Startup Guides > 5 Mobile Marketing Methods That Really Work

Marketing has gone mobile. Most shoppers use at least one mobile device to research and purchase products online. Maybe your small business doesn't have a mobile-friendly site yet. But do you need one?

1: Determine whether you need a mobile site

Before you start developing a mobile site, figure out if you really need one. Start by checking out your competitors' websites on your phone. If your local competitors are mobile-web-friendly, it's a strong sign you should be too.

Next, analyze the stats for your desktop site. Google Analytics can tell you which mobile devices your customers are using to visit your website. You may learn that a sizeable percentage of your traffic actually comes from mobile.

If your competitors are mobile ready, and/or or your mobile visitors are having a poor experience then you're losing business.


2: Learn what your options are

Let's say your analysis indicates a mobile site is essential. You have 3 routes to make your business mobile friendly.

Responsive design

Responsive design automatically adjusts the layout of your website depending on the device someone is using.

Separate mobile site

Has your business already invested in a desktop website? A separate mobile site, rather than responsive design, may be the way to go. If your desktop site is more important for your business and needs unique features, this may be your best choice.

Mobile app

If your visitors visit daily, a mobile app makes sense. It's not typically the preferred option for most small business owners, but it may be right for you.

3: Keep it simple stupid

Mobile websites need simple navigation, easy-to-read text and highly visible call-to-action buttons that easily draw your visitors through your site. As you design, consider what people expect to see and what matters most to them. Think about the information they want to access quickly, and then make sure that information is prominently shown.

4: Create a familiar experience across devices

Use your mobile site to reinforce your company's brand. The look and feel of your mobile site should be similar to your desktop site - and so should the user experience, whether from smartphone, tablet PC, desktop computer, or smart TV. Make sure the user experience is familiar across devices, and make sure the pages load quickly.

5: Tap into mobile social networks

Last but not least, don't forget about social. Include social LIKE and SHARE buttons on your mobile webpages, and encourage visitors to comment on your blog. Social sharing creates word-of-mouth recommendations by allowing users to talk about your business - and spread the word.

Speaking of social networks, most are available on mobile. The majority of Twitter users visit the site on their mobile smartphones, and Snapchat is only available via mobile app. In recent years, sites like 40Billion.com have facilitated mobile marketing to reach millions of potential customers across the most popular social networking sites for small businesses - including Twitter, LinkedIn, 40Billion, and even Facebook. Innovative services like tweet ads, future retweets, and promoted company listings were created for entrepreneurs and marketers to tap into a growing network of mobile users online without spending thousands on pay-per-click ads or traditional advertising.

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