In today’s world, just about everyone has gone mobile. If you don’t believe me, just look around the next time you’re in a public place and count how many people are on their phones! In fact, chances are very good that you’re probably reading this on your phone right now. Because this is just how things are, targeting mobile users is now a cornerstone of any successful digital marketing campaign. Not focusing on mobile internet users will prevent your business from being able to connect effectively with a large majority of the digital population! Mobile devices are literally everywhere, and they’re only expected to continue gaining popularity and saturation. Still not convinced? Consider these statistics:
Having a mobile marketing campaign allows businesses to effectively interact with their target market. This will only become more important with time, as the internet will only continue to grow and create more global connections. If your company creates a forward-thinking mobile marketing strategy, you can gain a considerable edge over many of your competitors.
In 2015, a SmartInsight study reported that 50% of companies declared having no defined digital strategy. While these companies continue to miss the target, others that implement the best mobile digital marketing strategies will successfully align with prevailing consumer behavior, and will simply outperform their business counterparts.
Once you’re ready to flip the switch on your mobile marketing campaign, there are several important marketing practices to keep in mind. Remember, mobile users tend to be impatient, so your website or application needs to be more than functional – it needs to load quickly, too. If users become frustrated, they will simply click off and move on. Here are some more best practices for mobile digital marketing:
A website looks very different on a smartphone than it does on a desktop computer or a laptop. The smaller screen size means only a portion of the website will be visible if a mobile-friendly design isn’t taken into consideration. Also remember that your mobile users aren’t using a mouse, so make sure to make your page buttons large enough for users to easily select with their fingers. If users have to work too hard to be able to use your site, they simply won’t use it at all.
Part of the convenience of accessing a site through a mobile device is the ability to do things like easily finding a clickable location on a map, or simply clicking to call. The convenience of a call button or clickable address is undeniably appreciated by consumers. It saves folks from having to conduct a copy-and-paste step, and the more unnecessary steps you can eliminate, the better. Clickable phone numbers and addresses produce better conversion rates, period.
Every second counts when it comes to webpage loading speed. A study by Kissmetrics revealed that users will abandon a webpage that doesn’t load within 6 to 10 seconds. The faster it loads, the better! Test your webpage’s load speed to make sure your users are enjoying the fastest loading experience possible.
Mobile ads can be your best friend, IF you’re using them correctly. Check to make sure you’re utilizing mobile ads in the most effective way possible. Are they responsive? Is the URL path customized? Make sure your mobile ads aren’t actually hurting your business by providing the wrong information, being unresponsive, etc.
Companies can sometimes confuse a mobile-first approach with responsive design development. Responsive design is great, but that alone doesn’t necessarily make a site truly mobile-friendly. The best approach to modern web design is a mobile-first approach. And if you don’t know how to go about doing that, partner with an expert who can…like Cibirix!
Mobile-first is less of a technical specification and more of a conceptual approach to design. With mobile-first, web pages aren’t just resized to fit the user’s screen; key functionalities are actually optimized for mobile users. For example, instead of resizing a block of text, the text might be reformatted into a button that links to a condensed version of the information. Whether it’s about integrating location services, contact buttons, or other important considerations, mobile-first still maintains responsiveness as a key component of the design process.
There’s one other caveat to keep in mind – while mobile-first design is certainly important and strategic, companies shouldn’t just settle for mobile-only design, either. Even though mobile browsing is increasingly popular, don’t forget that there’s still a significant portion of the population that likes to access the internet on their desktops. As James Archer pointed out in Mobile First: Why Are We Getting It Wrong?, “…as an industry we responded by designing primarily for mobile and treating the desktop as an afterthought. We didn’t solve the problem. We just flipped it around.” In other words, definitely think mobile-first, but don’t neglect the continued importance of desktop friendliness.
Start by understanding which functions are essential to mobile users. If you need some help with that part, the experts at Cibirix would be glad to help! We pride ourselves on staying at the forefront of technology, in order to offer smarter solutions for better digital marketing results. Whether it’s about your mobile strategy, delivering a consistent branding experience across devices and platforms, or any other effective digital marketing considerations, we can help put you on the road to success. Contact us today to see how our blend of strategic planning, design, and technology can help you to drive more sales, increase your level of customer satisfaction, and give you a leg up on your competition!
Since founding Cibirix, Ashish has leveraged his marketing degree to lead the agency in crafting meaningful digital marketing experiences for clients. His results-driven approach is a unique mix of analytical thinking, crisp visual aesthetics and a desire to simplify frontends while developing robust architecture. With a passion for design, technology, & marketing, He leads each aspect of the agency’s business and oversees its talented team of digital professionals.