So you’re ready to go mobile, or maybe you’re already in the mobile space but your returns have been less than stellar, despite a hefty investment. How can you improve your mobile strategy and get the returns you’ve been hoping for? By understanding a few key issues that affect a lot of newcomers and learning how to address them:
- First, is your site optimized for mobile viewing? If users find the design cumbersome, difficult to read or navigate or just plain slow, they’re not going to be flocking to your site; in fact, they may be fleeing. Have a look at your site on a range of mobile devices to see where it’s lacking, then hire a consultant to optimize your design so it loads faster and is more responsive to your users’ needs.
- Make sure your ads are contextual. You know how sometimes when you’re on your laptop or desktop computer, an ad will pop up about something you’re recently searched for? Those suggestions are based on your browsing history, and because they’re targeted to your activity, they tend to have a higher ROI than a random ad. Likewise, research has shown that mobile ads that rely on contextual data – for instance, your customers’ location or other data you’ve gathered about their habits – are far more likely to convert to actual sales. For instance, by homing in on a customer’s geographic location, you can tailor your ads to his or her immediate surroundings to make them more relevant.
- Know thy customer. Since mobile ads can’t rely on data from cookies, you can increase your understanding of your target market significantly by conducting in-depth research into their habits and demographics. Use surveys (perhaps sweetened by the promise of a small reward or gamification technique) to gather as much information as you can to ensure your ads are as relevant as possible.
- Review and analyze your campaign and its effectiveness regularly. Keeping tabs on your key performance indicators (KPIs), whatever they may be, can help you determine which ads are working and which are not, as well as helping you tweak your campaign for better results.
Mobile is a phenomenon that’s here to stay, and companies that take the time to really understand the key factors that make mobile different – and then capitalize on those differences – are the ones that stand to become more successful, rising well above their competition.
