3 Tips for Adopting a Mobile Strategy
Mobile technology is on the rise whether you want to admit it or not. Gone are the days where everyone had a desktop computer and using your phone for something other than placing a call was a pipedream. The technology landscape is constantly changing and in the past year:
- Over 2 billion mobile devices were shipped worldwide
- 91% of the earth's population had a cell phone
- 80% of time on mobile was spent inside apps
- 72% of tablet owners purchased from their tablets each week
- 50% of mobile users used mobile as their primary internet source
These statistics will only continue to increase as the years go by. As a result, it has become crucial to adopt a mobile strategy for your business.
1. Embrace a Mobile-First Mindset
This may be a bit of a paradigm shift for some industries, but it's one that needs to happen. With more and more users conducting their business online, it is imperative to develop a mobile strategy. Otherwise, you're failing to stay current in today's business environment. "But mobile isn't necessary for my company! We're a bricks and mortar type of business," you exclaim, but that is not a good excuse to ignore mobile. Whether you're a restaurant, grocery store, or dentist, people will go to your website to decide what to have for dinner, what are the latest sales, or prices for your services. If consumers can't find that info on your website, they'll go somewhere that does.
2. Understand Your Customers' Mobile Habits
Once you have decided to implement a mobile strategy, you need to understand your customers' mobile habits. Asking them is a starting point, but take the time to actually watch how they use and interact with mobile. When developing a website or app, it isn't enough to publish it simply because you like it. Look at your offerings from a customer's point of view. How will this help me? Does it make my job easier? Why should I use it? Digging into and understanding your customers' mobile habits in order to create a superior offering will separate you from the competition.
3. Don't Create an App Just to Join the Bandwagon
Apps can be extremely useful to your business and improve customer engagement. But simply releasing an app because your competitors have one and calling it a day on your mobile strategy, is not going to cut it. A lot of what can be done on apps can be accomplished on a responsive website (sometimes that isn't the case), so do some analysis to make sure that creating an app is the right step for your business. If not, you can also look into advertising options on mobile devices or other solutions that are being created every day.
Your Turn
Mobile technology is playing a bigger and bigger role in our world and it's time to embrace it and turn it into a strength for your business. How does your company use mobile tech? Have you adopted a mobile-first mindset? Let us know in the comments below.