It’s no secret that going mobile is the way of the future. And while Internet-based technology for smartphones hasn’t quite exploded yet, many marketing experts think the mass proliferation isn’t far away.
According to eMarketer, more than 96 percent of the U.S. population is expected to own a mobile phone by 2013 and the gap between web-enabled mobile and wired Internet users is likely to narrow significantly in the coming years.
In order to provide this growing base of mobile web users with the optimum experience, many small business owners are developing mobile-friendly company websites that are optimized for smartphone display.
Making the Mobile Transition.
There are a variety of options for mobile website development based on your company’s goals. In some cases, it may be more practical to generate a mobile-friendly website using the bones of your existing site. But, it is important to remember that just because you may be able to see your existing website on a smartphone, it doesn’t mean that it is also mobile-friendly.
Multiple Uses:
Mobile devices have revolutionized the way consumers shop. Although most consumers are not yet making purchases with their smartphones, mobile devices are impacting purchase decisions. Many mobile users are using their phones to research products, compare prices, look for unbeatable deals, read reviews and find locations.
Better Search Results:
Mobile searching has become one of the fastest-growing online resources. With computers essentially accessible from jean pockets, it has never been easier for consumers to search for what they want. It also has never been easier for your business to be found by potential customers via popular search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! on a mobile device. In the future, these search engines may begin to rank websites by their vast platform options, so if your company does not have a mobile-friendly site, it will appear lower in search results.
Quick Speed:
Mobile websites are designed for optimal speed, which means consumers don’t have to wait for pages to download and they can spend more time browsing. However, if your website is slow to load on a mobile device, users will move onto another site that is faster. 60 percent of users expect a mobile site to load in three seconds or less.
Local Engagement:
A mobile website allows you to engage users with features such as mapping functions and directories that provide general information on your company’s location, contact information and address. Furthermore, visitors can find your website through location-based technology that tracks their geographic proximity to your business.
Competitive Advantage:
Mobile technology is everywhere, and before we know it, most businesses will have implemented a mobile marketing strategy. However, having a mobile website now allows you to stand out among other industry competitors and ensures that you have the best opportunity to capture consumer attention when they are browsing your page.
A Successful Mobile Website.
If you decide to create a mobile-friendly website for your business, there are a few golden rules to keep in mind to improve user experience and satisfaction:
Keep it Simple.
Mobile users rarely use a mobile phone to just casually surf the web. The typical user is looking for on-the-go access to something specific. As a result, it is important to keep your mobile site simple with the design, layout and navigation. Ask yourself, “For what reason are consumers going to visit our site?” In most cases, it will be to reach a live person, so you should make the phone number prominent.
Don’t Use Flash.
It is important to stay away from Flash layouts. Although Flash-driven elements may look appealing on a desktop browser, users will receive an error message if accessing your website on a mobile device. You don’t want to lose potential customers because they can’t view your information.
Avoid Multiple Images.
Nothing slows a page down more than large images. It is recommended to discard most of the images on your mobile homepage except for ones those that are essential. When you do add images to your mobile website, be sure to select smaller versions.
Cater To Tapping.
When converting your website from a desktop to a mobile design, you need to make sure that the links, buttons, menus, etc., can be accessed by tapping. Keep in mind that although desktop websites lend themselves well to clickable areas, the mobile web requires larger elements that can be pressed with a thumb.
The Future is Now.
In order to maximize the potential of your business and stay ahead of competition, it is important to be aware of top technology trends. Implementing new technology is a great technique to attract new customers and keep your current clientele impressed with your business. In a world where the mobile spectrum is constantly changing and optimizing mobile websites is the up-and-coming trend, there is no better time to hop on the mobile bandwagon and make sure you are not left behind.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
QR Codes for Mobile Websites
The QR (Quick Response) Code is one of the most exciting new innovations in marketing. In order for QR codes to be effectively used, they have to direct users to a mobile-optimized website, not a regular desktop website. With RealShowing's mobile website software you can create unlimited web pages and unlimited QR codes.
Customize the QR code's size/color, and then download an image file (JPG, PNG, EPS). Print your moible site's QR code for you mobile site on business cards, flyers, brochures, signs, products, doors, windowns, vehicles and all advertisements for your business. QR codes can be scanned from a computer screen so you can even insert them on your desktop website, your Facebook page, and any online ads.
How do I scan a QR code?
QR codes can be scanned by most mobile devices that have a camera. You can download a free app for your Android, iPhone or Blackberry smart phone. Just search your mobile app marketplace for "qr code" or "barcode scanner". Once you have the app just open it up and hold it to the QR code. You will then be directed to the URL associated with the QR code.
QR Code Use Examples
Real Estate
- Property Signs: potential buyers or tenants can drive by a property and simply scan a QR code on the lawn sign to instantly see photos and details about the sale or lease.
- Open Houses: potential buyers can scan a QR code as they walk into a home and then bookmark the listing page for future reference. Eliminate costly flyers forever!
