No doubt, marketing and advertising via mobile devices will increase in 2018, probably by leaps & bounds. The reason is clear: over 5 billion of the world’s 7 billion people have a cell phone subscription (compared to about 4.5 billion who have access to proper toilets!). Mobile device usage is still growing rapidly, so if mobile marketing is not already part of a company’s marketing plan, it must be in 2018.
The prevalence of mobile devices gives businesses infinite opportunities to reach customers. Success comes from a focused and flexible digital marketing campaign that uses phones and tablets as the tip of the marketing spear.
Why Mobile Marketing Matters
Of course. having a useful, mobile-optimized website is necessary for any business, from a local restaurant to a large corporation. Marketing the website is the quickest way to attract visitors to it. When developing a marketing strategy, consider these trends:
- As of Q4 2017, overall mobile traffic surpasses desktop 55% to 45%.
- While most online sales convert on a desktop, 71% of those transactions started on a mobile device. This suggests that consumers browse and research on their phones, then use their desktop computers to to make an uninterrupted buying decision, and often it’s easier to complete the purchase on a desktop.
Based on improved technology and changing user behavior, mobile devices will surely become more widely used to complete transactions. Key to this is next step in mobile evolution is making the sale process more user-friendly. The current bar is set by Amazon with their once patented one-click purchase button. Now that they no longer hold that patent, companies that implement their own version of a one-click purchase button are streamlining their respective buying process and enticing users to make purchases through a mobile device – and leaping ahead of the competition.
Effect on Search Results
Mobile devices are causing a shift in the paid search vertical by offering distinct differences from searches performed on a desktop. Autocomplete assists users by anticipating what they’re going to type and offering text that completes the search phrase. For ordinary searches this feature produces multiple options that the user may select. Savvy marketers have picked up on this and are using pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns to capitalize on this feature.
More recently, voice enabled enhancements have become an integral part of mobile devices. The vast majority of cell phones and tablets have this feature and its popularity grows each year. Currently 20% of all mobile searches are done via voice. New voice activated products like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Google Mini (and the coming holidays!) will certainly spur a jump in 2018.
Location Marketing Opportunities
Most consumers have at least one mobile device with them everywhere they go; staying connected has become essential for daily life. And now, GPS-based location marketing has emerged to help businesses leverage cell phone dependency. Beacons, geo-fencing, and location-based searches enable businesses to, for example, provide incentives such as coupons and free gifts to customers within a certain radius of their location. In an era where online shopping is taking a bigger piece of the retail market, location market lets brick-and-mortar businesses reach the right consumers and provide distinct benefits.
Consumers regularly use phones and tablets to vet products & services and find physical locations – and are becoming more likely to complete transactions by phone. Mobile devices provide a huge opportunity for businesses of all types. This is why in this age of ubiquitous marketing, it’s essential to include mobile as a distinct element of an overall marketing strategy.
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Article: 5 Billion people now have a mobile phone connection, according to GSMA data
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