Side Hustle - how do you maximize your smart phone usage for business / connectivity to clients

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1. As of March 2017, 80% of top Alexa websites were mobile adaptive. (Mobiforge)

This is pretty cut-and-dry. If you want your site to perform well, it needs to be optimized for mobile.
2. 51% of all digital ad budgets in 2016 were spent on mobile. (IAB/PricewaterhouseCoopers)

Marketers and advertisers are heavily investing in mobile, which means, most likely, so is your competition. If you want to stay competitive, you need to have a mobile optimization or marketing strategy in place.
3. By 2019, mobile advertising is expected to represent 72% of all U.S. digital ad spending. (MarketingLand)

But at the same time...
4. 70% of people report disliking mobile ads. (HubSpot)

In fact, mobile ad blocking has increased 90% year-over-year.
5. By 2018, American adults are expected to spend on average 3 hours and 23 minutes on nonvoice mobile media. (eMarketer)

That's up more than 1 hour from 2013. It has increased steadily every year since.
6. 80% of internet users own a smartphone. (Smart Insights)

With so many cell phone services giving away free smartphones with their contracts, this number is only going to keep increasing -- which is good news for companies with a mobile marketing strategy.
7. 48% of consumers start mobile research with a search engine --but 33% go directly to the site they want. (Smart Insights)

This is why you want to produce valuable content that makes it easy for your buyer persona to find you online. You also want to optimize for mobile search results.
8. Users spend on average 69% of their media time on smartphones. (comScore)

As a marketer, you need to align with the buyer's behavior. With more than half of people consuming media via smartphones, you need to make sure yours offers the best experience possible.
9. Google drives 96% of mobile search traffic, followed by Yahoo at 2% and Bing at 1%. (NetMarketShare)

Google doesn't just dominate search on desktop, but mobile as well. If you want to increase your mobile search traffic, optimize for Google on smaller screen sizes. That means truncated titles, meta-descriptions, and careful consideration of Google AMP.
10. Apps account for 89% of mobile media time, with the other 11% spent on websites. (Smart Insights)

Consumers want to consume media through an app. Provide a great experience for your persona in your app and handle your marketing on the web.
When they are researching however...
11. 33% of consumers start mobile research with a branded website, only 26% with a mobile app. (Smart Insights)

This is why you want to produce valuable content to make your brand the authority in your niche. (Are you starting to see a pattern here?)
12. 80% of social media time is spent on a mobile device. (comScore)

No surprise here. Make sure your social media content (graphics, thumbnails, etc.) look great on mobile. People are much more likely to see it there than on desktop.
13. Pinterest is the most mobile social network and 64% of its referred traffic comes from either smartphones or tablet devices. (Mobile Marketing Watch)

Facebook and Twitter get all the attention, but companies targeting mobile users should look to attract them on Pinterest as well.
14. Over 50% of smartphone users grab their smartphone immediately after waking up. (ExpressPigeon, 2014)

I'll admit it, that includes me. Keep this in mind when scheduling your content or sending emails. If you publish/send early in the morning, people are more likely to be viewing on mobile.
15. 57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly-designed mobile site. (socPub)

A poor mobile presence can make your organization look unprofessional and out of touch with the modern consumer. Optimize for mobile to make the right impression.
16. The two most popular ways companies are optimizing for mobile are 1. using a simple template that works for all devices (52%) and 2. creating a mobile responsive email template (39%). (Adestra)

Optimizing emails for mobile is the bare minimum. Smart businesses optimize every aspect of their emails to generate more leads and increase their conversions.
17. 68% of companies have integrated mobile marketing into their overall marketing strategy. (Salesforce)

All of the data has shown that mobile marketing is profitable and shouldn't be ignored.
18. 71% of marketers believe mobile marketing is core to their business. (Salesforce)

For many of our tech clients, mobile marketing is the top priority and it has shown to have a high ROI.
19. 58% of companies surveyed have a dedicated mobile marketing team. (Salesforce)

If you have the resources, it makes sense to have a team of people with an expertise in mobile marketing to get the most benefit from your marketing efforts.
20. Google says 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead. (MicKinsey & Company)

Is your company "phoning in" the mobile experience of your website? Not only are you turning away potential customers, but you're sending them straight to your competitors that provide a better mobile experience.
21. Tablets account for the highest add-to-cart rates on eCommerce websites at 8.58%. (Smart Insights)

If you're an online retailer, you should give extra attention to the design and user experience of the tablet version of your website.
22. In 2014, smartphones accounted for over 33% of all online traffic compared to tablets at just over 12%. (MarketingLand)

