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Businesses today may be fighting a tough battle, but the good news is that companies also have access to a better suite of tools than ever before. Now that everyone carries a smartphone, practicing a mobile-first approach allows companies to create more meaningful connections with customers at the times and places where those customers are most willing to listen.
Genesis, an upstart marketing technology platform, understands the importance of reaching consumers with a mobile-first experience more than anyone. Smartphones and mobile strategies evolve every year, but savvy brands can earn consistent attention from their target audiences with the right approach.
Why a Mobile-First Experience Matters
App stores are crowded, and many mobile experiences leave a lot to be desired. Still, mobile remains the most effective communications tool for companies to connect with customers and prospects.
Even when people use other technologies, they often use them in conjunction with mobile. At the end of 2019, 88% of Americans said they use their cell phones while watching TV. People pull out their phones while standing in line at the grocery store, in the bathroom, and sometimes even in places where they shouldn’t, like movie theaters or stop lights. Today’s society is permanently connected to mobile technology, and any experience that does not reflect that reality misses the bigger picture.
“When we talk about the mobile experience, we’re really talking about the human experience,” says Chris del Rey, CEO of Genesis. “Our smartphones are integral parts of our lives, often the first thing we pick up in the morning and the last thing we use before going to sleep. Understanding how we use our phones as an extension of ourselves is essential for brands designing better mobile experiences.”
The status quo isn’t the ideal situation for practicing mindfulness, but businesses can’t trade the reality they have. People are glued to their phones, spending an average of 3-4 hours per day looking at a small screen. With a global pandemic limiting entertainment options, people spent even more time on their devices this year.
“People have enough options for distractions on their phones,” says del Rey. “They don’t need more junk to filter out: They need experiences that help them meet their goals, whatever those goals might be.”
For businesses, the situation presents an easy choice. Either create mobile-first experiences to go where the customers are or push back against the inevitable and watch the competition do it first.
The era of the mobile-first connection is well underway. The only question is, who will make the most of the opportunity?
Deliver a Superior Mobile-First Experience
The advantages of a mobile-first experience are undeniable, but how can businesses make the most of the tools available to them? These tips will help you create mobile experiences for your customers that are engaging, effective, and welcome.
Eliminate the friction of downloads.
Your customers want to do as little work as possible to connect with you. The longer your forms are, the fewer people will complete them. The same is true for mobile experiences: the more effort you require of your customers, the fewer people will follow through with the experiences you design.
Create mobile-first opportunities that do not require your customers to download anything to enjoy the full experience. Genesis offers a helpful tool called APP>LESS, which allows businesses to create app-like experiences without asking users to install something. Solutions like in-browser experiences and QR codes place the burden of curating the experience on the company, allowing the customer to enjoy the engagement with as little work as possible (while substantially increasing conversion rates).
Allow the customer to control the conversation.
No one appreciates a sales pitch. Discounts and coupons are nice, but when people open their phones, they usually want to solve a problem of some sort. Sometimes, that problem is as simple as a search for the nearest Thai restaurant, while other times, the user wants to connect with someone who can help.
Chatbots and AI can help businesses anticipate mobile users’ needs and respond in a way that is both helpful and unobtrusive. For example, customers browsing for new car parts may not want to search a wide selection of inventory. A chatbot can ask a few filter questions to get the user to the right pages without coming across as pushy or unnecessary. Make the introduction to offer the help, but let the customer decide whether to accept.
Provide experiences specific to the consumer and situation.
Most people can smell a generic ad from a mile away. After years of pop-ups and other annoyances, the human race has evolved to ignore anything that indicates irrelevance by casting too wide a net. Companies should trade in quantity for quality to target customers with experiences that meet immediate needs.
Location-specific advertising can be a powerful tool for this purpose. Using IoT sensors and Wi-Fi networks, businesses can send notifications to shoppers in stores about special nearby discounts, down to the aisle.
Genesis offers another solution, IMPULSE, which combines influencer testimonials, action-oriented communication, and GPS targeting. This can be a powerful tool for brick-and-mortar businesses, such as boutiques and restaurants, but bigger businesses can use location-based experiences as well. It’s all about the creativity of the person behind the screen.
Making Mobile Work for You
You don’t have to be a master of mobile advertising or a professional app creator to design mobile-first experiences customers will appreciate. Thousands of helpful tools are available to help you provide the services and features your customers expect on the platform they use more than any other. Start by thinking about what your customers need, design a strategy around that need, and begin building better mobile-first experiences with the customers at the center.
Image Credit: andrea piacquadio; pexels
Brad Anderson
Editor In Chief at ReadWrite
Brad is the editor overseeing contributed content at ReadWrite.com. He previously worked as an editor at PayPal and Crunchbase. You can reach him at brad at readwrite.com.