- Retail Property for Lease: potential tenants can scan a QR code posted on the property's front door or window to instantly see photos of the space and lease terms.
- Business Cards: all real estate agents need to get a mobile website and should place a QR code on their business cards.
Restaurants
- Front Door / Window: people love to check out a menu posted outside a restaurant before deciding to walk in. All restaurants should post a QR code outside their front door for prospective customers to scan. If they don't have time to walk in they can view your mobile website (with your complete menu) on their phone and keep walking, then bookmark it for future use.
- Take-out Menus: place a QR code on your restaurant's take-out menu so your customers can keep an updated version of your menu on their phone and easily reference it to place a take-out order. No need to worry about your take-out menus not having updated prices and contact information. Soon enough you can completely eliminate your costly printed take-out menus.
- Tables: place your QR code at every table in your restaurant so customers can learn about your restaurant, get coupons and more.
Hotels
- Room Key Cards: all hotels should have a mobile website and print a QR code on the guest room key card so guests can learn about the hotel's amenities, browse the room service menu, see local points of interest, and more.
- Night Stand or Desk: place your hotel's QR code on the night stand or the desk in your rooms.
- Elevators: place a QR code for your hotel's mobile website in the elevators.
- Hotel Directory Book: if your hotel has a directory book in every room, you should insert a QR code in the book so guests can view all of the hotel information on their smart phone which can be easily accessed when guests leave the room.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Go Mobile Nationwide - Memorial Day Tribute
STOP
Stop the cookout, party, and shopping spree
To remember those who were brave enough to keep America free.
Stop to remember the ones who took the battlefield with pride.
And never forget the reasons for which they have died.
Reasons of patriotism, sacrifice, and love for country that ring so true.
Stop and be thankful they gave up their lives for you.
Memorial Day 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Go Mobile Nationwide launched and ready for business !
We have plenty more new developments in the works, which we plan on rolling out over the next few weeks, like our custom Photo Gallery widget. We know you're going to love the new features, so keep your eyes peeled !
If you're ready to take advantage of this introductory offer, visit the site and click on the "Go Mobile - Sign-Up Now" button
Remember, Mobile Users are using their phones to search the web for restaurants, shopping, and local businesses… and most are ready to buy!
Thank you for your input, you asked and we provided!!!
Go Mobile Nationwide.com
We’ve acquired Motorola Mobility
May 22, 2012 at 7:53 AM
It’s why I’m excited to announce today that our Motorola Mobility deal has closed. Motorola is a great American tech company that has driven the mobile revolution, with a track record of over 80 years of innovation, including the creation of the first cell phone. We all remember Motorola’s StarTAC, which at the time seemed tiny and showed the real potential of these devices. And as a company who made a big, early bet on Android, Motorola has become an incredibly valuable partner to Google.
Sanjay Jha, who was responsible for building the company and placing that big bet on Android, has stepped down as CEO. I would like to thank him for his efforts and am tremendously pleased that he will be working to ensure a smooth transition as long-time Googler Dennis Woodside takes over as CEO of Motorola Mobility.
I’ve known Dennis for nearly a decade, and he’s been phenomenal at building teams and delivering on some of Google’s biggest bets. One of his first jobs at Google was to put on his backpack and build our businesses across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia. More recently he helped increase our revenue in the U.S. from $10.8 billion to $17.5 billion in under three years as President of the Americas region. Dennis has always been a committed partner to our customers and I know he will be an outstanding leader of Motorola. As an Ironman triathlete, he’s got plenty of energy for the journey ahead—and he’s already off to great start with some very strong new hires for the Motorola team.
It’s a well known fact that people tend to overestimate the impact technology will have in the short term, but underestimate its significance in the longer term. Many users coming online today may never use a desktop machine, and the impact of that transition will be profound—as will the ability to just tap and pay with your phone. That’s why it’s a great time to be in the mobile business, and why I’m confident Dennis and the team at Motorola will be creating the next generation of mobile devices that will improve lives for years to come.
Google Chrome Just Passed Internet Explorer To Become The World's Most Popular Web Browser
Seth Fiegerman | May 21, 2012, 6:43 AM
After months of chipping away at its lead, Google Chrome has finally overtaken Internet Explorer to become most popular web browser worldwide.
Chrome's share of the market rose to 32.8% in the week ending May 20, while Internet Explorer's share of the market dropped to 31.9%, according to new data from StatCounter, via TheNextWeb. This marks the first full week that Chrome has beaten Explorer.
Google's browser had previously topped Explorer for a single day back in March.
Mozilla's Firefox is the third most popular browser with just more than a 25% of the market.
