Featured image via AT&T Experience
Since their introduction to the consumer market, smartphones and tablets have entirely changed the way that people interact with brands and businesses. In the U.S. more than 50 percent of web traffic comes from mobile devices.
As a business owner, a large portion of your target audience is likely to engage with your brand from a mobile device. For that reason, mobile marketing should be a central focus in your business’s strategy. Here are three big reasons why.
People are spending more time than ever on their phones, especially social media
In fact, people are spending multiple hours a day on their phones, on average. You can reach them easily through mobile-optimized social media ads, which are effective and relatively simple to set up (76% of U.S. consumers have purchased a product they discovered through a social media ad). Utilize retargeting to reach people who are already familiar with your brand. Most people don’t spend their entire day on one social media platform—you’ll need to follow them from one platform to another.
Google penalizes websites that aren’t mobile-friendly
According to Google itself, websites that haven’t taken the correct measures to smooth out their user experience for mobile users will suffer a hit in search results. Since Google gives preferential treatment to websites that are easily accessible from a mobile device, it’s important to make sure that your site is responsive and mobile-friendly, which is a multi-step process.
First, the loading time of mobile sites is important. When websites take too long to load, users quickly become frustrated and will leave your site. Optimizing your page speed will take some work, but you’ll be rewarded with a lower bounce rate and a website that is more effective overall. Second, your site needs to be responsive, meaning that it adjusts itself according to the user’s screen size. Finally, you’ll need to have your website tested or audited to make sure that it’s easily navigable for mobile users.
If you aren’t targeting mobile users, you’re missing a big part of your potential audience
Around one in six people no longer uses a computer to access the internet. That’s right—these users exclusively use mobile. This statistic is separate from the fact that 80% of internet users own a smartphone and regularly use it to check their emails, browse the internet, watch videos, and use social media. Interact with your customers and pay attention to the reviews they give. It can make a world of difference for your product and brand. Another more simple, actionable idea for targeting mobile users? Rework your email newsletters with mobile devices in mind and look into SMS marketing (today, more texts are opened than emails).
You can also take advantage of geofencing marketing technology. Geofencing marketing works to target mobile users based on their physical location and activities. Advertisers can send location-specific users mobile ads when they visit certain websites or apps. Because location-based mobile advertising has proven effective, several agencies now provide geofencing marketing.
Takeaway
There is a seemingly endless number of reasons for you to start making mobile a focus of your business strategy. As with any part of your marketing strategy, it’s best to have a multi-channel approach to mobile marketing. Refine your website to be more mobile-friendly, start making use of social media ads, and make sure your email templates are just as effective when viewed on smaller screens, and try out geofencing marketing.
Mobile marketing isn’t going away and studies are showing that it will only become more important as time goes on. Businesses who wait to start targeting mobile users will find it more and more difficult to catch up with companies that prioritize mobile marketing.
Start incorporating mobile into your business’s marketing strategy with help from Outreach IT today!