From the Christian Science Monitor - How Teens Use Smart/Mobile Phones
From Business Insider, March 2012 -
Why do you need a mobile version of your company website?
1. First, the obvious. An ever increasing majority of web surfers are using their iphones, smart phones, androids, blackberries, and other new fangled mobile devices to visit merchant websites while ON THE GO. And if your company website is not “mobile ready” then they will go elsewhere.
2. Google Mobile Ads – The secret weapon. Most of your competition does not even know Google has such a service. But this is how you get local targeted traffic… FAST and CHEAP. What is Google Mobile Ads? Simply put, it is the mobile version of their popular Adwords platform. Pay per click. The striking difference is not just that is it for mobile sites, but it is dirt cheap to advertise with right now.
3. Marketing Requirements Document (MRD) is the ROI, determined in advance, that should tip the balance of your decision in one direction or another. Many businesses simply want a mobile app, while others want to examine the reasons and assess the return on the investment. A MRD provides a set of parameters that provide written reasons and a path for development established by all parties to the mobilization process.
The document should explain:
Watch this video and the videos that follow it, for specific details, from Google to learn more.
Basically, you will sign up at Adwords like you would normally, but here is the critical part:
It is important to separate your mobile ads from your regular desktop website PPC campaigns! Your CPC (cost per click) will be much lower, and if you are using a mobile optimized site, you may find you are getting more hits than regular Adwords campaigns, at MUCH lower rates.
3. SMS – Text Marketing. SMS stands for short message service. I absolutely implore you to incorporate SMS text marketing into your marketing campaigns. Why? People who surf the web with their smart phones like to text. And they like to get text coupons and special offers, instantly, right on their cell phones. And if you put a compelling offer such as “Text DOG to 555-555-5555 $20 off your dog’s examination”, or “Text TIRE for buy 3 get one free tire special”, etc., you will see a much higher ROI. I can’t emphasize enough how powerful Mobile Coupons are!
So here’s the marketing plan in a nutshell. Build a mobile version of your site or pay a professional to do it for you. Advertise it on Google Mobile Ads (Adwords).
Put out an offer for a mobile coupon on your site. For example: Text DESERT to 555-555-5555 to get a FREE Desert! Or Text VIP to get on our VIP Discount Program, or Text 20OFF to get 20% off your next purchase, etc. You’re only limited by your imagination. Like getting a mobile version of your site, it is inexpensive to have it set up for you.
In fact if you let us build you a mobile site, we will set up a text marketing campaign for you, and even help you set up a Google Mobile Ads account.
Mobile is bigger than both Google and Facebook combined. 96% of the population already has a mobile phone and 60% are smart phones.
95% of SMS text messages are opened and read compared to around 10% of emails, but most important to you is this one:
73% of mobile phone users actually WANT to receive offers and coupons on their mobiles!
Here are over 40 telling statistics from recent mobile marketing surveys and research worth bringing into your marketing strategy meeting. Among those statistics is the sobering fact that 95+% of websites can not be read or engaged with a thumbpress on a smartphone. In the US 50.1% of mobile phones are smart phones and by 2014 80%+ will be. What next if you’re not mobilized?
Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2011–2016
2012 U.S. Digital Future in Focus
Pew Research Center Mobile Internet Reports
The Growth of Mobile Marketing and Tagging
Smartphone Usage Statistics 2012 [Infographic]
New PQ Media Forecast on U.S. Mobile & Social Media Revenue
Mobile Enterprise Spending Projected to Double in Next 18 Months
Marketers: What Mobile Users Will and Won’t Put Up With [INFOGRAPHIC]
The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Consumers
Final Thoughts
The discussion on how B2B organizations market to their customers and prospects via mobile device will continue to gain intensity in 2012.
What are your thoughts and perspectives on this change and how is your organization planning?
TVs to PCs Last Century - MDs (mobile devices) to? This Century
We are a "buy local" company that make it easy for small businesses to have affordable and dynamic web apps and mobile websites. Why is that important? Well, take a look at this brief video and you'll have your answer. If that wasn't enough here's a nice little list of statistics for your review, and for you visual people, a really nice infographic. You say you already have a website that's "just fine"? Great. Tell you what, go to this link and enter your website address and take a look (it'll take a day to get your answer back) at how your website looks on a mobile device. Odds are your website wasn't designed to be usable on a mobile device. We bet you'll read on at that time...so why not read on right now?