What the rise of the smartphone means to mobile marketing
by A.W. Berry
Created on: May 21, 2012 Last Updated: May 22, 2012
Smartphones double as mobile computers in several ways making any mobile Internet connection via a smartphone a marketing opportunity. According to the Ecommerce Times, smartphone market penetration has reached near 60 percent of all households with a broadband Internet connection; this is more than double 2009 figures. By the end of 2011, approximately 68 percent of U.S. households had broadband connections per Multichannel News. Using an average household size of 2.63, and a population size of 311.592 million, that would give approximately 46.73 million U.S. households at least one smartphone.
Monetization
What this means for mobile marketers is it increases net exposure time to market and raises the prospect of gaining a return on investment via monetization of mobile applications, hardware and advertising. When more individuals use smartphones instead of more traditional computing hardware to access the internet or applications, it increases the potential marketing opportunity for information technology service providers, advertisers, businesses public relations, and software developers. For example, according to MarketingProfs LLC, 14 million Americans used quick response or QR Codes to learn more about something in just one month in 2011.
Opportunities
The opportunities to market via smartphones are extensive, and limited only by what the designers cannot conceive within the hardware capacity of the phones and the computing capacity of the operating systems, which is substantial. Direct Marketing News says these changes to gain market share are not being taken advantage of as much as they could be. For example, many retailers do not have online purchasing options, websites with smartphone accessibility, or business specific smartphone applications. Additional examples of underutilized smartphone marketing mechanisms include free product or service sampling, online coupons, promotional content and real time social media interaction.
Obstacles
There are also obstacles to smartphone marketing; in particular, smartphones such as the iPhone are still primarily communication tools rather than computing devices. Furthermore, in light of this, the need for functional utility and enhanced communication ability provides the key to mobile marketing per iMedia Connection. This means mobile marketers are tasked with the challenge of creating a different kind of marketing that is communication based rather than content based as is more the case with desktop and laptop computing. Marketers must also be aware of product trends such as which operating system platforms to focus on, currently iOS and Android have the largest market share in the United States per 925 LLC.
Campaigns
The smartphone mobile marketing campaign is agile, flexible and understands its target market in addition to being able to gain that markets interest, trust and loyalty. The 2012 winners of the Global Mobile Awards illustrate how this can be done. For instance, Rovio Entertainment Ltd's game “Angry Birds” was a winner of this award. This is a mobile phone application that entertains, occupies, and enhances the smartphone user's life in some way. Smartphones enable innovative use of smartphone technology to market at lower cost and with increased efficiency with the help of mobile metrics. However, they also mean the bar has been raised for marketing campaigns to reach their optimal market exposure.
Created on: May 21, 2012 Last Updated: May 22, 2012
Smartphones double as mobile computers in several ways making any mobile Internet connection via a smartphone a marketing opportunity. According to the Ecommerce Times, smartphone market penetration has reached near 60 percent of all households with a broadband Internet connection; this is more than double 2009 figures. By the end of 2011, approximately 68 percent of U.S. households had broadband connections per Multichannel News. Using an average household size of 2.63, and a population size of 311.592 million, that would give approximately 46.73 million U.S. households at least one smartphone.
Monetization
What this means for mobile marketers is it increases net exposure time to market and raises the prospect of gaining a return on investment via monetization of mobile applications, hardware and advertising. When more individuals use smartphones instead of more traditional computing hardware to access the internet or applications, it increases the potential marketing opportunity for information technology service providers, advertisers, businesses public relations, and software developers. For example, according to MarketingProfs LLC, 14 million Americans used quick response or QR Codes to learn more about something in just one month in 2011.
Opportunities
The opportunities to market via smartphones are extensive, and limited only by what the designers cannot conceive within the hardware capacity of the phones and the computing capacity of the operating systems, which is substantial. Direct Marketing News says these changes to gain market share are not being taken advantage of as much as they could be. For example, many retailers do not have online purchasing options, websites with smartphone accessibility, or business specific smartphone applications. Additional examples of underutilized smartphone marketing mechanisms include free product or service sampling, online coupons, promotional content and real time social media interaction.
Obstacles
There are also obstacles to smartphone marketing; in particular, smartphones such as the iPhone are still primarily communication tools rather than computing devices. Furthermore, in light of this, the need for functional utility and enhanced communication ability provides the key to mobile marketing per iMedia Connection. This means mobile marketers are tasked with the challenge of creating a different kind of marketing that is communication based rather than content based as is more the case with desktop and laptop computing. Marketers must also be aware of product trends such as which operating system platforms to focus on, currently iOS and Android have the largest market share in the United States per 925 LLC.
Campaigns
The smartphone mobile marketing campaign is agile, flexible and understands its target market in addition to being able to gain that markets interest, trust and loyalty. The 2012 winners of the Global Mobile Awards illustrate how this can be done. For instance, Rovio Entertainment Ltd's game “Angry Birds” was a winner of this award. This is a mobile phone application that entertains, occupies, and enhances the smartphone user's life in some way. Smartphones enable innovative use of smartphone technology to market at lower cost and with increased efficiency with the help of mobile metrics. However, they also mean the bar has been raised for marketing campaigns to reach their optimal market exposure.
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