The era of the smartphone is now, with 93% of UK adults owning a mobile (2015), compared to a mere 36% in 2000 - meaning it’s becoming vital for businesses to create mobile-specific marketing strategies to continue turning over a return on investment (ROI), for using standard business telephone systems simply isn’t enough anymore.
The average daily mobile-internet usage is 114 minutes; whereas PCs only amount for 69 minutes, so optimising your web presence for mobiles is vital.
In May 2015, Google released an algorithm designed to promote mobile-friendly websites in their search results. A page is labelled mobile friendly if it meets the following criteria: avoids software that is uncommon on mobile devices (e.g. Flash), uses readable text size that doesn’t require zooming, content is automatically fits-to-screen to prevent the need to scroll horizontally and links are situated with enough distance so the intended link can be tapped easily.
Websites deemed mobile-friendly perform better in terms of rankings and clicks so ensuring your webpages pass Google’s Mobile Test is a good foundation to build your mobile marketing upon.
Last week Google even announced that their index is now mobile-first. This is a result of more people searching Google using their mobile rather than a desktop PC or laptop.
Methods of Mobile Marketing:
There’s an abundance of mobile advertising strategies available, but the ones that are most suitable will depend on your industry, target audience and budget. Here are some examples:
QR Codes
Quick Response (QR) Codes allow users to scan a matrix barcode with their phone camera; once scanned it is decoded and translated into a URL landing page and automatically generates a variety of actions on the device, including: viewing a mobile website/landing page, viewing a map location, sending an email, dialling a telephone number, viewing a social media profile (e.g. LinkedIn) and many more.
Thankfully most smartphones provide downloadable and free QR code reader applications. Businesses can easily use QR codes for advertising, for they can be integrated into any several printed materials, such as: business cards, brochures/posters, event promotions, printed ads and sale signs.
Unfortunately creating your own app isn’t suitable for every business, but there are ways you can still benefit from app popularity.
In-app advertisements such as banners, native ads, auto-play videos and interstitial ads appear in the majority of free apps, for the developers sell advertising space in apps, they can lower the cost; increasing the chances of the app being downloaded, for example: Angry Birds has had over 3.5 billion downloads, making it the most downloaded mobile game of all-time. Services like Google AdMob allow users to create mobile ads that appear within third-party mobile apps.
Location-based Advertising
Considering nearly one-third of all mobile searches on Google are related to location, it’s unsurprising businesses are using location data to their advantage.
Location-based advertising integrates mobile advertising with location services and personalises advertisements based directly on where an individual is.
For example, if someone is looking for nearby pizza delivery, restaurants and takeaway services can use location-based advertising to ensure they appear top for any local searches that apply to them.
However, it is important to remember PPC on mobiles might not be for you. Compare your desktop and mobile traffic to determine which generates the most before deciding to invest your marketing budget into PPC. Working on your local SEO can be more accessible to some businesses and the pay off on mobiles is just as significant.
Rich Snippets/Structured Data
By adding structured data markup to your website, you can enable functional and visual features to appear directly in search results. This makes it easier for users to identify your official site and locate provided information more efficiently. Unfortunately, space is scarce on mobile SERPS; meaning adapting your website to display as much information as possible is the level of optimisation that can outshine competitors.
See an example below and find out more from Schema.
<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/LocalBusiness">
<h1><span itemprop="name">Beachwalk Beachwear & Giftware</span></h1>
<span itemprop="description"> A superb collection of fine gifts and clothing
to accent your stay in Mexico Beach.</span>
<div itemprop="address" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/PostalAddress">
<span itemprop="streetAddress">3102 Highway 98</span>
<span itemprop="addressLocality">Mexico Beach</span>,
<span itemprop="addressRegion">FL</span>
</div>
Phone: <span itemprop="telephone">850-648-4200</span>
</div>
It's the fact that space on the SERPs is even more scarce and being ahead of your competitors with this kind of optimisation can really push them out of the way.
Optimise your local search engine visibility via Google My Business through map listings; allowing your customers to connect with your business directly. Taking up this much room on the mobile SERPs could really make a difference to your business. It’s also free!
With mobile purchases already increasing by 3.05%, it’s important you advertise your product or service effectively. Direct advertising through emails increases the personalisation of promotional offers (for example, providing special discount codes for birthdays, including a name) increases the possibility of immediate purchases being made because it speaks to desire and impulse.
By Barrie Smith, Digital Marketing Manager at Receptional