Why is this important? Because, while you weren't looking...3rd quarter of 2011, statistics by Comscore show that the majority of searches are now on a MOBILE DEVICE (MD) instead of a desktop. By 2014 Gartner says they’ll be 80% of commerce. Media, with some exceptions, has gone from TVs to PCs to MDs.
What's great about our web app mobile development platform is that you (may*) no longer need a developer to make you an app and mobile website. In addition, you get both Android and Iphone apps ready to go PLUS other operating systems. All three choices are on the main page for the user to choose when they download.
Another great thing about our platform - Our system will automatically pull in all the information off the FULL website page and convert it to MOBILE just by you entering the URL and clicking save. You can do this with every page you create. But wait, there's more! This means as you update and make changes to your FULL website, it will automatically change the mobile version!
For the cost of a text program, you can have a fully featured smart phone mobile app also. Our platform makes it easy for you to easily update and manage the basics of your web app and mobile website 24/7 with your own business panel. No advanced skills needed to handle the basics of a web app and mobile website. However, mobile websites allow consumers to opt-in to receiving information, coupons and more, and provides you with direct access via their mobile phones in ways that must be professionally managed, since there are a myriad of "rules of engagement" that must be respected and professionally accessible development tools which are known to - and used daily by - professional developers. To find a local developer email us at info@localmobil.com and we'll assist you. Even if you've set up your own page, consider using a professional to help you…
(Merchants, restaurants, contractors - looking for a way to take payments on your mobile device? Go to the bottom of this page.)
A local restaurant owner recently did a test. She put out a coupon in the newspaper for 20% off a product. And a similar offer on their mobile site for just 10% off (Text 10OFF to 555-555-5555). I guess you can probably guess the outcome…
The performance of the mobile offer beat out the newspaper ad by a margin of 8 to 1! But what may surprise you is that she paid over $200 for the newspaper ad but less than $40 for the mobile ad! People are bored by newspaper coupons that require them to read the entire ad section to find yet mobile coupons are specific to their existing customers. NOW is the time to capitalize on that fact because, right this minute, mobile coupons will give you the biggest ROI than ANY other form of advertising. That is not an exaggeration. It is effective, inexpensive and easy to implement.
In fact, SMS Text Marketing is as easy to implement as putting out a poster in front of your business that says Text WHATEVER to (your local number). And people walking by WILL text that! People you tell about or that their friends share with will do that. Your current customers will also opt-in also. In churches, for service companies, restaurants, weddings...it's easy. And now you will be able to follow up, any time you want, by sending out special offers, products, announcements, or anything you prefer, any time you want, all at once to your subscribers. All for just pennies apiece! Compare that to direct mail or print advertising and you will immediately realize the advantage.
Another one of the services I offer is QR codes (included in my mobile marketing package). I will explain a little about what they are in a second, but first an example of how it helped another local client. “Jim” owns a small cafe in a rather large city with tons of competition. So he wanted a low cost way to stand out and get more customers through his door.
So he took his QR code and printed it out very large – bright red – as a flyer. All it said was “Scan For A FREE Sundae”, with a big full color picture of the Sundae in question. Nothing else. No address, no phone number. Just that silly looking barcode and the sundae:
Then he had his son distribute them all around the neighborhood, including stapling to telephone polls and asking fellow merchants if they would place them in their windows. He got 28 people to scan his barcode the first day alone, and over 200 within the next week. He knows this because each customer had to bring in their cell phones and show him the mobile coupon in order to get the free Sundae. Most of those people bought full dinners or lunch so Joe made out very well financially.
For a Local Service Company
Bob, the service company owner is great at what he does, but not very "technical" as he likes to put it. So, they need something they could put on their smart phone that would serve multiple needs that they could use simply as -
1. A business card that could be shared with other smart phone users. The smart phone users only needed to "capture" the QR code on the main page of Bob's smart phone and they get the entire website. (This is good because Bob forgets his business cards all the time but he never forgets his phone.)
2. A way to capture email addresses and phone numbers to build a mailing/sms list, which is built in to the app
3. A way to share their written limited warranty, "what to expect" of their service and more, and the terms of their "free" service for spots and spills, without carrying brochures everywhere
4. A way to promote it for free....so we created giant QR code signage for his truck
5. A way to collect since they are a "C.O.D." business. So, we included a link to PhoneSwipe that allows him to accept credit and debit cards for payment without needing to call in or use another device.
