by Marelise da Silva | May 12, 2016 | Mobile Marketing, Mobile Solutions
In a word, yes. Latest statistics (which change almost daily) show that 67% of consumers check their email on a smartphone. As many as 75% of Gmail users access their accounts on mobile devices (Gmail has over 900 million users). Quite scary statistics show that average internet users are spending 51% of their online time on mobiles, 42% on a desktop or laptop and 7% on other connected devices. It goes to show that if you’re not reaching your audience through mobile search or display, or the mobile experience you provide is not satisfactory, you will lose business to the competitors who can provide it.
The way mobile marketing works is by sending adverts that appear on smartphones, tablets or other mobile devices. Formats and styles can vary tremendously, offering customisation opportunities. There are a number of mobile marketing strategies to try, depending on your budget, target audience and industry.
App-based marketing uses mobile apps to channel the adverts. You don’t need to create your own app – services like Google AdMob help to connect advertisers with third party mobile apps. Facebook’s mobile Promoted Post allows advertisers to create ads that are integrated into the social media app. Another strategy is using In-game marketing – ads appear within the mobile games, in the form of pop-ups, full-page images or video ads. QR codes (Quick Response) have appeal as they are interesting looking and not obvious – people scan them with their smart devices and can be directed to a website, Facebook page, contact information page or can be loaded with discount codes. SMS marketing uses text offers, but these are considered old hat, since they are often deleted before being read.
Google’s Enhanced Campaigns allows for advertisers to manage their AdWords bids across various devices in the same campaign, across locations and different times. Google also offers handy mobile ad extensions, like Mobile Site Links, which makes it easy for users to jump to specific pages of your site. Another good one is the Click-to Call: this extension puts a “call” button beneath an ad, allowing a user to easily get in touch with your business. The Click-to-Download extension takes users to the download page of the advertiser’s pre-selected app. Probably the most useful, the Local Ad extension offers a phone number or a link to Google Maps – very helpful when you consider that 1 out of 3 mobile searches have local intent.
It’s good to experiment with mobile marketing strategies until you find one that works for you. If you would like to find out more about mobile and digital marketing and how it can significantly grow your business, contact us today!
by Marelise da Silva | Dec 31, 2015 | Mobile Marketing, Website Optimization
Social media may seem to be the darling of online marketing, but mobile marketing is here to stay. With most people accessing the Internet with a mobile device, your brand can ignore it at its own peril. Look around: everyone is on their smartphones. The trick is to get your brand onto that small screen in front of them. Here is why (and how) you need to focus on mobile marketing.
- More people have mobile devices than PCs
According to Smart Insights, mobile devices surpassed desktop devices in 2014 and continues on a significant upward trajectory. The amount of time looking at a mobile (vertical) screen now exceeds a PC (horizontal) screen, when not counting time spent in front of a TV. This means that when you are designing a digital marketing campaign, you absolutely have to be optimised for mobile use, otherwise you are missing out on that audience.
- Tweak your email marketing for mobile
According to Recruiting Times, in 2014, 65% of emails sent were opened on a mobile device. Out of those 69%, emails which weren’t optimised for mobile were instantly deleted. That is a massive percentage of your audience which you are potentially throwing away if your campaign hasn’t been tweaked for mobile devices.
- Apps are still on-trend
When people are constantly on their mobile devices, chances are they are using apps. You need to get in on this by creating an app experience for your customer and target audience. For instance, if your brand is an event venue, you could have an app which offers visitors a map of the grounds, a way to buy event tickets, find parking, etc. All the while your audience is getting a positive experience out of it and associating this positivity with your brand.
Mobile marketing is not something to be ignored. If your brand hasn’t yet, it’s time to embrace it by getting in touch with WSI OMS. We specialise in everything to do with digital marketing, including email marketing, social media and content marketing. Contact us today.
by Francois Muscat | Oct 12, 2015 | Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing can take your business to the next level, especially since studies have shown that more and more customers are using their phones, not only to tweet and like, but to check email, surf the net and shop.
Your mobile campaign is part of your overall marketing campaign and it therefore needs to tie in with your overall brand, but it also needs to be uniquely tailored to mobile users.
Don’t fall into the trap of making these five mobile-marketing mistakes:
1 – Using content that is not compatible across all devices
All cell phones are not created equally – make sure that all aspects of your website work on all types of mobile devices. Using content that is not mobile optimised will turn customers off. There’s nothing worse than googling your favourite website on your phone only to find an illegible scramble.
2 – Making the opt-in option complicated
Ensure that the opt-in option is user-friendly. Making users follow a complicated, 6-step joining programme will no doubt frustrate them and probably drive a few customers away. Keep it simple; keep it easy.
3 – Using too much content
Create unique content especially for mobile devices. Offer snippets of information that is precise and engaging. Mobile users don’t spend hours browsing; they are on and off their devices, so avoid streams of copy.
4 – Using a QR code that leads to nowhere
If you are going to direct users to a twitter feed, or website, via a QR code, make sure the content you are offering is worth the journey. If people are taking the time to scan a code they want to get something out of it.
