Mobile Marketing Best Practices

CIO magazine just reported that 28% of sales take place on mobile devices. 80% of internet users own a smartphone. These and other statistics show that mobile is the future of marketing and branding. How can marketers make sure they’re best using this crucial tool? Here are the latest best practices. 

Make your website responsive

As I’ve discussed before, responsive design is critical for mobile web-browsing. That means that your site looks the same across all devices — the text is legible, the images are visible, and the buttons are easy to tap. Responsive design also lets your website respond to how your device is being held, so if you turn your tablet sideways, the text doesn’t run off the screen. This is more than just an issue of aesthetics; Google states that responsive websites are its “recommended option” for mobile search results. Google also favors sites that are designed for mobile (like, say, m.allstate.com), so it’s crucial to “get mobile” to work with Google’s important algorithm. If you can’t afford to optimize your website right now, creating a separate mobile site can still increase your organic mobile search traffic.

Get local

80% of people use their smartphone to search for local information, so make sure your organization is listed on location-based sites such as Google Places, Yahoo Local, Yelp, Foursquare, and Swarm. You should also submit your site to Google My Business, which will connect it to people who are using Google Search, Google Maps, or Google Plus to find a business nearby.

Once potential customers have found your site, you want to make it easy for them to contact you. Make sure your address is easy to see, with a link to a map (Google, Yahoo, Mapquest). Make your phone number clickable, so users don’t have to memorize your number, close their browser, open their keypad, and type in ten digits. Also highlight your hours of operation and include a photo of your location so users will know what to look for.

If you offer discounts or coupons, your mobile site is the place to do it. Many location directories double as review sites, so if you please or surprise users, they may reward you with kind words and share your site with friends.

Don’t forget about email

Did you know that 51% of consumers say they most often check their email on a mobile device? That means your  email marketing must be optimized for mobile as well — or else you risk a delete or even an unsubscribe.

Best practices for mobile email include short subject lines, single columns of text, and large links or buttons that can easily be tapped. And those links should lead to mobile-friendly sites, of course. Use contrasting text colors so it can be read in bright daylight. Make sure the most important information is above the “fold,” the point on a small screen which can only be seen by scrolling. Trade the fancy, interactive designs of your “regular” email for mobile-friendly email templates (like those from MailChimp), to make the most of the mobile experience.

Resist the app urge

It seems every organization has a mobile app now. But they require a lot of time and money to produce, and many don’t provide more features than a mobile site does. It makes sense for a bank to have a secure app for customers to access their accounts, or a pizza restaurant to have an automated process for ordering, but why does your business need one? A recent study by comScore found that 66% of smartphone users download an average of zero apps per month, while Localytics has determined that many apps are downloaded once and never used again. Salesforce advises companies not to let the “siren song” of the idea of your app on thousands of home screens make you waste resources on something that will be rarely used even by your biggest fans and most loyal customers.

Socialize your online presence

A recent Pew study found that 91% of teenagers view social media on a mobile device, while WeAreSocial claims that 50% of the North American population has “active mobile social accounts,” which equates to about 176 million people. Customers continue to engage with social networks while they’re on the go, so your organization should have a presence on the biggest sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Depending on your business, your audience, and your content, you may also consider Pinterest, Snapchat, Vine, or Meerkat.

Setting up a social media presence addresses some of the other best practices — social networks are searchable by location and they’re optimized for mobile devices.