Mobile marketing: From optional to critical

A strong mobile presence is no longer a “nice to have,” it’s a priority for companies that hope to maintain a steady flow of leads online. From your website and search engine results to your ad campaigns, if they’re not built for mobile, they’re not built for success.

“Whether it’s a retail product or a B2B service, today’s buyers will be using their smartphone or tablet throughout the purchasing process,” says BroadBased Executive Vice President Chris Ramaglia. “It’s never been more important for companies to approach their digital strategies from a mobile-first standpoint.”

At BroadBased we’ve helped our clients identify several key tactics to provide their customers and prospects with an ideal mobile experience. As mobile device use continues to outpace desktop platforms, these tactics will become even more important to successful digital lead-generation campaigns.

Keep moving with advanced social media targeting

Tip: Make sure that any call-to-action links on mobile ads deliver users to a mobile-friendly webpage. If they don’t, the money you spent to get the clicks could be wasted.

Social media advertising platforms are offering more targeting tools to keep up with the influx of mobile users. Location-based targeting can now reach audiences where they live, work and shop, serving up ads that are designed specifically for display on smaller screens.

Facebook offers location-based targeting allowing advertisers to target audiences in specific areas and zip codes.

Mobile-friendly website = mobile leads

Tip: Any time a phone number is listed on a mobile webpage, make sure it’s text-based rather than graphic. That way, users can simply tap the number to call from their phone.

Responsive websites have become standard these days for good reason, they offer a consistent experience across multiple screen sizes without sacrificing design. However, once most companies make their site responsive they often neglect to revisit the overall experience for mobile users.

That’s a big mistake when it comes to converting leads, because tasks that are simple on desktop layouts, such as filling out a contact form, can be clunky on a smartphone. The best way to spot such oversights is to test for compatibility. Page-loading speed is also a key factor. In addition to causing users to abandon pages that load too slowly, the time delay can have an adverse effect on your Google search ranking.

Make sure you can be found on a phone

Tip: Always test ads using Google’s free mobile preview tool prior to launch.

Competition for top placement on Google search results is much higher on smartphones than desktop devices for one simple reason: real estate. On a desktop display, a user can typically see six to seven website listings, while on a smartphone the maximum for most devices is just two.

The first ad position on Google is more important on mobile due to space constraints and always make sure you have a phone number for users to click.

What does this mean for companies running Google Adwords campaigns? Standalone mobile-only campaigns have to be built with separate budgets to capture one of the top two listings. Otherwise, you risk losing smartphone-based traffic to competitors.

“The idea of a mobile-first approach to marketing has been around for years, but as modern consumers continue to evolve, our strategies have to evolve with them,” Ramaglia says. “The next generation will be the first to literally grow up on mobile devices, so companies have to be prepared to market to them accordingly.”

If you’d like to have a conversation with us about your company’s mobile presence, email our EVP Chris Ramaglia or call 904-398-7279, ext 17.