It only seems like yesterday that to make a call you used a landline or a callbox. Now most people have access to calls 24/7 via a mobile phone. And not only that, they are now using their mobile to research, apply for, and buy products using their phone which is almost permanently connected to the Internet.
Let’s look at the size of the opportunity (stats from Ofcom):
- 82.7 million mobile subscriptions in the UK in 2013;
- 94% of adults own or use a mobile phone;
- 15% of people live in a “mobile-only” home (so this is the only way they connect to the Internet).
As you can see, these are pretty big numbers so if you are not displaying your information to them in a way that is easily digestible on a mobile device, you are missing a huge opportunity to reach out to customers.
Now that said, we don’t need to replace our existing website because it is not mobile-friendly. We do need to explore opportunities for your business to take advantage of the mobile Internet. We have identified three areas where you can take advantage of mobile technology to reach out to possible customers.
1. Lead Generation
There are easy ways to create a small number of mobile friendly html pages by simply creating pages with a fixed width of around 400pixels. In this way, you can easily create useful information pages and possibly include a short enquiry form to attract leads. You can then add a sniffer (which is a piece of code) to the site which will detect what type of device the user is using to access you site and if they are using a mobile, the sniffer will divert them to your mobile friendly pages. Clever eh?
2. Advertising
Like normal web advertising, there is a huge amount of possibility with advertising on the mobile web too, but the sizes and opportunities are very different. For example, because it is a mobile device you are able to advertise and offer direct call backs or even get your traffic to call you straight from the ad using click-to-call technology.
3. Apps
Having an app is the new buzzword for 2014. If you don’t have an app you are being left behind. Basically an app is a self contained programme that runs on a mobile device platform such as Android for Google and Samsung devices or iOS for the iPhone. Having an app installed on a potential user’s phone gives you an advantage over your competition in that they will not normally have multiple apps for the same thing.
It is like your brand having real estate on the phone 24/7. In order to get them to do this you need to provide an app that is not just a sales tool but something that provides them with really useful and, if possible, unique tools to make it a necessary worthwhile tool in its own right.
We hope this gives you some food for thought, when looking at some of the different options to take advantage of mobile in your business.
