Home Articles Marketing mantra: Wake up and follow the mobile window shoppers!

Marketing mantra: Wake up and follow the mobile window shoppers!

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Mobile browsing – maybe in this context we should call it mobile window shopping – is fast emerging as an important element of consumer behaviour.

A recent study by Nielsen found that 47% of smartphone owners used the mobile Internet to find out more about a product or service before making a purchase decision. In fact, the top five “pre-shopping” activities carried out on a smartphone included: comparing product prices before visiting the store and whilst in-store, checking store locations, taking photos of products and reading product recommendations and reviews.

With more than half the nation expected to be using a smartphone by the end of this year (Google/Ipsos 2011), retailers and other businesses cannot afford to overlook the mobile in their customer engagement programs. Consumers increasingly expect companies and brands to deliver mobile-enabled services that meet their needs, regardless of whether they are connecting via a smartphone, tablet or generic mobile phone handset.

This is an onerous burden on businesses. Owners and marketers seeking to develop a major mobile strategy for their companies or brands may feel overwhelmed at the task involved, especially given the competitive forces. But in actual fact, such a plan can be executed quickly and, what is more, can generate results within days.

Here are a few possible options:

Mobile advertising.

Today, this enjoys far greater reach than online advertising. It is quick to launch and, as with online advertising, mobile advertising campaigns can be targeted by age, gender and location. Additional benefits include targeting by mobile device, mobile platform and connection.

SMS campaigns.

Simple text messages hold the power of the written word and more. These can be used to send high-impact, targeted marketing messages to consumers. Easy to set up and launch, SMSes enable businesses to send instant and tailored offers, receive leads and organise events. SMS campaigns can also help companies build a mobile database by encouraging customers to text in to receive special offers and discounts.

Quick Response codes.

A key challenge in marketing is to bridge offline and online media, and to convert direct mailers, magazine ads, business cards and product labels. The so-called QR codes, delivered to consumers’ mobiles, offer the best way to achieve this goal. With 24/7 availability, the mobile phone represents a powerful tool for initiating customer response and engagement.

With over 10 years’ experience spanning various markets including the U.K., Europe and the U.S., Roger Woodend works with major global corporations including BP, Samsung and BT. Since his arrival in Sydney, Roger has secured an MBA from Macquarie Business School. Readers can write to [email protected]