Category: Mobile Marketing

Burst Media has released the results of its annual holiday survey, indicating that consumers are prepped with their smartphones.

The latest annual holiday survey from Burst Media has revealed that consumers are already getting ready to start their shopping during the heaviest season of the year, and that while they plan to head to brick and mortar shopping malls and online shops, alike, they will be using mobile commerce in a number of different ways to help them throughout their purchasing journeys.

This year’s calendar has shaken up the pattern of events when compared to previous recent years.

For instance, this year, Hanukkah will be starting ahead of Thanksgiving, and for the first time since 2008, Cyber Monday will be occurring in December. This could be a defining pattern, particularly when it comes to mobile commerce, as it was barely in existence the last time this happened, so this year will present the first real data regarding what retailers can expect when online shopping kicks off when December has already started, and after Hanukkah is already in full swing.

The survey provided a considerable amount of online and mobile commerce insight for this year’s season.

Among the key findings of the holiday shopping and mobile commerce survey from Burst Media are the following:

• Marketers have time on their sides. Among the respondents of the survey, a large portion (40 percent) begin their holiday shopping following their Thanksgiving celebrations. Only 14.3 percent have already begun, and 11.8 percent started just after Halloween.
• Smartphones and tablets are playing an increasing role in the overall shopping process. Among the respondents, 45.7 percent use smartphones, and 41.3 percent use tablets for online browsing and shopping for holiday gifts and products. This is far greater than last year’s statistics.
• Mobile commerce apps will play an important part in the shopping this season, as 54.6 percent of women and 41.9 percent of men use shopping apps at least somewhat frequently – far more than in 2012.
• Smartphones are helping with shopping in brick and mortar shops, as 40.3 percent of the respondents use their devices while inside the stores to assist in their decision making.
• Parents are using mobile commerce to comparison shop for better prices while inside brick and mortar retail locations. This was the case among 64.5 percent of moms and 63.2 percent of dads.

You are most likely already aware that mobile technology is significantly changing people’s lives. You see people using their smartphones for everything from checking the weather to booking a restaurant reservation to buying airplane tickets. The good news is that mobile technology also has great potential for small business owners. To stay ahead of your competition, you must adopt mobile marketing strategies. The following tips and techniques will help you with this process.

Develop and maintain a mobile-optimized website.

Do you get frustrated with mobile web browsing because many websites are not optimized for viewing on a mobile device? It is easy to assume that a code that works well for desktop computer websites will translate seamlessly to mobile devices, but this simply isn’t true.

Not only is the format for mobile devices (i.e., smartphones, tablets) not the same as desktop computers, but also people are not using mobile devices for the same tasks. For example, people are much more likely to pull up GPS information on their phones than on their computers. Therefore, brick and mortar businesses need to have a prominent GPS tab on their mobile websites. If you don’t have the internal knowledge to design a mobile-optimized website, don’t be afraid to hire outside help.

Stay on top of the newest technology.

One of the most important mobile marketing strategies for small businesses is to stay well informed. You gain a significant edge over your competition simply by keeping up with the times. New technology can transform an entire market in a very short time. For example, Pinterest didn’t exist four years ago. Now it’s a top traffic source for many companies, particularly in the fashion, food, and art industries. Keeping up with all of these changes can be difficult, but it is critical for success in this digital age.

Think about developing an app.

Creating and maintaining a high-quality app is relatively inexpensive. Many mobile users love to download apps from their favorite brands. You may even be one of these people. Offering a customized app for your small business raises the mobile marketing experience to an entirely new level. Since the number of options for app features is endless, the potential and possibilities for any app are expansive, with something for everyone.

Many businesses find that including a feedback option within their apps is an asset for their companies. Providing the opportunity for and encouraging customer feedback helps build credibility and meaningful relationships with your customers.

Some small business owners are concerned about soliciting feedback because they are afraid of the consequences of negative feedback. The bottom line is that every bit of customer input is valuable, even when it is not positive. Negative feedback is a great way for companies to let their stellar customer service shine through with top-notch listening skills and a willingness to turn a wrong into a right.

Offer multiple options for social sharing.

Many small businesses find mobile marketing strategies effective because it is so easy for their customers to share information. It is time-consuming and not very convenient to copy large amounts of information by hand or pass along a postcard or flier through the mail. You make it easy for your potential and existing customers to share the content they love simply by clicking a button on a website or app. Don’t forget to include multiple social media sharing buttons as well as an option for sharing via email. Take the time to research the social media that your target audience uses most often. Rather than installing every possible social media button, stick to the preferences of your customer base.

Consider using email and text message campaigns.

In a digital world that makes new options available every day, don’t forget tried and true marketing techniques such as email campaigns. With more mobile users checking email on their smartphones, emails can be a great option for mobile marketing. Make sure that all your campaigns are mobile-friendly and include content (i.e., links, videos) that is mobile-optimized. In case customers are interested in calling directly, include a phone number in your contact information. As text messaging becomes more prevalent, many small businesses are also using this method to reach their customers. 

About the author:

With over 25 years of experience in the payments industry, Greg Constantine provides expert business leadership and marketing strategy development to SecureNet (http://www.securenet.com/) and its clientele as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.  From Fortune 500 companies to successful startups, Constantine has an extensive background in entrepreneurial guidance, marketing, sales, product planning, client services and operations management.