We now live in a world where mobile devices are no longer just an accessory. Smartphones are becoming a necessity with more people using them for personal, business, and leisure. It’s not a surprise that businesses are also becoming more mobile.
Here’s what TWF community member James thinks about being mobile:
Of course, this does not mean that you have to spend vast amounts of money for immediately creating your own app. Moving into mobile commerce takes precious investment, not to mention competition from millions of apps already out in stores. App development may or may not be the way to go for SMEs, but there are alternatives for startups to increase their mobile presence.
Optimising Websites for Mobile
One of our members, psxgamer, noticed high bounce rates on his website from visitors using a Safari browser. This could be a coincidence, or possibly an attack, but that does not block out the idea of optimising a site for mobile. Safari is a browser made by Apple, and by which, used in all Apple devices, including iPhones and iPads. Now imagine your site being loaded on a Safari browser, using a 4 inch iPhone, wouldn't that turn someone off if they see your site is not optimised?
One of the first necessities of starting your own business is to build your own website. However, the websites that are built for large-screen computers do not look all that pretty on a 4 - 5 inch mobile phone. What's more, your website will also be data hungry and likely to be avoided by users who have limited data plans. Optimising your website for mobile could do wonders, as it makes mobile browsing easier and faster for users.
Increasing Support Range via Chat Apps
Customer support is a key element for having excellent feedback. More mobile users are relying on chat apps over sending a text message. As of this writing, there are at least 5 mobile chat platforms millions of people use every day namely:
1. Whatsapp - 200 million users
2. Blackberry Messenger - 55 Million Users
3. iMessage - 250 million users
4. Viber - 200 million users
5. Kik Messenger - 80 million users
Most people use them because they're instant, personal, and free. You can also use these chat apps to provide support to your customers.
Advertising in Mobile
Making a full advertisement in mobile phones, especially in apps, could still be a long shot for any SME owner. But, there are still ways to get around it. A good example is YouTube mobile ads. Billions watch videos in YouTube each day, and mobile users occupy a hefty 25% of that. Of course, advertising in YouTube does not necessarily mean that you have to create a video. YouTube also accepts banner ads.
Another example is SMS advertising. People check their phones regularly every time it sounds, and a good SMS ad will certainly get their attention, as long as you are not spamming them of course.
Promoting via QR Codes
QR Codes are not new but are still effective. All Smartphones can read QR Codes, so that means users already have the motivation to use them. Of course, you do not have to link them to your website or such. Use QR Codes in a creative way. Imagine, a visitor scanned a QR Code you posted in your website then it pointed to a promo code they can use to get discounts on your website, or possibly a small freebie to be included upon shipping of the item. This could also be done for loyalty cards and other types of promotion. The possibilities are endless in using these codes!
New devices are being released to the public each year, and mobile commerce is now gaining strength. Getting into the flow of technology is essential to grow in business, and mobile devices are beginning to be a huge part of it.
There are other ways for small businesses to reach out to mobile users, do you know some of them? Share your ideas below!
