It’s no secret that to be impactful in the game of marketing, you have to stay on top of the trends like mobile marketing. According to Forrester Research, there are more than 30 billion mobile moments happening each day in the United States alone. A study by SessionM tells us that people often use their smartphones for calls and texts (70%), reading and sending emails (61%), and browsing social media (52%).
Are you starting to see a pattern emerge? If your marketing plan hasn’t already mobilized, it is time to make some changes. Proper mobile marketing will have a huge impact on your business–and it’s an impact you can’t afford to miss in today’s crowded market. That’s why we’re sharing some benefits and best practices of mobile marketing that you should implement A.S.A.P
Be More Responsive
We don’t mean replying faster to inquiries (though that certainly goes a long way in good business practices). In the world of mobile marketing, having responsive websites, email templates, and landing pages mean optimal viewing and interactive experience. This is what makes them easy to read and simple to navigate. When you only have a short window to catch their attention, too much panning or scrolling can lose you a customer quickly. When the content you wish your customers to read is easy to view on their smartphones, they’re much more likely to view and respond to your message.
Make Communication Easier
Customers want easy–really easy interactions. Don’t make them type your phone number into their phone. Don’t ask them to copy and paste your email into a message. Instead, use the click method. By simply clicking the phone number that pops up on their smartphone, customers dial you automatically without having to input the number themselves. By tapping your email address, an email form with your address populated in the “To” section will appear. While such a move is helpful to customers, it also benefits you by removing the risk that customers will mistype or misdial.
Use the Power of Prefilling
Don’t make customers fill out an entire form from their mobile device. You can tackle forms in two ways, making them more smartphone user-friendly. First, allow a prefill option. This gives users the option of having the form fill itself in automatically based on personal information they’ve stored on their phones. It’s much easier than tapping in information letter by letter on a tiny keypad. Secondly, you can prefill some information for your customers if there are some things that will always remain the same for your business. For instance, if you only offer your service to a specific area, you can prefill the form with that area’s state and ZIP Code™.
Make Your Message Center Stage
When users read your web copy, email, or newsletter from their smartphone, chances are they won’t read through everything you’ve written for the desktop versions. Revise your content according to the device. A shorter message should pack a big punch–and the call to action should be clear, concise, and actionable. For instance, if the ultimate message is to view the new blog you posted, share only a snippet of your blog for the mobile version of your email. Next, create a button like “Read More” to take the interested reader directly to the full blog.
Be Inviting
Most mobile users are on the go. This means that when they’re looking something up, it needs to be easily accessible. Don’t make customers (or potential customers) search for important information like your business hours, phone number, address, or email from their phone. They may choose to go an easier route (ie: your competition). Ensure that important information is easy to find and use to give the best experience to smartphone users.
Test Everything
Don’t forget to test your changes across multiple devices (iPhones™, Androids™, etc.) in order to make sure everything renders as you desire, giving users a great experience. In addition to the layout, remember to test phone numbers, click-to-emails, links, and all visual elements.
Smartphones are here to stay. People use them to shop, play games, travel, find helpful information, and more. In order to give customers (and prospects) the best user experience possible in today’s market, implement the helpful mobile marketing best practices outlined above.
