The importance of Mobile First Mindset!
What is the most common must-have object for modern people? Mobile!
According to the Pew Internet Project, “67% of cell owners findthemselves checking their phone for messages, alerts, or calls — even when theydon’ t notice their phone ringing or vibrating.” In the past, phone is merely a device for people to make phone calls and text, but smart phones provides a lot more functions. People use phones to check e-mails, check social networks, search for information, make reservations, and take photos. Mobile has become one of the significant digital communication channels nowadays. Thus, business should adapt a mobile first mindset.
There are a lot of statistics and research that can support the statement. In an article, “Need Stats To Sell Your CMO on Mobile? Here’s Five,”Loren McDonald listed five compelling reasons that can help persuading the company to invest in mobile-related initiatives:
1. Mobile traffic and sales surged in the 2104 holiday shopping season which contained 45% of all online traffic (Source: IBM)
2. More than half of all opens happened on a smartphone or tablet in 2014, compared with 30% on webmail services and 20% on desktop systems. (Source: Litmus)
3. Mobile app users are opening apps more often -- an average of 10+ times a month in 2014. (Source: eMarketer/Millennial Media/Localytics)
4. Mobile users in the US and UK use an average of 24 apps per smartphone each month, but spend 80% of their time on just their top five, most time-consuming apps. (Source: Forrester
5. Mobile payments accounted for 17% of transactions in 2014, with an estimated value of $37 billion in the U.S. alone; 24% of Americans have used a mobile payment system. (Source: MobileFOMO and PunchTab)
The trend of mobile not only affects the merchandise industry, it also influenced publishing business. The Newspaper Association of America(NAA) released comScore data that shows a new high for audiences engaged with newspaper digital content, and that those who use only mobile devices for their newspaper digital access more than doubled in the past year, with their unique visitor count rising 102%. (reference: Newspaper Digital Audience Hits New Peak)
So, what can company utilize mobile to boost their sales and promote their brands?
When think of mobile marketing, App is what people would instantly think of.
Let us look at some App examples:
1. Starbucks : membership. payment
Starbucks combine the app with its My Starbucks Rewards program. Customers can store value to their mobile card and make purchase via the app. Starbucks App also provides special offers and store locator function.
The app makes buying coffee easier and quicker for customers and encourages them to revisit the store, successfully enhancing the customer loyalty.
2. IKEA : augmented reality
Survey showed that 14% of customers ended up ordering the wrong size of furniture for their place, but IKEA came up with the app to solve the problem. Customers are instructed to place the printed catalog in the spot where they intend to put the new furniture. After few simple steps, customer can see a virtual version of the new furniture with the room in the background in the screen.
IKEA app delivers the information of products with interesting, interactive elements, stimulating customer interest in home furnishing. Plus, the app can decrease the possibility of purchasing wrong size furniture which not only uplift customer satisfaction but also eliminate the burden of dealing with return process for the company.
Besides using App, there are some other methods that company can reach customers via mobile, such as text message and advertisement.
A mobile tactic called “Geo-Fencing” can target customers when they are nearby the store. It defines a virtual perimeter around a particular location. When consumers step into the geo-fenced area, text messages will be sent. Nevertheless, it works only if consumers have opted to receive messages.
The North Face, the well-known outdoor apparel company used the geo-fencing technique to lure more customers into their stores. When signing up, customers provide their phone numbers and activate their mobile GPS function. When they reach within certain distance of a store, The North Face would send a text message to remind them to stop in. The smart thing about The North Face is that the company tailors the content of message/promotions base on consumers’ current location. 79% report they have increased their visits to the store once they started receiving reminders, and 65% made a purchase as a result of the reminder.
Some retailers use “Shopkick,” a shopping app that combines with customer loyalty program. When customer walk into the store, it would reward them the moment they step in the store, provide promotions and recommendation, and encourage people to take actions. However, the priority is that it requires people to download the app. Now, some shopping malls in the United States launch a Wi-Fi marketing system. When consumers tap into the mall’s Wi-Fi signal, they are redirected to a default page containing promotions or ads from retailers in the mall. Through this method, company can provide deals and information to consumers even when consumers do not download the app.
