Be honest: what’s the first thing you do in the morning?
Probably, you silence the alarm, curse the gods that invented work, and check your email and social media updates from your mobile device.
We live in an overly connected world. Today’s consumer is glued to the smartphone. Studies suggest that young adults use up to three different devices every day and many feel naked if they leave the house without their phones. In fact, up to 85 percent of millennials use their smartphone to research and shop for products and services online. So, a potential buyer might see a Facebook post about your latest earrings collection while in line to get his latte, do some research during his commute to work, and purchase a pair by the time he got to his office.
As such, mobile marketing is not just an option anymore. It has become paramount if you want your small business to thrive in the mobile-first world.
How can you do that? Here are a few tips that are going to teach you how to survive the fast-paced mobile revolution and thrive.
Optimize Your Website for Mobile
Studies show that up to 78 percent of mobile searches result in conversions. Moreover, the vast majority of prospects will visit a local business after they have acquired the information they need through mobile search.
But, here’s the thing: users don’t want to zoom in and out to read the information on your site. If the experience they get isn’t par excellence, they will hit the back button without giving it a second thought.
Make sure that your website looks well and performs flawlessly regardless of the devices that prospects are using. Minify your code, compress your images and decrease the length of the bandwidth as much as possible to make your site fast. Mobile users are extremely impatient, and if your mobile site takes a second too long to load, they will leave it. Also, enable social media login to avoid the hassle of having to create an account to shop from your mobile site.
Leverage the Power of Paid Search
One way to boost your visibility and drive qualified leads to your mobile site is through paid advertising, such as Google AdWords or social media marketing. Reports show that ads displayed on mobile devices produce higher click-through-rates (0.59%) than those on desktops (0.23%). Also, ads on mobile apps get higher CTRs than on mobile websites.
So, if you haven’t invested in mobile advertising already, then it may be high time to do so. Keep in mind, though that paid search can quickly turn into a black hole if you don’t know how to manage your ads correctly. So, don’t rely on your instinct but use data to discover the keywords prospects are looking for when searching for your products on services on their mobile devices. Don’t assume that if a keyword has a high search volume, then it’s going to generate high return. Sure, a lot of people are looking for the keyword “running shoes” but how many of them have an intent to purchase? Use long-tail keywords instead that have the potential to drive more qualified leads.
Figuring out how much you should price the products you’re advertising can also be quite challenging. Should you offer a better deal to prospects converting through your mobile ad campaigns? A great tool, such as the cost sell margin calculator online could help you determine the right price that would generate a maximum return on your investment.
Create Mobile-Friendly Content
Mobile users consume information on the go. While they will take the time to read a long article (if it’s good enough to worth their attention,) the vast majority of content they prefer comes in small bite sizes. In other words, not every one of your tabs, links, and pages are relevant when it comes to mobile content. So, try to simplify your content, but without sacrificing the quality.
Here’s an example: while a long headline would work great on desktop, on mobile the information should be concise and to the point. So, “Surprising Mobile E-commerce Statistics that Will Change the Way You Do Business” becomes “Mobile E-commerce Statistics for Marketers.”
Don’t Ignore Mobile SEO
As mentioned already, people that look for local services or products on their mobile devices are very likely to take action once they find the brand that could help them solve their problems. So, if you’re not optimizing your website and content for mobile, then you are missing on a huge opportunity.
Keep in mind that mobile searchers behavior is slightly different, as they tend to be more specific in their queries. That means that if a user is looking for a new mobile phone or camera, they’ll search for the particular brand and model that they’ve read about elsewhere.
So, try to be very specific in your mobile content and optimize your headlines and meta tags with the appropriate keywords. Instead of a vague term such as “photo camera for sale” use a descriptive keyword like “Canon EOS Digital SLR Photo Camera for sale.”
Make Mobile Payments Available
How many times did you abandon a transaction online because it took longer than expected or it was too complicated? Here’s the thing: prospects that have found your products via mobile search don’t want to have to switch to your desktop site to be able to purchase from you. If that’s the case, then they will gladly move to your competitors.
Make it easy for consumers to shop from your mobile device. Because prospects may be reluctant about shopping from your mobile site, use every opportunity you got to convince them that every transaction they make is safe and secure.
Use Mobile-Only Social Apps
Mobile-only social apps are ascending in popularity, so if your small business isn’t on Instagram or Snapchat already, then you should make them part of your marketing mix. Keep in mind though that not every popular app may fit your brand and audience. For example, a small fashion boutique could leverage platforms like Instagram or Pinterest to drive traffic and leads, but it would only waste time and resources on an app like LinkedIn that is best suited for B2B companies.
Sixty-three percent of the world’s population owns a mobile device, and the number is expected to grow to 5.07 billion by 2019. So, it’s safe to say that the vast majority of your audience uses their smartphone to research information online and find the products that could help them best.
If you haven’t jumped on the mobile bandwagon yet, it’s not too late. Use these tips to get a head start and leverage the potential that mobile marketing could bring to your small business.
Kostas Chiotis is a blogger and a content marketing specialist. When he is not working he loves travelling and learning new things. You can find more about him by checking his blog opportunitiesplanet.com
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