Mobile Brings in the Green

When you are out, away from your laptop or desktop, and you want information now, what do you do? You reach for your phone or iPad of course! With instant gratification of finding out what you want, when you want it, it shouldn't surprise anyone that mobile is quickly growing. And companies who aren't taking advantage of mobile will be left behind. 

A recent study released by my friends at Grow Smart Business highlights the importance of having a mobile presence. Top motivators for investing in mobile were increasing local business and providing a better experience for current customers. 

Good for Your Bottom Line

Grow Smart Business reports that 14% of the 500 companies surveyed currently have stand alone, mobile websites. 84% reported increased business activity because of their mobile efforts. 1 in 5 consumers using mobile actually made a purchase online, via their phone. Over 50% called the business. 

Building Local Business

Let's talk about this for a second. Local is a whole marketing sector of its own. We can discuss it more in depth later. However, we can't ignore that more and more consumers are turning to their phones when they're out looking for something to do. I reach for my iPhone when I want to find restaurants near by and view menus. I look for stores for my last minute shopping via Google search on my iPhone. And guess what? I'm part of a larger demographic who uses iPhones for local search vs Android. And as Grow Smart Business reports, 25% of consumers using mobile made a purchase in-store. Mobile is good for local. Mobile brings in that wonderful green stuff that fills our wallets and pays our employees. 

No Mobile? Face the Consequences

So what happens if you don't have a mobile website or if your website isn't mobile friendly? Well, the biggest consequence is that you'll lose new business. It's common knowledge that you pretty much have 4 seconds to capture the attention of a website visitor. I would say that it also applies to mobile. So if you're site isn't configured for mobile and your visitor spends more than 4 seconds on your site, they'll bounce. You lose the opportunity to make a sale.

Integration and Last Minute Tips

I don't advocate choosing one form of marketing over another. I always tell my clients that an integrated approach is far better. Don't focus on mobile and ignore social media, SEO, PPC, PR or even print. Instead, use similar keywords across all platforms. Include social media and share buttons on your mobile site as you would your regular, desktop site. Your content doesn't have to be the same either. In fact, it should be different. Mobile content should be condensed, bulleted, and easy to read. More importantly, your mobile website should be easy to use and intuitive. 

For more information on the Grow Smart Business study, visit http://www.networksolutions.com/smallbusiness/smbmobileinfographic