Mobile Marketing: Adapt or Be Left Behind

Stephanie Travers

$\"sem-MM-020315-db\"$ We are experiencing a monumental shift in how prospective customers are accessing your website. For the first time, mobile access has exceeded PC access. As more people rely on their mobile device to research, shop, and interact, the need for effective mobile marketing increases exponentially. While this shift has been predicted by industry experts for years, businesses and brands oftentimes struggle to meet the quickly changing landscape of the internet.

So how can you adapt your marketing to the new expectations of your customers? The short answer? Optimize your web presence for mobile.

Creating mobile-friendly versions of all missions-critical marketing assets like website, blog, and emails is the first step in capturing and maintaining your client base. The majority of users access sites on multiple devices, so developing a streamlined and recognizable experience for your user for both their mobile, tablet, and PC is essential. What exactly are users doing on their mobile devices?

Here is a look by percentage:

99.5% of mobile users access content/information
63.1% access the internet
62.1% access e-mail
15% make purchases

While 15% may not seem like an impressive number for online purchasing, consider the fact that 78%of users searching for a business online convert to actual purchases in person according to Comscore. In fact, mobile users are more likely to convert to actual sales than any other type of users.

The shift towards mobile marketing is important for both the B2B and the B2C business models. B2C has been leading the way in the evolution of the mobile-friendly experience; meeting the consumer where they are, which is oftentimes on the move, is the focus of B2C businesses both small and large. Whether it’s plane tickets or music downloads, the advantage of having a mobile-friendly experience for the consumer is clear. But what about B2B?

The same consumer who is buying those plane tickets is also someone who is engaging with their mobile device while they fly to that destination. It is this constant engagement that the B2B business can leverage. Providing engaging content, whether it be blogs, podcasts, white papers, or quality information about your business, is the best way to grab and hold the attention of the B2B consumer. And it’s not just about providing quality anymore; creating a seamless mobile experience is a surefire way to make sure you are reaching your potential customer base.

To ensure that you don’t get left out of the mobile revolution, follow these fundamental steps.

First, make sure you are optimizing for local search. Second, and most importantly, make sure your website is optimized for mobile access. There should be an elegant integration between your website, mobile and fixed. Third, consider providing advantages for mobile users in order to capture more leads. Unsure if you are mobile-friendly or if your mobile site is making the cut? Contact Strategic eMarketing today for a mobile marketing consultation on how to optimize your digital presence to maximize the value of the mobile web. /