Since the release of the iPhone 3G in 2008, the way people use their mobiles and what they use them for has evolved dramatically. Once used only to make phone calls, mobile, and mobile commerce in particular, has had a huge surge in activity. With the imminent arrival of the iPhone 6, the US market alone has increased from $2billion, to a staggering $40billion.
For marketers, keeping track of changing mobile trends has become increasingly difficult. Manufacturers are pushing new technological boundaries and consumers are more digitally savvy than ever before. However, it is vital that marketers keep a finger on the pulse and endeavour to maximise the opportunities that the mobile channel presents. The trouble for many brands is that while mobile devices make up more than a third of all visits to online stores, they actually only generate around a quarter of online sales.
Harnessing the full power of mobile is a top priority for many marketers. The rise of mobile may no longer be a novelty, but optimising websites for mobile devices and improving online conversion rates to generate the greatest possible return for businesses are still proving difficult to master. When you look at the overall online picture in the US, conversion rates remain at approximately 4.3%, meaning most consumers still prefer the in-store shopping experience to online, despite browsing from their mobile or laptop first.
Recent research conducted by Adestra reveals that the proportion of companies optimising email for mobile devices increased by 22% last year, suggesting an increase in the amount of marketers who are aware of the benefits of including mobile targeting as part of their overall strategy.
For those brands wishing to improve their conversion rates (and let’s be honest – who doesn’t?) and offer greater personalisation, it’s crucially important to ensure every step of a customer’s journey is optimised for mobile and tablet devices.
Recognising how customers prefer to read emails – be it on a desktop computer, tablet or mobile – along with determining which browsers they favour, are the first steps to obtaining data that can provide a wealth of valuable insight.
A recent report by Google reveals that most consumers like to take a multi-device approach when purchasing online, with 65 per cent starting the buying process on a smartphone, 61 per cent continuing onto a laptop and four per cent continuing onto a tablet device.
These figures are an indication that it is more important than ever for testing to be a front of mind and rigorous activity for marketers. Email clients, such as Outlook, are updated all the time and there are new start-ups moving into the space. Furthermore, different handset operating systems such as iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile all render content differently.
The responsibility, therefore, falls to brands to ensure their emails display correctly in their customer’s inboxes, regardless of the device those customers are using. In an effort to reach customers wherever they are, some companies are now using SMS messages to complement their email campaigns: a clever way to track engagement and interaction.
This tactic can be used to alert customers to unread emails and works well as a bridge when emails can’t be accessed for any reason. It also provides an additional channel of communication between the company and customer, via which crucial messaging can be communicated. However, marketers shouldn’t lean on these methods too much, as customers today expect relevant, personalised content across the multiple channels they use to connect with their favourite brands.
Capitalising on the plethora of opportunities that multichannel marketing offers is where the future lies for marketing. If brands aren’t quick to learn and adapt, they run the serious risk of getting lost in the multichannel maze.
By Steve Denner, COO and co-founder of Adestra.
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