It is a truth universally acknowledged that more people are accessing the internet on their mobile phone. In September 2009, just 0.02 per cent of all UK web traffic originated from a mobile device. In January 2011 this figure was a staggering 8.09 per cent (representing a growth of over 4000 per cent).
Not that long ago, we went on the internet on a desktop computer and made telephone calls and text messages on our mobile phones. Now people expect to go online with their smartphones and many people only have a tablet or a smartphone, bypassing a PC completely. In an act that confirms the convergence of mobile and internet, search engine behemoth Google recently purchased mobile hardware manufacturer Motorola. This move further acknowledges mobile as the vehicle of choice for internet activities.
You need to be thinking about how your website is functioning when interacted with on a smartphone. Stand in your customers’ shoes for an hour and interact with your brand’s website. What is it like visiting the website using not just your own smartphone, but other models too (the top browsers for using the internet on your mobile are as listed below). How is the website performing when you try and carry out several basic tasks? How about the site’s main ‘conversion’ task (booking, purchasing etc)? Try this with several of the main five browsers and ask others to test it to get a broad picture of how the user experience is currently. Don’t forget to test how emails are being received to web-based email providers – this is often overlooked, and many people will receive your emails on their mobile phone.
Once you have compiled your report on website performance using smartphones, start a dialogue with your web team or developer (whichever is appropriate to you) about making moves to optimise your website for mobile internet use. You can choose to make a mobile version of your site, which can be detected and the user automatically redirected to, or you can add a link to the mobile site which they choose to click. Alternatively, you may choose to have just one version of your website and make it as friendly to mobile visitors as possible. These are things to discuss with your technical person. What you should keep in mind is: what is the best option for my visitor? Which option will make it easiest to perform the main function I want them to carry out? Which will encourage conversion?
It’s not all about apps
When you mention mobile marketing to people, the first thing they think of is apps. They are either pre-installed or more often can be downloaded from digital distribution platforms, apps can be entertaining and/or useful, they can also be used as a mini version of your site. Creating an app that reduces your site’s main function can be one very effective way to utilise their popularity, but you could also create something else that you feel will market your brand effectively. Whether it’s a game, a tool, or something else, make sure it is easy to interact with, encourages sharing, and keep it simple. The apps market is flooded, so make sure your idea stands out. A marketing strategy is required to ensure your app will be downloaded. Don’t overlook this important aspect.
Consider mobile advertising if your audience is appropriate
When it comes to advertising, mobile offers a new platform for businesses in the form of SMS and MMS, advertising in apps, advertising in mobile games, advertising for mobile TV, and also audio adverts. Of course all other web advertising that appears via mobile isn’t considered mobile advertising as it is merely being viewed by a mobile; that is, mobile is not the platform it is delivered on. For example, if you advertise using Google Adwords, and your advert is viewed using a mobile, it is still an Adwords advert.
SMS and MMS adverts are both fairly well known to marketers and make up a huge percentage of mobile advertising. However, mobile advertising via apps is fairly new. It can be very effective if your target market is appropriate. Choose an expert mobile advertising network to work with and discuss your target market to see where the fit is for mobile advertising and your audience.
In terms of creative, there is a huge opportunity to do something very creative if your budget and imagination allow, as mobile advertising, such as adverts in apps, is perfect for rich media banners. Think about interactivity in your advert; let the user be in control for added impact. If you are designing an advert with a specific mobile device in mind, for example the iPhone, utilise the unique features that mobile device has to create clever ways for the user to interact with the advert. Of course you must keep load times in mind when considering technical cleverness. Lastly, always include a strong call-to-action, just as you would with any other advert.
Mobile is a subject that really comes down to user experience. You need to think about your customers and their needs. It is a fact that people are moving towards mobile as the internet vehicle, not as an additional one. Increasingly, we will see that people do not have separate laptops and mobiles; they will converge to become super devices that we use to call people with, to shop with, to read with, to watch TV with – and it all will be online. The exponential growth of the iPad and other tablets indicates that people want their device to do it all. More and more people are choosing to make calls via the internet and it will only be a matter of time before all calls are made online. Amid this changing landscape your brand must move with the times and provide not just an adequate mobile viewing experience, but one that exceeds expectations. The first step towards that marketers can ignore no longer is to test their website’s performance on smartphones. Only once you’ve addressed the user experience on your website should you think about apps and advertising.
