Mobile Marketing Basics

Oct 3, 2012Mobile Marketing, Mobile Sites, SEO, Websites

It’s hard work to run a business these days, and even harder to stay on top of all of the technology that assists in making your business successful. While traditional advertising isn’t completely gone, effective marketing involves a multitude of technological strategies:

Which tactics are you employing? Which are you using successfully? Use these tips when considering mobile marketing for your business or organization.

The Mobile Evidence:

According to Think with Google, 41% of mobile shoppers make purchases directly from their smartphone or mobile device and 46% said they researched an item on their smartphone before shopping in store.

What Are You Waiting For?

Mobile marketing is simply marketing on or with a mobile device. Pretty easy, right? Maybe. Here we’ll provide you with a little more information as you drive your business into this new and exciting advertising era.

Optimize your website to include a mobile website. Phone technology has grown exponentially in the last five years, and since smartphones are less expensive now than ever before, they’ve become an integral part of the internet experience. According to Google, people are now using smartphones at a higher percentage than laptops or computers to access the web. While most websites can be viewed on smartphones, a mobile site is your best bet to give users an optimal web browsing experience.

Employ SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on your website and mobile site so customers can easily find you in a search for your business. Think of they ways you’d search for your business. What key words would you use? Use those key words in the copy on your site and in the meta data. Be sure to include location information as some of your key words, as well as the products you sell or services you offer.

Consider creating a QR code for your website. Better yet, set up a specific page on your website that provides contact information, hours and a special offer. There are several services on the web that allow you to create QR codes for free. These quirky little codes allow customers to use a QR code scanner on their smartphone to find the specific link you set. You can place the QR code on all of your print ads, on in-store signage and on your social media sites. While the landing page you specify is visible on the web, the link should only be found via the QR code, thereby allowing you to track effectiveness.

Allow people to “opt in” to a mobile marketing campaign. Email marketing has been used for a long time, and it is still effective. By allowing people to opt in to your email marketing list, they grant you permission to email them special offers. Mobile marketing campaigns are a little different. Customers opt in by providing their cell phone number and you provide the offer via SMS (short message-or messaging-service aka. text message). These texts generally offer a discount or coupon code on a specific good or service, or provide a specific landing page on your website that provides the offer, coupon or code. Tracking is easy because it’s only available to those customers who’ve opted into mobile marketing.

Whether your goal is to direct your customers to purchase online or in store, these methods are sure to enhance your customers shopping-or browsing experience, and will ultimately result in more sales for you. Contact us today to learn more about all of these services. Like us on Facebook at Rave Retailer and at Rave Retailer Apps.