Tips on taking your business mobile

In today’s world it’s rare to find someone that doesn’t use a smartphone or tablet device, along with a multitude of apps to stay productive at work, one the road or at home. And there are now more than ever, so many mobile devices on the market including the popular iPhone and Samsung Galaxy handsets through to the Amazon Kindle and respective iPad.

In all honesty, mobile devices have significantly shifted the online landscape we once knew. There was a time when mobile devices could only make calls and send SMS text messages. Now the world we live in revolves (to some degree) around the use of popular mobile platforms and other technologies. In 2014 over 70% of all internet access here in the UK will take place on a mobile device and for the first time ever, the last quarter of 2013 saw tablet computing outsell traditionally desktop PC’s. In fact, 28% of iPhone and Android users in the UK use social media apps; like Facebook and Twitter, before they even get out of bed in a morning!

The mobile and cloud computing markets are booming but still it is considered uncharted waters for many UK businesses looking to expand their brand awareness. What’s worse, many companies that are believed to be using mobile technology to expand their horizons across the mobile industry are in fact nothing more than a website that “kinda works” on mobile devices.

If you company or organisation is looking into a mobile strategy, then these few tips should help you get going are really understand what your customers’ needs from an engaging mobile experience. Initiation of a mobile strategy should always begin with thinking about the basics: who, what, why and how.

Start by asking yourself the following questions;

Who are your customers and who are you trying to reach? Who will want to engage with your mobile content? What tasks and needs does your audience have? Why do your customers need information from you in a timely manner?  Why do you need to create content to be viewed both in standard web browsers and on mobile devices? How will your target audience access your mobile content (which type of handheld device)? How will they use your content in their daily lives? How will you make your mobile content engaging?

A solid mobile strategy will include several ways to connect with consumers via their mobile devices.

Text, Apps, mobile marketing campaigns, mobile coupons, QR codes and geo-location are all very different and provide assets that if used correctly will build you a nice mobile eco-system.