6. It all had to be affordable. The total time to assemble the site and create the images, etc., for submittal to the sign producer was 5 hours. The montly cost is $39. That's right, just $39 to get it up and going. Now, there will be fees to send texts/sms but those will happen when Bob feels he has enough opted in customers.
If you use Google, you'll notice the new Google app in their update where they finally unveiled brand pages for Google+, allowing businesses and brands to join their social network. Google receives a financial benefit from search it doesn’t get from downloaded native apps, so not only is the cost of web apps lower, but you’ll get a better position when customers are searching with a mobile site. (Add a video and it improves even more!) Here's what Google mktg exec says about mobile.
SPECIAL OFFER - FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY - Our posted set up fee is "negotiable" for one year pre-payment of the monthly cost. Call us for details, or choose a plan, click on it and we'll call you back. Or, if you're so inclined, you can complete your own mobile application with only a monthly cost.
Or, if you're NOT so inclined have a professional developer do it for you. It's not that expensive and they are probably more qualified to optimize your mobile search terms, etc., after you’ve built a site and to provide important back up services such as connecting on more levels with users. There's no reason your local professional can't jump in and assist you...your choice.
Business associations, districts, chambers or communities
Like to see an operational sample of a mobile site? Go to our “Community” page. Let us know what you think! By creating a community or merchant district app that is shared by all the businesses there, the cost is negligible but the upside is that your merchant district is now benefitting from being mobilized.
A little Irish village called Dunmore Village has developed their own app, which we've been able to load, and it's a nice attempt to use mobile, but there are issues with the app which makes it difficult to find-use and escape from. If you wish to see it, send us an email and we'll get you a link.
What Mobil Apps & Marketing Do For Restaurants
Pizza and Fast Food
While on the subject of pizza mobile apps, feel free to contact us for links to Dominos, Pizza Hut, Marcos, California Pizza Kitchen mobile apps for an example of what's happening in the mobile "pizza world". In a one week period in December 2011, Dominos got over 1M orders via mobile/web, setting a record. As many as a third of their orders now come from mobile orders. And this from a pizza operator in Arkansas -
"I have one unit that's 48% web/mobile orders some weeks, and 35% to 40% is standard across my area. There really isn't a downside. When someone places a web order they usually don't go back to ordering by telephone. They get to take their time and build their own pizza, (Oh, the combinations they come up with) and they become more familiar with our menu and order more stuff, which makes for a ticket average of 1-2 dollars higher.
"Some would call this next one a downside but I say upside: They complain more. Since they are familiar with the site it becomes very easy to voice their concerns via the web. (Thinking that no one will follow up----wrong!) It gives us a great window into our operations.
"If I were an independent I would want a site that does not require the customer to register for an account......Make it easy for them don't make your customer jump through any hoops.'
FOR AN EXAMPLE OF A MOBILE MENU THAT WORKS FOR A LOCAL PIZZA SHOPS - WWW.PIZZA.LOCALMOBIL.COM (CLICK ON ANY FOOD ICON TO SEE HOW SIMPLE IT IS TO CREATE AN ORDER FORM WITH LOCALMOBIL). BADABING HAS A MOBILE PHONE TETHERED IN THEIR STORE THAT RECEIVES THE ORDERS.
Restaurants, Casual, Fine Dining and Nationality Dining
Many restaurants, fast casual, fine dining, Mexican, Chinese, even catering are also putting mobile applications together. Again, don't hesitate to contact us for some of these examples.
School Fundraising
For school fundraising, we're working on a platform at for a school system in NE Ohio to fund improvements to their playing fields. For a limited time, you can see an example here.
Real Estate
QR codes, part of our offering, are still not completely understood by many. They work great at encouraging engagement of prospects and clients from restaurants to real estate. Here's a link to a great explanation by slide presentation by REMAX. Major real estate companies provide mobile apps for their agents including Coldwell Banker, Century One, Howard Hannah and others, but if you want a mobile app that features you, now you can have it. You should even consider a “text for info” short code to allow people to get the information about a listed property from inside of their cars, while QR codes require them to approach the sign with their phone. The benefits of a text/QR code link to property info is that instead of a mobile user having to wade through one screen after another to get to you, they can reach you immediately with an icon leading to you residing on their phone. Use LocalMobil and your listings and that of your brokerage will show, but first your client will see you and your listings FIRST (sample).