I know it sounds redundant, but having a responsive website is no longer an option -- it's a requirement.
23. Mobile email opens have grown by 180% in the last three years. (Email Monday)

If your mobile subscribers aren't opening your marketing emails, it's not them -- it's you. Here are five seemingly harmless details that drastically affect email open rates.
24. 83% of mobile users say that a seamless experience across all devices is very important. (Wolfgang Jaegel)

This is something that Apple has mastered and proven to be very effective. Consumers now expect a seamless experience and brand consistency.
25. 91% of mobile users say that access to content is very important. (Wolfgang Jaegel)

The people have spoken. Your mobile site should make it as easy as possible for your persona to access your content.
26. Average smartphone conversion rates are up 64% compared to the average desktop conversion rates. (CMS Report)

Yet another reason to give extra attention to the mobile experience of your website. If your brand is seeing higher conversions from desktop consider these four simple tips for increasing conversions on your mobile site.
27. 57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site. (CMS Report)

Web design is no longer just about looks -- it's all about the experience. Now, more than ever, great UX has a higher ROI.
28. 88% of consumers who search for a type of local business on a mobile device call or go to that business within 24 hours. (Nectafy)

Just like your mother told you as a kid, first impressions really do count. People use their mobile device to find a local business when they're ready to buy and a great mobile website makes the decision even easier for them.
29. 83% of B2B marketers said mobile apps were important to content marketing. (Strategy Trends)

Remember when having a website was cool and not all businesses had one? We're seeing the exact same trend with mobile apps today.
30. By 2018, 8 in 10 email users will likely access their email accounts exclusively from their mobile devices (emailmonday)

Mobile marketing isn't just about apps and your website; even your emails need to be fully optimized to offer the best experience on the go.
31. 40% Of Mobile Searches Have Local Intent (Google Mobile Moments Study)

Even local businesses need to be equipped with a mobile strategy!
32. 70% Of Consumers Delete Emails Immediately That Don’t Render Well On A Mobile Device (Blue Hornet)

Don't let your message get ignored because it wasn't optimized for mobile viewing.
33. Mobile Offers are Redeemed 10x More Frequently Than Print Offers (eMarketer)

48% of companies are using mobile coupons/offers in 2017. That's up 16% since 2013.
34. As of Q1 of 2017, Samsung was the leading phone maker (with a 22.8% share) followed by Apple and Huawei. (International Data Corporation)

Even if everyone on your team is a hard core iPhone fan, remember, not everyone is. In fact, globally, Samsung devices are more popular. Make sure to test and optimize for that experience as well.
35. 5-5.1-inch is the most used screen size, 720 x 1280 is the most used screen resolution. (DeviceAtlas)

Every audience is different, but if you don't have access to formal mobile testing or data on your users, planning around these dimensions are a good starting point.
36. 48% of millennials view video solely on their mobile device. (Source)

If you're targeting a younger audience, make sure to utilize video in your mobile marketing.
37. Website that load in 5 seconds on mobile see 25% more ad visibility and 70% longer session duration. (Google DoubleClick)

Mobile optimization is more than just visual. Speed always plays a large role.
38. 79% of people use their smartphone for reading email -- a higher percentage than those who use it for making calls. (Email Monday)

