Mobile Friendly Websites

advertising is exploding and is going to hit $3 billion by 2012
A Comscore study revealed that 25% of
mobile phone users participate in at least one (and up to 10) SMS (text) marketing program monthly. With Advertising Spending increasing, it gives analysts a good indicator of where an industry is headed. Given this rising estimate, it is quite clear that the
Mobile segment is going to be highly significant.

Mobile Coupons are growing rapidly.
In the next two years Juniper Research predicts that approximately three billion
mobile coupons will be issued to phones. Consumers are increasingly looking for offers and coupons in this down economy.
Mobile coupons, via texting, are convenient, easy to access and redeem. They have become the latest ‘hot’ killer app, providing businesses with more reasons to consider a
mobile presence. Bar coded
mobile coupons, another new trend, are now becoming a significant practice amongst bigger businesses.

All kinds of businesses – Big & Small are embracing
mobile.
Big brands have made
mobile a serious part of their marketing spend in 2010. In the last two years, fast food joints like Wendy’s, Burger King, Subway and others have launched texting programs,
mobile sites, and iPhone apps that enable a consumer to order food for pick-up.

Big retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears, J.C. Penney, and Target have built
mobile sites and iPhone apps in the last year. These applications have allowed consumers to order products, read reviews & provide other services to their clients.

You are missing an opportunity if you do not have a
mobile website & marketing strategy. According to Forrester Research, a
mobile marketing agenda is on three out of four marketers’ lists this year.

As with any marketing program, you need to understand how the
mobile landscape is evolving and how this affects your target audience. To understand why 2011 is the year to add
mobile to your marketing mix, here’s the skinny.

1. Smartphones are projected to reach a tipping point later this year. They’ll account for half of the
   mobile phone market says The Nielsen Company .
   
2. With
   mobile, smartphones include more than just talking.
3. How we use content has changed on
   mobile. As a result, we now multitask to get information.
   Mobile allows us to do so quickly.
4. 
   Mobile advertising continues high growth trajectory. In aggregate,
   mobile advertising is projected to grow almost 50 percent to $1.1 billion in 2011, according to eMarketer.

So What Does This Mean for Your 2012 Marketing?

Regardless of your business focus, you need to allocate budget and headcount to
mobile. To this end, set business goals for your marketing strategies and select related metrics before you jump in to ensure that you can track the results of your marketing investment.

For many businesses, the Smartphone is where the battle is moving. Smartphones are where consumers are examining your offering and your competitors’. Even brick-and-mortar stores must understand that even if a customer’s in your establishment, you may not get the sale, especially since consumers prefer checking their
mobiles to talking to people!