Consumers have been asking for years for mobile friendly websites, but not every business was on board. Then, Google told the world that any websites that aren’t mobile responsive would be penalized in search rankings. Well, that got more people moving, but some are still dragging their feet. There is an alarming number of non-friendly websites out there—sites that market or sell to an audience that just isn’t visiting anymore.
Did you know that almost 25% of internet users access the web only by their mobile devices? Without a mobile friendly site, you’re missing out on a large chunk of consumers. This, coupled with Google’s epic smackdown, means you should probably get right on updating your website. But don’t let Google tell you what you should do and why. Do it because you want your business to boom in 2016.
Mobile Responsive Design
The first big task on your list is to convert to a mobile responsive design. I know that websites are expensive, but they’re your number-one marketing tool. If you’re still putting off a new design and have been since 2010, you’re suffering more than you know.
Here’s a scary fact that many with a “mobile friendly” site don’t know: Unless you’ve used responsive design, your mobile site doesn’t help at all. The mobile templates require a second URL—most often an m-dot (such as m.marketingiw.com)—which confuses Google more than it helps. Plus, you have to make changes to both versions of your site when necessary, which means sometimes mistakes are made. Also, you probably didn’t account for tablets when you purchased the mobile template, and that opens up a whole new world of troubles.
Invest now in the future by undergoing a complete website redesign and redevelopment. Get that site truly mobile friendly with responsive design so that it will work on any device now and in the future without the need for multiple templates and URLs.
Marketing Emails
Here’s a question you may not have considered: What do your marketing emails look like when recipients open them on mobile devices? If you haven’t been paying attention to mobile-friendly design, there’s a good chance your logo takes up more than the whole screen when someone opens your email. If you think that potential customers will take the time to make your email fit their screen, think again. They’re gonna bounce.
There are some design tips you can keep in mind when creating your marketing emails. The most important factors are the image and text sizes and the width of the email as a whole. Some email design programs such as MailChimp or Emma will help you create an email that’s readable on a desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet. This is the best option for marketers that may not be particularly design savvy.
Omni-channel Marketing
Domino’s Pizza has the world captivated right now with their Twitter and text pizza emoji ordering function. While it’s still not perfect, it is exactly where mobile marketing is headed. By offering several different ways for your customers to reach you, you also open up those channels so you can reach them.
Emoji pizza orders aside, there are several different ways to provide an omni-channel experience for your customers. Apps for mobile devices are the first that come to mind. Starbucks made this pretty much mandatory for all regular customers. How else could those buyers keep up with their loyalty points and top up their gift cards? Then there’s Macy’s, which weeds out those who “showroom” (shoppers who stop in brick-and-mortar stores to look up better prices online) by providing their shopping app. Buyers can find items on clearance, get special discounts, and mark their favorites for reminders when the price drops.
Apps are a hard sell for consumers sometimes, because there’s only so much storage space on a mobile device. If you’re going to go that route, make sure it’s something your buyers absolutely can’t live without. If you can’t justify an app, find other ways to keep buyers engaged through their devices. Text offers, push notifications, and newsletters are only a few options to consider. Just remember, the whole premise of omni-channel marketing is to have a consistent consumer experience in all communication channels.
Focus on the Buyer
The biggest piece of advice you can take away is to keep the buyer at the forefront of your mobile marketing planning. Your bottom line is important, yes, but if you’re not making the buyer happy, the bottom line will suffer. Give them options, make it exciting, and above all, remind them that they’re safe when they do business with you through their mobile devices.
With these mobile updates and upgrades in place before 2016, you’ll be ready to rock in the New Year. Don’t miss out on incredible marketing results simply because you can’t (or won’t) keep up with changing technology. Need help getting your mobile marketing ready for 2016? Shoot us an email at [email protected]; we’ll get you moving fast.