Personal Services (Beauty, Hair, Nails, Massage)
Fast scheduling for people on the go from their mobile phones requires any personal service, including home services like catering, maid services, plumbing etc. are a perfect way to connect with people in new ways. For more samples of a personal services site, one that can be easily reached by people on the go that need a haircut or manicure go to Quintanas Barbershop & Dream Spa.
Golf Courses Going Mobile?
What better way to simplify a potential golfer's tee time reservation, pro shop deal viewing and meal ordering?
Golf has a need for mobile sites to keep their members (private courses) engaged and connected to social events, dining menus, reserving tee times and dinners, etc. It also works great for the family who wants to connect to pool schedules, outings, etc. Public golf courses can capture player loyalty and interface with them on an ongoing basis. Special offers from the pro shop, reserving tee times and meals, lessons and other engagement would benefit both private and public golf courses. Here's a sample from a private course...with lots of links to their "more advanced" golf academy site and their pro's. We couldn't log in, since we're not members, so we couldn't get the dining menu or other information, but we assume these issues would be resolved with a serious golf mobile app development project.
Wedding Planners, Event Venues and ANYBODY in the Wedding Industry
We have designed a way to use our standard platform to help brides create a personalized smart phone app for their friends and family. It has EVERYTHING available to build a custom app and is available - at any level - desired by professionals in the wedding industry. See the app at www.bigevent.us. Or, to view the sample app try www.wedding.localmobil.com.
Wedding venues can now get their own branded wedding app to provide to bridal parties...what better way to include your entire extended group of family and friends and to share all the details! See a sample branded app at www.lamalfa.localmobil.com.
Jewelry Stores are Going Mobile
See how Tiffany's and other luxury stores have figured out how to optimize the need for "fast" gift giving and online ordering. (Rumor has it that Tiffany's is getting 1 out of 5 orders from mobile!)
Today's smartphone user is able to access donations payment portals and use their smartphone to donate…but why will they do that? By providing them with an incentive, the cost shared by merchant that participate and get something back, donations can be easily sourced from daily transactions made while people shop. See our Pay it Forward program.
In NE Ohio, a bunch of chefs have created a fundraising and fun raising platform called Dinner in the Dark...(www.dinnerinthedark.localmobil.com)
For restaurants in the NE Ohio area, we encourage them to consider a link to allow their patrons (that are looking over the restaurant's mobile app) that feel so moved, a link to the local food bank donation page is a great idea, so we created a link. (www.foodbank.localmobil.com)
Miscellaneous
We put a sample site together for a jet leasing firm because so many people that travel sometimes need an alternative.
Wineries could benefit from mobile apps since they are special destinations that sometimes require maps. In Vermillion, Ohio the Paper Moon Vineyard has a wonderful mobile site. Their site links to other areas of interest on their main site and is an example of what a well done mobile app can do to drive business.
MORE on QR codes....
Feel that you don't understand the best application for QR codes? You're not alone, but here's ONE good reason to pay attention (from ComScore) "...men – most likely to scan a QR code. comScore says that the people more likely to scan a QR code are male (60.5% of code scanning audience), skew toward ages 18-34 (53.4 percent) and have a household income of $100,000 or above (36.1 percent)"
When a guy sits in a restaurant, waiting for a menu, a waiter or his check, he’s very likely to shoot any QR code he sees if it benefits him. QR codes linked to your app on table toppers…everywhere including restaurants…can bring you new customers.
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Heady" links for more information for developers, merchant processing professionals, etc. Some great information. Video Interview: Want to engage young people? Think mobile Web. Christian Louca, YOC talks to mobiThinking. Mobile apps do not make for mobile marketing solutions (dur). This advice is important for anyone thinking a mobile site is just a "check off box" in their advertising or marketing duties. It is not.
Everyone wants their own mobile application. In the last year, I have heard this consistently. In fact, mobile analytics firm Distimo claims 91 of the top 100 brands have their own mobile app (up from 51 just 18 months ago).
Merchants, restaurants, contractors - looking for a way to take payments on your mobile device? Try Phone Swipe...check out their video showing how to get paid right away...no matter what business you own or where you're located. To use the roam app you only need be using specific merchant processors that are affiliated with Phone Swipe, and their link to the Android Market has a video link showing how it works. (Of course web apps also allow you to collect via PayPay or your existing payment portal.)
