A Quick Mobile Marketing Q&A

Mobile Web Questions

 With the priorities of the web rapidly turning to face the advent of mobile business, it can be easy to get a little confused about how to market online to mobile users, or just how prevalent the use of mobile devices really is. Here’s a round of Q&A we’ve put together to help answer a few mobile marketing related questions we’ve been asked recently.

Q: My site shows up on my phone. That means I have a mobile marketing presence, right?

A: Not necessarily. Most sites will show up on a smartphone, but unless they have been designed with mobile in mind they won’t provide a great user experience.  A great way to ensure that you have a phone compatible web presence is to utilize one of our HTML5 apps. This will give you a mobile website and a fully functional app at the same time.

Q: I can’t afford to build a mobile site or have an app developed. Can it wait?

A: Sure it can wait…if you’re willing to risk missing out on a ton of business. Soon, more people will be accessing the Internet from mobile devices than desktop computers2. By 2015, mobile commerce will reach $119 billion worldwide3. Can you afford to wait while your competitors beat you to the punch?

2. Gartner, “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2010 and Beyond: A New Balance,” 2010

3. Forrester Research via Google, “What Users Want from Mobile,” July 2011

Q: I’ve already invested in mobile ads. Isn’t that enough?

A: Mobile ads are a great advertising solution because they reach consumers in a targeted and efficient way. But imagine this: a customer has just clicked on your mobile search ad and reaches your…desktop site. They have a negative experience, and it leaves them with a bad feeling about your business. In short, if you run mobile ads that lead to a non-mobile-friendly site, you’ve only done half the job. A better way to approach this situation would be to at the very least develop a mobile landing page with directions to your location and phone number, as well as a link to your HTML5 app’s URL or listing in the App Store or Android Market. Using this two pronged app/website approach will make sure that all your bases are covered.

Q: I don’t think my customers are mobile. Isn’t that mostly for teenagers?

A: Absolutely not. 85% of Americans age 18 and over have a mobile phone, including 68% of people over age 654. What’s even more amazing is how quickly mobile usage is growing. By 2015, there will be more than 7.1 billion mobile devices in use.

4 . Pew Internet, “Generations and Their Gadgets,”  February 2011

Q: We already have a mobile site, do we still need an app?

A: Yes. A mobile app can provide a much rich experience for your clients than a mobile site alone. Traditionally, apps have been very difficult and time consuming for those without extensive programming knowledge. However, with our AppCenter content management system, you or your client can make instant real time updates with the added benefits of geolocation, QR Coupons and scanner functions, Push Notifications and more.

Q: How can I tell if my clients are using mobile phones to look for me?

A: Your desktop site analytics can tell you a lot about how people are accessing your site. Look for searches coming from mobile operating systems and determine what percentage of your total traffic this is. Also note what these users are looking for—this will help you prioritize the right info and features when you build your app or mobile friendly site. You can also access download analytics once your site is up and running so you can tell how many downloads your app has achieved.

Q: How do I know if a mobile web site or app will help my business?

A: The statistics are compelling, but it’s understandable that you’d like to know for certain if a mobile app or site will drive business for you. Luckily, it’s not an all-or-nothing thing.  You can experiment with a single mobile landing page and see how it performs before committing. Use this as link to your app until you decide if you would like to commit to a fully-fledged mobile site. 


For more information on any of our mobile services, please visit our mobile apps page or contact us.

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