We've reached a point where the "phone" part of a smartphone is just a feature and not the primary function, which is good news for brands that use inbound marketing as their primary strategy.
  • 97% of mobile subscribers will read an SMS (text) message within 15 minutes of receiving it; 84% will respond within 1 hour. (do you know any other medium that gets your target's attention that fast? I don't!)
  • Average campaign response rates are typically 12 - 15% (as opposed to direct mail which averages 2 - 3%); some companies are seeing response rates as high as 60%+!
  • Mobile is NOT just for teens and twenty-somethings; prime purchasers in the 35 - 44 and 45 - 54 age brackets are also strongly embracing the use of Mobile
  • While 65% of email is spam, less than 10% of SMS is.
  • A recent study by Compete.com indicates that almost 40% of consumers are extremely interested in receiving mobile coupons for a wide variety of services / purchases!
  • Demand for mobile websites is expected to exceed PC accessible websites sometime in 2011; if you don't have one, you need one very soon!
Commerce
Mobile ticketing
Tickets can be booked and cancelled mobile phones using a variety of technologies. Users are then able to use their tickets immediately, by presenting their phones at the venue.
Mobile vouchers, coupons and loyalty cards
Mobile technology can also be used for the distribution of vouchers, coupons, and loyalty cards. These items are represented by a virtual token that is sent to the mobile phone. A customer presenting a mobile phone with one of these tokens at the point of sale receives the same benefits as if they had the traditional token.
Content purchase and delivery
Mobile content purchase and delivery mainly consists of the sale of ring-tones, wallpapers, and games for mobile phones, and is evolving into the purchase and delivery of full-length music tracks, video, books and more.
Location-based services
Knowing the location of the mobile phone user allows for location-based services such as:
  • Local discount offers
  • Local weather / news / sports
  • Tracking and monitoring of people
  • Traffic reporting
Information services
A wide variety of information services can be delivered to mobile phone users in much the same way as it is delivered to PCs. These services include:
  • International and national News / sports
  • Stock quotes
  • Financial records
Mobile banking
Banks and other financial institutions use mobile commerce to allow their customers to access account information and make transactions, such as:
  • check bank balances
  • process bill payments
  • transfer funds between accounts
  • verify deposits and other transactions
Mobile brokerage
Stock market services allow the subscriber to react to market developments in a timely fashion and irrespective of their physical location.
Mobile Purchase
Merchants accept orders from customers electronically via mobile device thru mobile websites and/or apps. In some cases, catalogs delivered via mobile.
Benefits
Mobile technology can improve the services you offer your customers. For example, when meeting with customers you can access your firms customer relationship management system - over the internet - allowing you to update customer details while away from the office. Alternatively, you can enable customers to pay for services or goods without having to write a check or swipe a credit or use cash. More powerful solutions can link you directly into the office network while working off-site to access such resources as your database or accounting systems. For example, you could:
  • set up a new customer's account
  • check prices and stock availability
  • place an order online
Mobile technology leads to great flexibility in working - for example, enabling home working, or working while travelling. The growth of cloud computing has also impacted positively on the use of mobile devices, supporting more flexible working practices by providing services over the internet.
Mobile technology solutions may include:
  • mobile infrastructure,
  • mobile website and/or application development,
  • mobile commerce solutions,
  • mobile marketing solutions,
  • mobile communication solutions,
  • mobile technology hardware / software management solutions,
  • GPS tracking solutions,
  • much, much more.
Today's apps-savvy consumers want business information delivered concisely and available for reading on the fly. Thanks to the explosion of Internet-enabled mobile devices, you and your customers can communicate on the go. Here are six easy ways to deliver on mobile devices marketing that encourages customer interaction.

1. Make Your Emails Mobile-Friendly
Whereas delivering email marketing that can be read on mobile devices used to be optional for a business, now it's essential. Keep a message's subject line short and place high up in the message your brand name, the offer, and the call to action.

Keep your email design simple and light on text, and offer a link to your company's website or Facebook page so a reader can find out more.

2. Give Mobile Customers What They Need
Forty percent of U.S. smartphone owners compare prices on their mobile device while shopping inside a store, according to HubSpot, an Internet marketing firm in Cambridge, Mass. If you do not optimize your site for mobile users, you may miss sales opportunities. The most sought-after information (a company's hours, locations, and directions) and popular features should be front and center where customers can easily find them. If mobile consumers cannot find the information they need to guide their purchasing decisions, they may click -- but then take their business elsewhere.

3. Invite List Sign-ups via Text Message and Quick-Response Codes
Customers entering into your retail establishment probably are carrying their cellphones on them. Build your contact list by inviting patrons to send a text message (if your email service provider offers this feature) or scan a QR code. Put a sign at your cash register to encourage such activity while the shopping experience is still fresh.

A savings coupon or special offer can sweeten the deal for any customers who sign up via text message or QR code. And you end up building your list without having to manually enter email addresses after deciphering handwriting on a sign-up sheet.

4. Build Your Fan Base
Your socially active customers have a Facebook or Twitter app loaded on their smartphones. A sign or poster that encourages them to connect with you in the social media sphere can propel significant growth of your network -- and expand your company's visibility to the contacts of your new followers. Be sure to give customers a good (and fun) reason to like or follow you.

5. Tap Location-Based Services
If you run a brick-and-mortar business or host an event, encourage people to check in on location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla, or Where. You will gain information about your regular customers and how often they visit you. It also lets your customers share information and tips about your business with others. A unique special offer can encourage these regulars to check in more often.

6. Encourage Reviews on the Run
Encourage customers to share their thoughts about their experience while they are still at our place of business. Post a sign that says, "How'd we do? Let us know!" You can even direct customers to sites like Yelp, Where, Google Places, or TripAdvisor, where you would like them to offer reviews of your business. Make sure you post your company's Twitter handle, so customers can include it in reviews and follow your business on Twitter for updates. Be sure you stay on top of any customer reviews posted about your company.
 
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