expensive, so don’t go into it unless you’re sure that it’s something your customers/clients want…
NOTE: A modern theme that is responsive and will react in appearance depending on the device used to access it can be much cheaper and less maintenance since you are only handling one theme instead of a theme and an app.
✓ Focus most of your efforts on your core offering, but also don’t neglect including value-adding features…
✓ Take your time to plan out your app, and don’t rush to hire a developer…
✓ Have your developer complete a working prototype first to confirm that your idea is valid and actually useful…
Using Mobile Advertising
✓ Mobile advertising is growing rapidly every year, and new technology is constantly introduced…
✓ Users on mobile devices are often not interested in filling out long forms or buying something expensive…
✓ Device limitations may render a campaign that works well on computers ineffective on mobile devices…
✓ There are a large variety of mobile advertising platforms, each with their own strengths and weaknesses…
✓ Don’t treat mobile adver0sing as a simple extension of your existing campaigns…
✓ Track as many variables as you can and optimize continuously…
Mobile Marketing Impact On Your Business
If you run a business today, and online marketing IS a business, it is extremely important to consider how mobile users are accessing your website.
I would venture to guess that a majority of marketers have no idea on the status of how they present themselves on a mobile device.
Let me ask you a question: Have you actually checked to see if your current website is mobile responsive? If you haven’t, it is something you should look into today.
If you look and see that your page looks terrible, your graphics are not appearing correctly, and videos are not fitting the screen size of the mobile device, you need to take action to fix this asap.
These days Creating a mobile version of your site is not that difficult. These days many newer WordPress themes come already ready for mobile and are responsive themes. Consider upgrading to one of these themes.
Get into the habit of checking often your website statistics with Google Analytics or using a similar tool…
You are looking to see what browser that people are using to access your site with, what their actions are while on your site, and what is working and not working.
No doubt there will be a high number of mobile users since over half the searches and time online are done through a mobile device. This number is going to continue to increase as the popularity of mobile devices grows, internet access speeds grow.
When you create content for your website consider how mobile users will see it. Check this. This holds true, especially for e-commerce sites.
You definitely want to ensure that your customers can buy via their mobile devices. Otherwise, you will be losing out on up to half your sales. That is a lot, and when you consider that your competitor is mobile friendly and checking, you know what has to be done!
You need to understand the market…People are so busy these days, and their attention span is short…
Even if they access a message on their smartphone you may send directly through a push notification, it doesn’t mean that they will visit your site or buy.when they get home to their computer.
Chances are they will get busy with something and forget about your great offer, no matter how enticing it was…
My advice: Take the time to test out the purchasing process on your mobile device. Even if it is working well on your laptop, you do not know if the same holds true on a mobile.
OK, there may be a few people that do not own a mobile smartphone (I do not know anyone that does not own one). For those people, ask a friend to test a purchase for you.
Things to take notice of include how the website itself displays, if any graphics display properly and the actual process of logging into your payment processing and then downloading your product.
Things to take notice of when you do a test include:
- How the website itself displays on the smartphone
- How are the graphics displaying – do they look proper on the site
- Next, how does the process of logging into website work
- What about adding items to the cart
- What about check out and payment processing, and lastly
- If the product is downloadable, how is that working
When you check, keep a list of issues, then find a solution for each of them. This is preventative maintenance because of course if you are running into issues, there is no doubt that many of your customers will too.
While you are checking your presence using the mobile, have a look at your social platform pages too. See how they are displaying and make notes on changes need for these as well.
Remember that these are sites that your customers and potential customers are accessing on a daily basis. Ensuring that they look good and display correctly will definitely help you increase your fan base and conversions.
CONCLUSION
Now you understand more about what lies behind the consensus of most online marketers statements that mobile marketing has to be considered when you conduct business today.
Also, you have some real guidance on just what this means for your own business and what steps you can and should be taking today to make sure that you are a part of this migration of users who used to access the internet from their desktops or laptops to now using their phones.
There are likely other areas this change will impact your program as time goes on. This is not a bad thing, it just means it is more important than ever to stay up with what is going on in the market so you can act accordingly.
Bottom line is that if you haven’t considered the impact of mobile marketing for your online business, now is the time to do just that!
FINAL POINT
Please add in your thoughts on smartphones and the impact it has had on internet marketing (IM). Mobile marketing has been touted at the future, and in many ways this is true. How has this fact affected your online business and what are your thoughts on the matter? By sharing, we all learn and grow. Thanks in advance for your input!
Cheers!
