This month I’m celebrating my 15th Anniversary in business, don’t forget to sign up for your chance to win SmallBizLady’s 15 Days of Giveaways Contest. Today is Part IV of my 15 Things Series. Today we’ll discuss mobile web marketing best practices.
There are various forms of mobile web marketing such as text messages, mobile apps, and mobile websites. It is important to understand your customer base and business model before launching any mobile web marketing campaign. Not all mobile marketing methods will work for all small businesses. Another factor to keep in mind is the time commitment. Depending on which platform a small business owner chooses, it will determine the amount of time and resources needed to manage your mobile marketing initiatives. Here are 15 tips on using mobile web marketing in your small business.
Which should come first, a mobile app or a mobile website?
A mobile website should come first because most customers will access your website via a mobile device. They may pull up your site via a search engine, social media, or when looking for information.
What exactly is a mobile website?
A mobile website is website that has the ability to be viewed via a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. The look and feel should be the same as your website, if your mobile website is separate from the desktop version of the website. Keep it simple and make sure it can be viewed and adaptive according to the mobile device being used to view it.
Why is it important that businesses have a mobile website?
Mobile devices are becoming more prevalent. According to research by Cisco, by the year 2017, the number of mobile devices will exceed the number of people on earth. It is projected that there will be approximately 1.4 mobile devices per person.
What kinds of information should a business include on a mobile website?
Make sure that your mobile site features your business contact information and a click to call button particularly if you are a local retailer. Your contact information should include phone, contact us form, hours of operations, your business address and services, products or a menu. Also make sure your address ties to map. And add a coupon for those who use the site via mobile device.
What are some options small business owners have for developing a mobile website?
If it’s time for you refresh your website, make sure your developer can build a responsive website. A responsive website has the ability to detect if it is being accessed via a mobile device. Once it is recognized as being accessed by a mobile device, the website adjusts. This can be a great option and time saver because you only have to maintain one website.
A second option is to build a mobile site specifically for mobile devices. These sites usually have a different domain such as m.businessname.com. However, more and more websites are being made with responsive capabilities to alleviate the need for a second site.
What should small business owners avoid when developing a mobile website?
Remember the screen of a mobile device is very small and don’t need a lot of distractions. Avoid Flash websites, which is not compatible on iOS devices and don’t use large files that make it difficult for the site to load. Try to keep your content simple. Avoid too much information or too many images.
What should a small business owner keep in mind when developing a mobile app?
Small business owners should evaluate the purpose of the app. Will the app be for sharing information, purchasing, scheduling, increase community presence and engagement, etc. Small business owners should keep in mind their customer base. Do your customers use apps? What is the likelihood of adoption? Cost is another factor. Apps can range in price from about $3000 to in excess of $25,000.
How should a business promote their app?
You should promote your app the same way you promote the rest of your business. Try Social Media, create a promote page on your website, Run a contest online, promote it in your email signature, on tent cards and door signs in your storefront location. Promote it through customer engagement such as on an invoice or receipt.
Are there any pitfalls to avoid when creating an app for your business?
- Cost– Depending on the business, a custom app that is expensive may not be necessary. However, be wary of apps that are extremely cheap. (You get what you pay for.)
- Management– Be clear on who will be managing the app in terms of fixes, updates, community feedback on the app. Managing the app can also add to the cost of creating it.
- Lack of responsiveness–You will quickly know if your community likes your app. It is important to listen and address concerns from those who have downloaded and used the app. Low ratings can affect the success of an app.
What are some of the biggest things to consider when developing text messaging campaigns?
When you launch a SMS/text marketing campaign it’s best to consider what types of messages your customer might like to receive. Your goal should be to provide useful information. How can you build a positive rapport and create an emotional connection with your customers?
What are the best practices for text marketing?
- Confirm Quickly – Once you get a cell number and permission from a customer to contact them, you want to confirm their subscription immediately. Just like with email you do not want your leads to get cold.
- Develop Exclusive Content and Offers – Create special offers and exclusive content just for your SMS/Text campaigns. You shouldn’t provide the same coupons that can be found in your emails or on your website.
What are some specific ways to use text marketing?
- Drive in-store foot traffic: Sending a message on Friday between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time can be a successful way to drive traffic to stores on Saturday mornings.
- Promote upcoming events: You may want to send reminders to increase RSVPs and attendance to store events or online contests. Include specific event information to assist consumers with signing up, parking or any other logistics.
- Holiday messaging: Try sending holiday messages with helpful content up to a week before an event to allow customers time to plan. Invite customers to visit your online store to take advantage of a Black Friday or Small Business Saturday sale during the holiday season.
How do you measure the success of a text campaign?
To evaluate whether your customers are receptive to your text content, calculate opt-out and delivered rates for each campaign. Compile the campaign analytics and over time you’ll learn what kinds of content generate the highest read rates and at what times of day.
What are the biggest mistakes people make with text marketing?
You must watch your hours of communication. Since people sleep with their cellphone by the bed, you never want to send a commercial text message before 11am or after 7pm. Be sure to grab what time zone your customer is in when they initially sign up.
How can you leverage your entire mobile platform in a text messaging campaign?
You should ow can you leverage the consider the total mobile experience. Make sure that your text campaigns link to your mobile website and promote your mobile app. Incorporate your click to call feature in your call to action or have their coupon code appear instantly in a text. Avoid downloads or anything that would require your customers to print anything.
Once you acquire a customer using mobile web marketing, you must welcome them into your community. Focus on increasing your sales with them by creating a positive exchange through exclusive content. If you consistently provide exclusive offers, you will retain their business.
Don’t miss out on my SmallBizLady’s 15 Days of Giveaways Contest. Every business day through March 25th we’re giving away a great prize worth $150 or more to help you in your small business. To participate, you must be a legal U.S. resident and signed up for my email list. Each day an email will be sent with the #15DaysofGiveaways link of the day. Between Noon-6pm ET you can post the link on Twitter or my Facebook Fan Page to qualify. One winner will be selected per day. Be sure to us the hashtag #15DaysofGiveaways. We have a ton of great prizes from sponsors including Sam’s Club, Google, Infusionsoft and The UPS Store, so stay tuned.
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