Why marketing to a phone is important…
Most business owners today are aware of the importance of being found by their customers. The one-size-fits-all approach, however, doesn’t necessarily work. While the concept that more individuals are using mobile for research than ever before, believing that you should simply shift your general marketing strategy over to mobile is a mistake. Users interact with searches quite differently between personal computers and mobile phones, and it’s worth exploring why this is such an important distinction.
In early 2014, it became clear the mobile searching was the new big factor for businesses to consider. This is because Internet usage on mobile devices outpaced usage on personal computers. Although many businesses have slowly or grudgingly accepted the importance of the internet in carrying out a range of important functions, it is still difficult for many companies to meet customer expectations. This is a challenge that feels especially relevant as more customers are headed over to their mobile phones to carry out tasks. Ignoring the importance of mobile research is a major risk.
How Consumers Use Their Phones
As phones have only increased capability, users are relying on their mobile devices to accomplish more than ever. This includes accessing information, checking email, surfing the Internet, playing games, listening to music, reading a book, making purchases, and using apps. Doing research before making a purchase is one of the most popular activities for consumers, because the power of a computer and the Internet is now located directly in their pockets or inside a purse. A brand now has to make themselves easy to find on mobile and have a solid image that serves their target audience around the clock, a challenge that many businesses are struggling with.
Consumers are using their phones to conduct research all throughout the day. According to a survey by IDG about the use of mobile and the times of day when consumers rely on their phones for research purposes, a company’s material should be mobile- accessible 24/7. That’s because 42 percent of users conduct research during their commute, 69 percent during work hours, 73 percent in the evenings, and 51 percent on the weekends.
B2B and B2C Are Just As Important
There’s a perception that mobile marketing should be a major target by B2C businesses, but B2B is crucial, too. According to the same survey referenced above, more than 90 percent of executives use a smart phone for business purposes. Nearly 80 percent of those individuals use a smartphone to research service and products specifically for the business. The research conducted on mobile has a strong connection to their next steps, too. Of those executives, 93 percent will end up purchasing the product they researched on mobile using a desktop or a laptop. This is why it’s so important for the materials used to market a service or product to be engaging and easily read on a mobile device. That information must be “reliably online” at any given hour of the day, ready to help a decision-maker arrive at a selection that is the likely purchased using a laptop or desktop.
