Are you missing out on the mobile movement?

Google has recently performed research into the ’mobile movement’ in the UK and there is evidence proving that smartphone use is continuing to soar. Here are the latest facts from Google’s research:

• 44% of us go to bed with our phones within arm’s reach
• 65% use our smartphones to kill time while travelling to work
• 91% are on smartphones during downtime in the workplace

Smartphones have become the ultimate shopping companion too, transforming us into more savvy consumers. Around 45% of us use them to help with shopping, and when visiting stores, 28% are on smartphones looking for inspiration with 15% using them to evaluate products. In all, 51% of us have made a purchase based on a smartphone search. But in spite of these statistics, a staggering 83% of top UK advertisers don’t have a mobile-optimised site. The numbers are loud and clear, and the time to put them to use is now. So how can you take advantage of the mobile opportunity? There are four critical steps you need to take.

Step one: develop and integrate your mobile strategy

Many people think, ’Oh, I’ve got an iPhone application; therefore I’ve got a mobile strategy’. Make no mistake that is not in itself a mobile strategy. Your strategy should consider applications as well as the mobile web. Start off by defining your objectives. Is it about downloads? Is it about customer acquisition? What are you trying to achieve? Once this is defined, integrate it into all your marketing activities, and make sure it becomes part of your overall communications.

Step two: build your mobile destination

Your mobile destination could be a website or an iPhone or Android app. The trend we’re seeing across the board is that apps are great for branding and retention, but the mobile web is great for generating new leads. Need more motivation?  Every second eBay has a sale through a mobile device. It’s making over $2bn-worth of revenue a year on mobile. In fact, it sells three to four Ferraris per month through a mobile phone.

Step three: connect with your users

People are looking at your business through a mobile lens. Are you optimising your advertising campaign to let them know that you’re aware they’re on a mobile phone and you’re prepared to provide a good service to them? Have you optimised your AdWords? Have you separated out your campaigns to target desktop customers in a different way with different bidding strategies to your mobile customers? Have you explored how display advertising on networks such as AdMob can build brand as well as drive performance? If you’re answering “no”, then consider making some changes.

Step four: mobilise your business with data

Be creative with the data you’ve got. You’ve got plenty of information from your AdWords campaign and your Google Analytics account on what people are doing with your business on a mobile phone today. Very few companies are actually looking at that data so start analysing it and understand the insights it’s giving you. These valuable details can directly inform step one of your strategy.

For the full report on the Mobile Movement in the UK visit http://goo.gl/0C0zv and watch the video at http://goo.gl/sVRI7

Source: Marketing Week, Google.