The mobile revolution might have come in with a whisper instead of the anticipated bang, but one thing is for sure, there is no denying its presence. For any entity looking to stay competitive in today’s market, having a mobile website is a necessary local business marketing strategy. Not only that, integrating sound mobile website marketing strategies into your sales campaigns is a must considering that up to 60% of all consumers use mobile devices to make purchases.
Mobile Searches will Take Over Desktop Searches
As we become more and more mobile (e.g. smartphones, tablets, better 4G LTE coverage, etc.) it’s widely predicted that mobile searches will soon take over desktop searches. For that reason, mobile ad spend is expected to surpass standard website ad spend in 2015. Even if the purchase is going to be made on the desktop (as many still are), the searching goes on through mobile devices.
Google’s recent actions have backed this up, with their addition of Mobile-Friendly Test tools, and Webmaster tools that include a Mobile Usability Report. This means that if you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, you are missing out on leads, traffic and most importantly, sales. To get a better understanding of what effective mobile websites look like, compare yours against these four mobile-friendly litmus tests:
- Is your software compatible with mobile devices? In other words, do you have Flash on your website? If so, get it off – Flash and mobile devices clash something horrible. If you want to keep your desktop site with Flash, you’ll need a dedicated mobile site.
- Is all of your website’s text readable on any sized screen without the need to zoom in or out? Mobile-friendly sites require little to no adjusting by the user, so if your text isn’t displaying correctly, you are going to need to update your site for mobile.
- Does the content on your mobile website naturally and automatically conform to fit any screen size that is viewing it? This means zero scrolling or zooming to see your content, be it text, video, pictures, graphics or anything else.
- Are the links on your mobile website spaced properly? This means that users can tap on links and click on navigation buttons without going to the wrong page.
When your website passes these four tests, Google will recognize your efforts with a nifty “Mobile-Friendly” tag on the SERPs when a query returns your site.
What about Marketing Your Mobile Website?
Of course, simply having a mobile website up likely won’t be enough if you’re trying to stay competitive with your rivals. Here are some killer mobile website marketing tips:
- Have simple content with limited pictures, but be sure your address and phone number (with a click-to-call button) are listed as well as a function to get directions to your place of business.
- Have an SMS text messaging opt-in for your customers so you can keep in touch with them (similar to a mailing list on your desktop site).
- Segregate your audience so that you can offer mobile-only discounts and deals to your mobile users, thus enticing others to give your mobile platform a shot. You can offer discounts when people check-in at your location (which spreads the word about your business to their friends and family).
- Create QR codes that go to your site and put them on your business cards, fliers, ads, etc. You can also create QR codes for mobile discounts.
- Improve customer service by offering mobile payment options including issuing receipts and printing shipping tags.
Apps are also a fantastic addition to your mobile marketing campaign so be sure to look into integration with your mobile website.
Mobile Website FAQs
Q: What’s the difference between a responsive site and a standalone mobile website?
A: Responsive websites are desktop sites that are built to adapt directly to any screen the site is viewed on. Standalone mobile websites are sites which are specifically built for mobile screens, not desktops. If you have a responsive website, you don’t need a standalone mobile site.
Q: Do I have to register another domain for my mobile site?
A: You can, but you don’t have to. You can redirect your mobile users to a subdomain made specifically for mobile-friendliness or you can register a .mobi version of your site. It’s really up to you.
Need help running your mobile website? Contact us to learn more David@StreetSmartSalesAndMarketing.com or call 858-442-3131
