I find these days that smartphones and iPads are attached to our hips.  It’s as if we can’t live with out them… we breathe, we use our mobile devices.

It’s shocking to hear how many big named companies still don’t have a functional mobile site.  Whether you’re in the restaurant business or running a small business, mobile is where it’s at and it’s a great way to push out weekly/monthly notifications to promote specials or the services and products your business offers.

So how can we tap into that?  What are the brand benefits to a mobile device? Before answering the question, take a look at these facts…

  • Nearly 4 billion people have a mobile phone.  Whether it’s a smart phone, flip phone or Blackberry.
  • Within 3 minutes of delivery 90% of text messages are read.
  • 70% of mobile searches lead to action within one hour. It takes one month for the same percentage of desktop users to take action.
  • 79% of smartphone users use their phone to help with shopping, with 74% ultimately making purchases.
  • Mobile ads perform 4 to 5 times better than online ads in key metrics.

So what does this all mean? Well a very important part of any brand or business web initiative is to make sure it’s accessible.  Does your company/brand have a mobile site? If yes, then your business is closer to grabbing consumer’s attention more than most of your competitors.

Let’s be honest. This can be a big win for your business and your brand just by implementing this one initiative. Here are some benefits of mobile website optimization…

  • There are faster downloading speeds like 3G, 4G and now even LTE.
  • You can use push notifications.  These are great for promotions or news updates. In my opinion Michael’s (the craft store) take advantage of this technology extremely well.
  • You can engage with users quicker with mapping functions or click and call.
  • The accessibility. A mobile site can be accessed anywhere and provides a higher level of connectivity with you and your customer.

Having a mobile site is just the beginning… like any marketing initiative you will need to “work it”. You know those funky looking squares with the black zigzag design? They’re called QR codes and they’re a very popular tactic for getting users to go to a specific landing page.  Placing them on pamphlets, business cards, banner ads, in store ads and more will help you garner more reach to your mobile site. Most, if not all QR code scanners are free and very easy to get. The possibilities are endless when it comes to designing, promoting and using a mobile webpage.

You will quickly come to realize that having a mobile website is very beneficial for your brand. It increases the opportunity for SEO, web advertising and provides the added bonus of cross-platform campaigning.

Brand, product or business service…  remember that as businesses continue with the growth of technology, more and more people reach for a phone more often than their toothbrush.