Your mobile advertising strategy should not be composed of only having a responsive website or app. Strategies should be well though-out and aimed at driving people to their mobile experiences, determining the sources of traffic and optimizing the content to maximize conversions.
The Global C- Suite Study by the IBM Global Institute claims that, "Sixty-four percent of CMOs think mobile solutions will have a massive impact on near-future business" while "Two-thirds of CMOs identify developing deeper, richer customer experiences as their top marketing priority."
Read more: Why going mobile is important for businesses
In this post we are going to look at 5 mobile experience optimization strategies that brands can follow in order to build a great relationship with their customers.
1. Optimize for Mobile Micro Moments
Brands need to understand that the customer’s buying journey is divided into several micro moments that hold the key for the customer to take immediate action and remain loyal to the brands. Right now, people all over the world are trying to make the most of their moments and brands need to show their presence to the very moment as and when the customer wants it.
Overall, there are 4 types of micro moments as defined by Google which are explained below.
Want-to-Know moments
Moments where people are looking to learn something new come under want-to-know moments. All such queries define the moments where the consumer is looking to satisfy their quench for knowledge.
Some examples of the queries are:
- how to fix a car den
- how to fix a cell in excel
- who is the father of computer
- what happens when we sleep
- micromax canvas 6
- alphabet by google
- eyeshadow tips
Want-to-Go moments
Moments when people want to visit a new place near and far come under want-to-go moments. Such queries are direct indicators that the person is willing to take an action almost immediately.
The queries are such as:
- ice cream shop near me
- book a flight to dubai
- coffee near me
Want-to-Do moments
Moments where people are interested in doing something comes under want-to-do moments.
Queries like:
- learn karate
- where to repair my mobile
- i want to download whatsapp
- i want to get married
- surfing lessons at bells beach
Such queries are indicators that the person is willing to do it and brands should be prepared to reach the customer at this very moment.
Want-to-Buy moments
Moments where the customer has made the decision to buy something comes under want-to-buy moments. Such queries define all micro moments where the person is willing to buy a product/service.
The queries are like:
- buy iphone 6s
- renault dealers in delhi
- cheap jewellery buy online
- register LLC in USA
- replacement windshield wipers
Reaching Customers in their Micro Moments
Here are 5 ways you can reach your potential customers right at their exact Micro Moments:
1. Make a moments map
Prepare a set of moments that the customer is expected to follow in their buying journey. If you are aware of all the moments, you can plan out different phases of your marketing strategy in order to reach the customer at each micro moment, thereby increasing the chances of conversions.
2. Understand customer needs in the moment
If your customer is looking to book a cab for a party that she needs to attend tonight and you are reaching out to her with an attractive email offering discounts after the party is over, you have obviously missed out on the moment.
3. Use context to deliver the right experience
Use location and time of the day to deliver memorable experiences to the user. Keep your customers informed in the entire purchase cycle. If the customers are searching for products near your store, inform them that the products they are searching are available in your store.
4. Optimize across the journey
People use a variety of devices in their journey to purchase. Make sure your brand is available on all those micro moments irrespective of the device that the people are using. Make your website/app user friendly and attractive so that the customers feel secure in their entire journey.
Choice of appropriate colors and proper navigation play an important role in optimizing the customer’s path to purchase. Use colors that determine your brand’s personality.
The business of color guide from 99designs offers a storehouse of information as to how you can choose the perfect color for your brand.
5. Measure every moment that matters
Some moments might not directly contribute towards sales but all micro moments are an important part of the entire purchase cycle. Ensure that every moment is captured and measured so that you know where the customers are spending time and what are they most interested in buying and most importantly when.
2. Leverage Location Extensions Smartly
Location extensions in Google Adwords allow you to display your business address and other information (e.g. business hours and ratings) about your location right on the Google search results page. They also include buttons enabling the customers to directly call you.
Have a look at the below location extension from Wensmith’s Stores that displays different store addresses sorted as per the distance along with a button to call the business directly.
Whether you have a large business having multiple physical stores or have a single store, location extensions can help attract customers who may be just around the corner and those searching for a business in an area they’re planning to visit soon.
Some tips:
- Co-trigger location extensions with SiteLinks
- Add multiple addresses by linking your account to Google My Business.
- Make use of location extensions reporting that is provided free of cost from Google. This will help you to evaluate its impact on conversions.
3. Use Location Data For Potential Targets
Today, your smartphone has technology that is capable of pinpointing your exact location and we can use that info to deliver services – a meal, a ride, a tip or a coupon. These are all great ways to target local customers.
Having location data about your customers will help your brand to adapt its marketing strategies as per the mobile micro moments of the audiences. Including social media in your marketing strategy is crucial. In order to accurately segment your audience and target the most potential customers, location data plays a key role.
If you are still searching for your brand hashtag and keywords on social media sites to decode what is being said about your brand then you are doing it all wrong!
74% of location-tagged posts don’t include your keyword or hashtag.
So, what is there to do?
Make use of location-tagged content and posts. You will be amazed to see how powerful location based social data can be.
The Foursquare Example
Foursquare, the local search and discovery service mobile app is just amazing when it comes to providing relevant data at micro moments. It uses location intelligence to build amazing consumer experiences. We can learn a lot from Foursquare when it comes to preparing a location-specific marketing strategy.
Read more: Location-based marketing technologies you should know
If you are in New York City and you go to a restaurant to have some food, location-specific marketing will allow Foursquare to send you a notification on what to try at your location. Another example is, if you are looking for chilled beer while travelling Foursquare could send you suggestions of nearby places where you can grab a beer or two. This is targeting customers at micro moments, at its best.
4. Use App Deep Links
App deep linking allows Google to index the contents of your app. This is important to let users experience the content before they actually install it. In order to allow the indexing of your Android app, follow the below steps:
1. Add intent filters for HTTP URLs. An example code snippet for intent handler is provided below:
<activity
android:name="com.example.android.mystoreActivity
android:label="@string/title_mystore">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
<data android:scheme="http" />
<data android:scheme="https" />
<data android:host="www.mystore.com" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
2. Add logic in your app to handle the intent filters.
3. Associate your app to your site using Search Console and Play Developer Console.
4. Use the deep link testing tool to ensure correct formatting and behavior for App URIs.
For a more detailed explanation, read the Google guide for App indexing.
Benefits of App Indexing
- It helps to increase the number of app downloads by increasing its search visibility.
- Mobile apps are found to be more user friendly and adaptive as compared to mobile sites. Moreover, apps help to increase the CLV (customer lifetime value).
- App indexing is a ranking factor for mobile search queries.
As with Google, you can also use the same app deep linking for Bing.
5. Build Trust Equity in Search
Trust matters a lot when it comes to conversions. People find it harder to trust new brands, and will buy easily from brands that they know well. One of the best ways to increase trust and visibility of your brand is having a great pie of the search real estate.
How to build trust equity
- Have an ad in the paid-search space.
- Display multiple sites links that show up under a single listing.
- Have a Knowledge graph or Wiki.
- Show up on local listings.
- Get your website on top in the organic search space.
- Boost your app through app indexing so that the app download link remains visible from a number of pages.
The mobile revolution is constantly changing the manner in which the brands interact with the audiences. Utilizing the above strategies is a great way to boost up the sales from mobile devices.