Sales on Mobile Are Booming, So It's Time to Think Small Screen First By adopting a strategy that caters to smartphones, you'll attract a whole group of customers who may be frustrated with other businesses.
By Seamas Egan Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Mobile-commerce sales are booming and are forecasted to reach $100 billion in 2014. Yet a Campaigner survey found that 49 percent of consumers have not yet made mobile purchases because they are frustrated with tiny screens.
As an entrepreneur, mobile can be one of the biggest ways to get in front of your phone-obsessed potential customers. However, business owners often make the mistake of not considering mobile users first, and send communications that have shrunken fonts, too much text and are simply not created with the small screen in mind. It's time for the savviest of entrepreneurs to show the world how it's done.
Related: Why Online Shoppers Still Don't Use Their Phones to Buy Things
Creating and managing a mobile-marketing strategy may seem overwhelming for business owners juggling multiple responsibilities, particularly if marketing isn't your area of expertise. The good news is that cloud and mobile innovations can help even the most inexperienced business owner become a savvy and successful marketing genius on a budget that won't bust your bank.
You need to set up a holistic strategy that ensures all communications and marketing -- from email to websites -- are small-screen friendly. Here's how:
Pivot faster with the help of the cloud. Have a business idea? The cloud can get you up and running within hours. Once your business is established, the cloud can also help owners create new marketing campaigns, conduct testing to determine effectiveness, make changes in subject lines and alter websites -- all in a matter of minutes.
Cloud technology is even more important when it comes to your mobile strategy: responsive-design templates (meaning "made for the mobile screen") are built in to products from email-marketing software to web-design software. This flexibility and adaptability will help entrepreneurs stay ahead of the mobile game, with the ability to make changes on a dime to meet ever-changing and fickle customer needs.
Now go relax while your big-name competitor grapples with red tape and legal-team approval.
Adopt a holistic mobile strategy. Only 9 percent of the top online retailers are using responsive design, which ensures business messages and accompanying fonts, graphics, buttons and links are designed for small screens. It's a mobile-first world: successful businesses will adopt this mantra by implementing strategies that specifically cater to mobile users.
Related: 10 Questions to Ask When Optimizing Your Website for Mobile Users
Mobile-friendly websites. Getting the customers to your location is half the battle -- once they visit make sure the page is one they'll want to revisit -- or better yet, make a purchase. Analyze your website to determine if it is text heavy, straining mobile users' eyes and patience.
Are buttons hard to find and too small for mobile users to use? Are products easy to find so customers aren't frustrated with the search?
Adjust as necessary to accommodate these demanding yet potentially profitable customers.
Think small screen first for email. How many times a day do you check your email on your phone versus your desktop? Embrace the power of email, as one survey found a 28 percent revenue increase due to this vehicle.
Email solutions today offer enterprise features at small-business prices -- they are very easy to use, and typically include powerful analytics so you can understand what campaign is working and why. Much like your website sizing, think small screen first, with easy-to-click links.
Think of blogs as your mobile-chat platform. Seventy-one percent of people read social media content on their mobile devices, including blogs, so make them small-screen friendly. Blogs are a great way to connect with people, engage in conversations and offer relevant information.
Your customers are already reading social-media posts and news stories on their mobile phones -- follow suit by making your blog posts engaging, helpful and quick (no novels here). Readable blogs can even give your SEO strategy a boost as search is prioritized by readability.
The mobile market is a terrific opportunity for entrepreneurs. With the right tools at the right prices, business owners can realize an immense revenue boost and establish long-term and loyal customers, all with minimal effort. Let technology do your talking.
Related: 7 Stats Show Mobile Marketing is Crucial for Your Business