5 – Not enabling social autofill
Demanding lifestyles means most people cherish their time – don’t expect them to waste it with tedious, unnecessary tasks. Allowing users to fill out a form using their social media accounts is the BEST thing about mobile devices. The time for filling in forms is over.
Need help to develop your mobile marketing campaign? Then contact WSI OMS today.
by Francois Muscat | Sep 21, 2015 | Mobile Marketing, Mobile Solutions
Digital coupons have been around for a long time. However, it was only in early 2011 that Target became the first major retailer to offer mobile coupons which were redeemable via mobile barcodes at the shop cashier. This was a breakthrough for mobile marketing, taking digital marketing to the next level. But what is all the fuss about?
#1 Your Content in the Consumer’s Pocket
Smart phones have become a provider of such convenience, that people dare not leave home without their mobile device.
There are now no limits to what the customer can do on his smart phone. He can browse, he can enquire, he can even pay and arrange delivery. With that kind of convenience at our fingertips, the discerning marketer should recognise the opportunity of putting their brand directly into the hands of the consumer, along with an attractive and easy call-to-action: the coupon.
#2 Share-ability via Social Media
Mobile apps have changed the way people connect – social media engagement has become a constant for most, with social media apps giving notification alerts throughout the day. In addition to this, the way in which social media apps are integrated and interconnected on mobile devices has made sharing painless and possible at any given time of the day.
Bearing this in mind, the content being viewed on the consumer’s smart phone needs to be shareable. In other words, it needs to be simple, exciting content.
#3 Text Marketing is Unobtrusive
Sending a text message to remind a consumer of a promotion, or to give them a promo code, is one of the most understated forms of communication.
While emails can be lengthy and often perceived as ‘spam’ and with cold calls being particularly taboo, the text message offers all the information, with the least amount inconvenience to the receiver. Smart devices can now receive elaborate text messages, complete with branding, slideshows and interactive links.
#4 Geo-targeting Possibilities
This aggressive form of marketing, used predominantly by larger, more elite retailers, is the Rolls Royce of digital coupon marketing via mobile. The consumer is right at the retailer’s doorstep – all it takes is targeted marketing to their device, to entice them to participate in a sale or product launch.
While some consumers do find this intrusive, offering a coupon does serve incredibly well for attracting new customers.
Do you need help making your business mobile friendly? The WSI team is on standby – contact us to find out how our mobile marketing services can benefit your business today.
by Francois Muscat | Aug 24, 2015 | Mobile Marketing
Mobile conversion rates are an important aspect to understand, regardless of whether you’re a digital marketer or a business owner.
In April 2015, Google launched something called ‘mobilegeddon,’ which was basically an update of their search engine algorithm rankings that led to mobile-friendly websites performing better in search engine results of websites which weren’t mobile friendly.
Since 2014, mobile search traffic has been surpassing desktop traffic, making it even more important to ensure your website is easy to navigate and browse through from mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets.
While many people have invested in mobile optimisation for their sites, there is still a large chunk of people who aren’t able to increase their conversion rates. Here are a few things to consider in order to increase your mobile conversion rates:
- Ecommerce mobile optimisation: People generally don’t like filling out long forms and loading new pages when trying to buy something from an ecommerce site, but this becomes even more of an issue for mobile users. In order to improve your conversion rates, create a single-click checkout option for people who are trying to buy something from your site from their phone.
- Don’t try to give mobile users all the information: Give mobile users the information they’re looking for and remove any unnecessary clutter. For example, someone searching your website from a mobile device might be more interested in your phone number and office location, so embed a Google Maps app which shows them this information on your home page.
These are only two of the ways you can increase your mobile conversion rates. For expert advice and insights on mobile optimisation, contact WSI OMS today.
by Marelise da Silva | Jul 9, 2015 | E-mail Marketing, Mobile Marketing
Your email content and design can directly affect how your emails convert for mobile with your email marketing campaign. Mobile optimisation has become basic business practice for those who are looking to truly harness the marketing potential of their email and online marketing campaign. Below are a few factors that can affect the conversion of your emails to mobile:
- Understand the engagement expectations of a mobile user – desktop users have different expectations in terms of engagement. Firstly, your email should be designed to display correctly on mobile devices. Secondly, the language should be personal, targeted and geared towards driving action from the reader.
- In mobile marketing the demographics don’t play that much importance, especially if you are in the retail industry and selling products. Gear your emails towards making sales with clean content and eye-catching images. Your calls to action should be clear and your consumers should know exactly what to do to get in touch with you or complete a purchase.
It is clear that email marketing should be geared towards mobile users if you want to ensure you reach the majority of online consumers. Consumers tend to be concerned with consuming content on the move, while on their lunch break or between television commercials. What does this mean? They are probably not sitting at a computer and the easiest, most convenient way is to view consumer content via their mobile device. Keep the end user in mind and ensure your content, even though being sent via email, is geared towards serving the needs of the mobile user.
WSI provides professional email marketing services
At WSI we are focused on ensuring our clients email marketing campaigns are designed to convert to mobile effectively. Our online marketing services are provided by professional consultants in the field and with the right effort and attention to detail, we can take your online marketing efforts and results to new heights.
To learn more about our email marketing strategies and services, contact us at WSI via email or telephone today.
