Thursday, March 9, 2017

Moving to Mobile


Many businesses believe just getting online is a big step toward success.  The amount of search queries has drastically increased over recent years. On average, today Google processes 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide (Internet Live Stats, 2013). Though it can be argued that the internet will never replace the in person experience, the internet acts as an aid to help users find the correct in person experience.

(Internet Live Stats, 2013)

Based on today’s world and consumer product usage, the shift to mobile marketing is the most important factor to be there whenever consumer needs arise and to deliver messages and experiences that meet their needs in the moment. Being there on mobile is imperative to shape decisions and preferences (Babin, 2016, p. 66).  Based on surveys conducted by Google, the following statistics were revealed:
 (Think with Google, 2015)
These statistics reveal the importance of being there in the moment when consumers are looking for specific information.  Often I utilize these statistics when attempting to convince a small business to utilize mobile marketing campaigns. Particularly, I love the statistic: 1 in 3 smartphone users have purchased from a company or brand other than the one they intended to because of the information provided in the moment they needed it. As a small business competing with larger, more prominent brands this is a very important concept. Consumers are indifferent to many brands. Consumers utilize utilitarian motivation to find efficient and efficacious solutions to meet their needs. Thus a small business can compete with larger businesses by being there in the moment consumers need them and being useful.

In general, consumer involvement is decreasing (Babin, 2016, p. 94).  Consumers have a smaller degree of personal relevance when pursuing a sale from a category of consumption. They often simply search for the fastest and most reliable solution. Therefore, I often stress the importance of credibility and trustworthiness that must immediately appear on a business’ mobile site (Babin, 2016, p. 74). If a consumer does not find what they are searching for or do not trust the site within 3 seconds, they will change sites (Think with Google, 2015). Therefore the landing page that consumers are brought to based off an ad or search query must be extremely relevant to what the consumer is searching for. In order to make the business’ landing page relevant, I emphasis key words and search terms. If the key words that consumers are searching for are directly relevant to the landing page they are taken to, their experience and outcomes will drastically improve.

Whether searching for a location on the go or simply for its convenience, mobile search is becoming the most important platform to reach consumers. From my experience, when people are active and on the go, mobile searches are extremely important. They represent an effective way to reach consumers who are directly searching for you and your business.



Works Cited

Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Internet Live Stats. (2013). Google Search Statistics.

Think with Google. (2015, September). The Quick Guide to Winning Micromoments

2 comments:

  1. Interesting blog Caroline. The ways that consumers interact is changing rapidly. You bring up some interesting arguments such as the importance of a business’s mobile site. I agree, especially with the emerging markets. In India, for example, the large majority of consumers access the internet exclusively through mobile platforms. Because of this, I believe that social media marketing will be vital for companies going forward to use mobile technology in order to generate consumer interest (Babin, 2016 p. 169).

    References:
    Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree that companies and marketers should focus their efforts on mobile search. I have become so accustomed to Google Maps for directions, Uber for navigation, and Safari for searching, on my phone. Your point about one third of smartphone users making purchases in the moment they needed it given the convenience of their phone and easy access to information. Furthermore, they should consider the use of social media marketing and unconventional means of marketing like guerrilla and viral marketing, as they can be amplified with the use of mobile technology (Babin & Harris, 2016, p. 169). Viral videos, for example, are often shared through social media accessed via mobile devices. Mobile allows people to access information, photos, videos, and messages readily.

    References
    Babin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). CB 7 (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

    ReplyDelete