During the past year, a number of businesses have begun to embrace mobile technology and integrate some form of mobile marketing in their marketing plan. The reason for this is an increase in smartphone and handheld device usage, with people using their phones to access information on the go. Many businesses offer free apps to engage and connect with their market to build brand loyalty. Web-friendly mobile phones such as the iPhone, BlackBerry and others make it even easier to communicate and facilitate quick buying decisions. People are depending on their mobile phones while out and about and spend less time on their computers. Thanks to various easy-to-download apps, users can quickly disseminate information and enjoy the process.
According to a recent survey on iPad usage by IDG Connect, “54% of global IT and business professionals say that their iPad has partly replaced their laptop, while a further 16% say it has completely replaced their laptopâ€. It follows from the results of the survey that mobile phones are poised to have a major impact on the way you do business in the coming years.
Why is mobile important?
Mobile technology has revolutionised the way people interact with a brand. Almost all business websites have a mobile-friendly version of their website. Creating a mobile version of your website is important as the regular features of your website, especially Flash and JavaScript do not appear on the mobile browser. Buyers reach for their mobile phones to do research on a product or service they want to buy and this naturally makes it critical for a business to be mobile-friendly . Mobile phones also help increase social media interaction between your business and audience as most users access their social media profiles via their phones.
With rapidly changing mobile technology, here are some questions to help you assess the degree of impact mobile can have on your business:
- Can your customers order and pay for your products or services via their mobile phones?
- Can mobile phone GPS technology increase the productivity of your field staff?
- Can you increase the response rate to your special offers by sending them to your customers’ mobile phones?
- Will your business benefit from using cloud computing technology, helping you access information on the go via a mobile phone?
- Can your staff reach you instantly for quicker decisions via a handheld device or smartphone?
- Will using mobile phones reduce your travel costs while increasing interaction with prospects via virtual sales, training and product demonstrations?
- Can your business use Bluetooth technology or QR codes your logistics solutions?
- Will QR codes attract more visitors to your business website and motivate them to engage with your products?
- Is your business compatible for video marketing, which can be viewed by mobile phone users?
If you answered yes to some of all of the above, then it is time to adopt mobile technology and leverage it for your business.