With the number of worldwide smartphone users expected to surpass 2 billion in 2016, mobile marketing is a must-do for every business. An estimated 28 percent of sales are now conducted on mobile devices, estimates CIO. Unfortunately, in the rush to engage consumers, brands often fail to follow best practices or even develop a clear strategy.
Pushing out a mobile app is not the be-all, end-all solution to mobile marketing! In fact, for most businesses, a mobile app is the last thing you should be considering. Instead, cover these four bases first:
- Get local. For starters, it's critical to understand how mobile search intent is different from desktop search. Most mobile searches are conducted away from the home or office. Mobile searchers are seeking an immediate answer to their most pressing questions, be that a list of afternoon movie times, whether your coffee shop is open late on Saturdays, or which car repair service will respond fastest with a tow truck. Local search optimization is essential for mobile search result visibility.
Next, consider the other reasons why people search: local information in a new city/state. Once you've covered the basics of local mobile search optimization, keep an eye on your content. How can you make your site content more friendly for mobile searchers? Keep an eye on regionally trending topics and use local news stories as "hooks" for creating searchable content.
Get straight to the point with your content and stick to 1-2 sentences per paragraph at the most. Use bullets, subheads and numbered lists to keep your content scannable. Consider consumption context: if your customers can't scan your content quickly at Starbucks, they may never read it.
Alternatively, think differently about your conversion goals. For example, maybe you want to engage in-store shoppers by encouraging them to download a mobile coupon. Make the process as easy as possible: snap a QRC code, enter an email address and go straight to the coupon page. Remember, the more steps in the conversion chain, the more likely you are to lose your customer along the way.
Bottom line:
Done all of the above and now thinking about possibly creating your own mobile app? As a word of caution, unless you have a clear, compelling reason for your customers to download and use this app, it's not worth it. Really. Focus your efforts on continuing to better position your business via mobile search, local rankings and engaging, geo-targeted content.