Digital Marketing Geared towards the Mobile User Experience is Key
For the past decade, digital marketing has become a key function of business. This is due in part to the internet’s increasing ease of access to almost everyone around the globe. The modern internet as we know it is now 30 years old. It has evolved so much since it was first developed that in just a couple of decades, the world wide web is now the most used platform in information, communication, entertainment and of course business.
Today, almost everyone on the globe has a smartphone, a tablet or mobile device. Or two even! This has allowed us to gain access to our favorite websites, videos, check emails on the go, as well as get in touch with our friends and family anytime anywhere. We are now so reliant on the internet that some of us even panic if there is an unexpected service downtime. Whether we like it or not, the internet has now become an integral part of our lives.
The Importance of Having a Strong Digital Marketing Presence
If you are an entrepreneur, a strong online presence is essential in keeping your business visible and relevant. You can bet your bottom dollar that your competitors are also doing significant steps to achieve greater visibility. Getting your digital marketing strategy optimal is the best way to stay ahead of the curve.
A marketing strategy that does not involve the internet or any online strategy will not be effective in reaching your customers or target audience. It is important that businessmen, as well as marketers, stay up to the date with the latest online trends. They will need to immerse themselves in the new digital environment to fully understand it. This immersion would allow them the experience to develop strategies or plans that would strike a chord with the target audience and convert them to potential customers.
Why a Website is Absolutely Critical in the Era of Digital Marketing
Since the internet is easily accessible, most people will go online and do research before making a purchase. This ease of accessibility allows them to literally browse for hundreds of products and do comparisons before deciding which product to go for.
In fact, a study by the eCommerce Foundation [1]found that 88 percent of consumers will do research before making an online purchase or buying via the brick and mortar store. Out of that 88 percent, 67 percent will do so on a desktop, 42 percent on a smartphone and 26 percent on a tablet. If you want your business to be competitive in this modern marketplace, you will need to have your own professional looking website.
Your website will be the backbone for your marketing endeavors. It will be the foundational building blocks to a strong online presence. Whether it be a tweet, social media post, lead magnets, or ads, you’ll be directing traffic to your site for conversion.
As such, it is important that your website provides your audience with a clear idea of what your brand is about and what products or services you are offering. Use social media to spark interest and direct the curious to your website. This is where clarity comes into play. Your website needs to show potential customers who you are as a brand and blow them away with user experience on your site. Remember, first impressions last a lifetime.
Websites Optimized for Mobile
In general, over half of web searches are done on smartphones and other mobile devices. On average, a person spends 2 to 3 hours on their mobile devices. With that said here’s a scenario that you might have encountered in the past. A friend sends you a link through email or text message.
You open that link on your mobile device but you are presented with a page full of small text, numbers and images. You cannot tap on any of the buttons (your fingers are too big) or in some cases the page just stops responding. You have to force the page to close or in worst case scenarios, restart your smartphone in frustration. From a business standpoint, that just cost you a customer.
What the Survey Says
A Kissmetrics survey found[2] that 40 percent of people close or exit a website page if it takes more than 3 seconds to properly load. If you are running an e-commerce site, a 1 second delay could potentially mean of up to $2.5 million annual lost sales.
Reports also show that 60 percent of mobile users that encounter website related problems just close or abandon the website page. For those reasons, your website should be optimized for viewing on any mobile device.
Having a mobile optimized or mobile-responsive website can allow you to reach the most number of potential customers. But reaching your audience is not enough, performance and speed are also fundamental. You have a limited amount of time to capture the visitor’s attention to convert him or her to a customer. Since they are viewing on a mobile device, most probably they are out and about and on the go. Optimizing your website for mobile via Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) allows it to load faster on your platform, giving you the precious time you need to make an impression on the visitor. If your audience can easily navigate your website and the content is engaging, chances are your audience may convert to your customers in the near future. Make it easy and you will get that sale!
Blog to Educate
With the rise of the internet, also came the rise of blogs. By definition, a blog is a website or web page run by a group or an individual with content written in a conversational or informal style. The content can be about anything under the sun. Topics can range from everyday life to politics to technology. It can be fun or informative or both.
According to Statista [3], the number of bloggers will reach 31.7 million in the year 2020. In another Impact statistic[4], it states that 94 percent of people share posts or links because they think it is useful. There has also been a yearly steady increase of people who read blogs. With those numbers, it is no wonder that marketers and business owners are using blogs to educate and attract more customers.
Blogging is one way of connecting with your customers and providing them with much needed information about your products and services. It can also help build a relationship with your customers. As previously mentioned, people tend to do comparative research before purchasing. By regularly publishing or pushing out content, you will show your audience that you care enough to provide them with relevant information to make smart purchasing decisions.
Transparency can help build trust in a brand. Building know, like and trust is absolutely critical not only traditionally but in today’s digital business.
Key Takeaways for Digital Marketing in the Mobile Age
Having a strong rockstar website that generates leads is critical. Having it be mobile responsive is necessary. In order to keep up with the technology that will keep your site updated and mobile responsive to various screen sizes and multiple browsers, you’ll need to maintain your site on a regular basis. AZENCE can support your site with monthly maintenance plans such as BuildUp. We will help you build know, like and trust and that will certainly increase your audience engagement and conversion.
References:
- https://fashionunited.com/news/business/88-percent-of-us-consumers-research-products-online-to-buy-in-store/2018010919074
- https://neilpatel.com/blog/loading-time/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/187267/number-of-bloggers-in-usa/
- https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/blogging-statistics-to-boost-your-strategy
