According to Web.com, 84 percent of companies that adapt to mobile see an immediate or near-immediate upswing in performance. With the rise of no-contract phones, relatively inexpensive technology, and lots of options from brands such as T-Mobiles new cell phones like the iPhone 5, it’s no wonder that mobile is no longer an option, but a must if you hope to stay relevant and profitable in the coming years.
We’re not talking about the future, a coming revolution, or the next great device. We’re talking about a change that has already taken place, and you can either adjust to it or you can be left behind. It’s too late to get in at the start if you haven’t adapted yet, but it’s never too late to start moving in the right direction. Catch the mobile wave and take advantage of a fresh marketing platform with these tips.
Optimize Your Website
Just a few years ago, you could take or leave mobile websites. The web browsers we had for phones were pretty much for emergencies only, like checking your mail at the airport. Today, a website often sees as much traffic via mobile as they do via laptop and PC, sometimes more.
Mobile design and design for a nice 18-inch LCD is two different disciplines with their own rules. Making sure that your website has a mobile version as well as a desktop version will help to ensure that all of your viewers are getting what they want from the experience.
Don’t Be Dazzled by Flashy Tech Gimmicks
When Flash first came out, everyone thought the next big thing was interactive banner ads. In truth, the interactivity of these ads was merely distracting and annoying. Focus on one thing that always matters, regardless of the technology: delivering great, high-quality content.
When it comes to marketing, that’s all that really matters. Even if, you can create advertising that takes advantage of an all-new animation software if it doesn’t provide something of real value to the viewer, then the viewer is going to ignore it. Treat the technology like it’s been there forever, take it for granted, because that’s the only way that you can be certain that you’ll use it in the right way.
Make Sure Content is Branded
According to Social Media Examiner, its important to make sure that your mobile and PC versions of the site are similarly branded. If your sites don’t match, then they won’t promote your bran equally.
Utilize the Social Aspect of Mobile
Mobile is even more social than the desktop experience, and large companies have caught on to the shift. For example, Progressive is paying for the trending hashtag of #ratesuckers on Twitter. When users search for trending content, they’ll see #ratesuckers at the top. Not a bad way to attract attention. You might not be able to buy a sponsored hashtag, but you can use social media to your advantage as a small business owner.
Awareness is an operative word. Observe what others are doing, and try it out for your business. A small slice of your budget can go a long with mobile marketing being still relatively inexpensive and sometimes even free!
Guest post by Andrea Chambers
A Web designer and project manager, Andrea shares tips for management with readers from her home office in Virginia.
