It’s happening. The international migration to mobile is in full swing, whether you like it or not. And according to a February Lexology about the migration to mobile, there’s two reasons why every brand should switch a mobile-friendly interface. The first is because “…brand owners’ competitors and, more importantly, their customers are already there.” And second is that there are “new opportunities in the mobile world for brand owners to promote their brand and to nurture an affinity for it in the minds of their customers.”
Recent data reports support these suggestions. A Mintel report stated that this year approximately 10 billion mobile devices are going to be connected on the planet. This number is expected to increase to 22 billion by 2020. These projections suggest that worldwide, 788 million people will use only mobile devices to connect to the Internet.
But what are these billions of devices being used for? Well, just about everything. According to Mintel, managing social media was most prominent in younger demographics, but users of all ages used their phones for finding things to do and places to eat near where their location or future location. Other trends include shopping, searching for and acquiring coupons, mobile banking and bill paying, gaming, and managing business. Because of this breadth of activity, it seems there’s an opportunity for nearly every business in the mobile market.
However, the act of making this mobile transition may be daunting, especially to those brands whose online user experience relies heavily on a standard size computer screen. Luckily, there are dozens of companies offering programs and services to help make this transition to mobile easy, and give you the information needed to optimize your mobile experience.
These companies can also help you determine ways to integrate mobile into your marketing strategy in ways you never thought before. For example, a restaurant may offer a mobile ordering form for on-the-go eaters to order online and pick-up their order without talking on the phone. A retail store might offer an online shopping cart which allows users to purchase their products online, and pick them up in-store just shortly after. In addition, surveys have told us that consumers are looking forward to having their drivers' license, employee or student ID cards, and insurance cards in a mobile form. So if your business has membership benefits, consider offering the membership card in a mobile form so customer's never have to worry about forgetting their membership cards.
But be aware, there is still significant apprehension regarding the security of personal information on mobile devices. Some users feel that by entering data like their contact information and credit card number, they're more prone to having this information be stolen. So when designing your mobile platform, be sure that it offers the same level of clear, bullet-proof security to your users as your desktop version does. This will reinforce their trust in your company and help them feel comfortable enough to use your mobile platform more often.
This migration to mobile is sure to effect all businesses at some point in the near future, so if you're not already, be sure to take conscientious steps toward effectively investing in this movement.
Now tell us, what are some of the programs and services you’ve found most useful as you transition your business to mobile? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
