Today’s marketing challenge: How to reach the mobile generation

A major marketing change has occurred after the past few years that you might not have noticed: For the first time, more potential customers were using mobile devices than desktops to browse and search the internet.

A new demographic had officially emerged: the mobile generation.

Mobile marketing is already a science. Some brand managers turn their customers into numbers to be crunched in the quest for more revenue, but effective marketing caters to the customer as a person.

Eighty percent of internet users own a smartphone, and most of these people use their phones for online shopping. The use of mobile retail apps skyrocketed last year by an astounding 81 percent. We know that the new storefronts are digital, but this information is useless if you don’t greet your customers with a smile even when they’re on a smartphone.

Start with the basics

Building a mobile-friendly site is no longer optional. Creating a positive customer experience begins with ensuring your website can be viewed on most mobile devices without difficulty. For small businesses this can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Follow these simple steps:

• For businesses using WordPress, the process is straightforward. First, download the WPtouch mobile plugin.

• Log in to WordPress and click “Add New” under the plugins link. Search for “WPtouch,” then click “Upload.”

• After activating the plugin, navigate to WPtouch -> Dashboard -> Core Settings.

• In “Core Settings,” simply add your site title and leave the other settings as they are. Scroll down and click “Save Changes.”

• Ensure that your site is now mobile-friendly by going to MobileTest.me and testing your URL on a few devices.

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Personalize it: The omnichannel experience

Customers crave a personal experience, so approach your marketing with the goal of creating a single view of each customer. They want their past purchases to matter, and they want you to recognize who they are and what they prefer when shopping.

Fifty-three percent of all customers want to be recognized as the same person no matter what device or channel they use to shop. Seventy-eight percent acknowledge that they would provide retailers with their in-store purchase history to make their shopping more personal and fulfilling.

When you have this data available, follow these steps to create a consistent mobile brand experience:

• Create a consistent brand image (from your color scheme to your messaging) across your mobile site and your multiple social media accounts so your brand is immediately identifiable.

• Integrate the purchasing aspect of your brand by creating a mobile app and an easy checkout process on your mobile site. Create a customer profile for each visitor by asking for their information so previous orders and returns are readily available.

• For an omnichannel experience, you must update your inventory systems and integrate them with each channel to avoid disappointing customers or experiencing stock-outs.

Create specific content

Smartphones have become an all-in-one research and information tool. As the share of organic search from mobile users continues to increase, mobile searches can help customers find you if you generate content that’s ideal for the platform.

To create mobile-friendly content:

• Shorten your headlines. Mobile users have smaller screens, and wordy headlines can cause optimization problems. Keep it short and sweet.

• Create more specific content. Mobile searches are more action-oriented. These users want to find or buy something they need. Incorporate more specific niche keywords that incorporate product names to boost your SEO and your content’s visibility.

• Include more calls to action on landing pages to increase conversion. Mobile users aren’t here to browse—they want results!

Go local

Good mobile marketing embraces the fact that many mobile ads are successful when geo-targeting is used. Location is everything—optimizing your local mobile presence is crucial for getting foot traffic and for appealing to customers in your area who want what your brand has to offer.

Show up in your local area by taking advantage of the new Google My Business:

• Set up a Google account for your business and create corresponding Google Plus pages.

• To be seen in local searches, follow this flowchart by Simply Business to boost your presence.

• Once you’re showing up in local searches, utilize geo-targeting ads on social media to reach users in your area who may not be searching for relevant businesses.

Reward loyalty

The mobile generation treats brands like friends. You can forge a relationship with a customer, but customers who have a negative experience can feel slighted or betrayed. Conversely, if customers are rewarded and appreciated by a brand, they will express their love and support of that brand on social media and in personal conversations.

To build a relationship with your customers:

• Cultivate a conversation by writing engaging newsletters that offer generous promotions to returning customers. Forbes reported that organizations that increased spending on customer retention were 200 percent more likely to     increase their market share than those who spent more money on acquisition.

• Develop personalized and meaningful rewards for loyal customers. Create a loyalty program that excites them, and reach mobile users via email and SMS to promote it.

• Respond quickly and compassionately to complaining customers on social media. Create a conversation and offer discounts or returns to keep the relationship positive.

Go ahead and implement these strategies today, but do it with a grain of salt. With the mobile generation, the only constant is change. What won’t change: mobile marketing’s emphasis on usability, personalization and common sense.

Samantha Isdale is an SEO analyst for digital marketing agency Wpromote.

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