Mobile devises are becoming a bigger part of our lives. We are all consumers and since smartphones are now able to tell us where we are and what business are close-by, there is an opportunity, particularly, for retail business owners to take advantage of mobile marketing. A growing number of mobile users want to receive location-specific advertising and location-based coupons.
Mobile marketing for newbies
Most of small business owners don't have the time, budget or skills to develop and implement a mobile marketing strategy. Good news! There are websites that are available to help with getting your mobile marketing strategy started. There are social media websites such as Foursquare, Facebook Places and Yelp that are geared to mobile users and are popular places to start. These websites motivate users to "check-in" to provide information about their experience with a brick-and-mortar business and also offer a choice of promotional offers for you. It is s meant to encourage word-of-mouth advertising.
Mobile enabled websites
Developing a mobile-enabled website is becoming a must for small businesses with storefronts and those without. And whether you're focued on local business or international. In the near future, there will be more people accessing the Internet via mobile devises (smartphones, tablets and Ipads) than a desktop. Because of this trend it is essential that your website be optimized for these hand-held devises.
The basic elements of a mobile-enabled website are;
- Fast page-load times
- Simple navigation
- Larger Font for easy readability
- Click-to-call button
- Maps & directions
Mobile users often just want basic information about your business and a easy way to call for more information. Therefore, a 6 page site is typically all that is required for your initial jump into the mobile marketing waters. It is a relatively small investment that can drive positive returns for local retail business owners.
