Do You Know The “M” Word?

A sudden cultural explosion has been taking the Internet on the road: It’s called MOBILE.

Global mobile traffic has more than doubled over the past year and is expected to more than quadruple by 2015. As a result, small businesses must now create a mobile strategy as they can no longer control where or how a person might find their website.

Think of Mobile as an Opportunity
This new mobile revolution represents a HUGE opportunity for every small business. Now, instead of reaching potential customers and clients through traditional means, mobile gives businesses the ability to capture new leads, generate new online sales and expand their brand in less time.

Cash in on the Mobile Revolution
Below are our thoughts on creating a mobile strategy for any business.

1. Mobile web is a new animal. (Approach with caution.)
In days of the desktop, screens were of big, everyone had a mouse and everything was designed to fit that, creating a smooth and easy Internet experience for EVERY desktop user.

Instead, now everyone is finger scrolling, pinching, pulling, zooming and searching on different (often MUCH smaller) sized screens and in different locations using tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices. And the traditional website just isn’t standing up to the challenge. Instead, to be effective in this new mobile age, traditional websites must be re-configured to fit new habits.

2. Think small…and beyond.
Think of gazing on a starry night sky. Now, take a piece of paper, cut a 1×1 inch hole, hold it up and try to view the sky again. Can you see everything as well as the first time? No way – but that’s about what you are doing when you don’t reconfigure your website for mobile users. That’s the major issue, but is far from the only. Common mobile website usability mishaps beyond the screen size include, but are not limited to:

• Too much text and small font size
• Links too close together to accommodate finger tapping
• Cluttered content due to lack of space
• Small calls to action that need to be more dominant on the page

3. Broaden geographic boundaries.
Mobile devices give users proximity. Basically, that means that when users are on the move, they can easily use their device to easily locate whatever they need – bike stores, restaurants, printers, grocery stores… You get the picture. This new capability means your location information needs to be correctly loaded on your website to make it easy for search engines to index your location.

We also recommend that you load your small business to Google Places. It is a great way for connecting your business to the local, mobile customer.

4. Mobile exposes your brand to new audiences.
Your company’s market share on a desktop does not define your market share on mobile. Because most companies haven’t optimized their website for mobile, now is your chance to gain a competitive edge. Far beyond the capabilities of the traditional desktop-friendly site, your mobile site has the power to reach more customers, more frequently, providing you with new income and connections.

5. The mobile user is constantly on the move.
Instead of being stuck to a desk, mobile users have no limits – and they are taking advantage. As a business owner, it is to your advantage to profit from mobile’s ubiquitous presence and the constant on-the-go website access. In fact, according to recent data, mobile users are more likely to make a purchase from retailers with a mobile-optimized, easy to use website. When was the last time you heard about a product and google’d it from your phone or tablet for immediate information?

7. Mobile web does not have to be a guessing game.
Install and review Google Analytics. Once installed, you’ll be able to easily tell how many people are visiting your website from traditional desktops vs. mobile devices. You can also tell where they go and what they do. You should review analytics daily, weekly and monthly.

Time to Take Action
Mobile commerce sales reached $11.6 billion this year and are expected to almost triple in size by 2015. To keep up, small businesses need to start designing and optimizing online experiences for the mobile user today. Starting from scratch is not the daunting task it once was with desktop. As mobile has developed, so too have the tools and tracking solutions that reveal visitor behavior. Finding out who your users are and what they hope to achieve on your website involves little more than a bag of popcorn and intuitive analytics.

Go Mobile with Graves Advertising Plus.
We’ve got the ability to take your website from desktop to mobile, giving users a better overall experience.
Call us today at (714) 879-1993 to get a free quote!