Much of the buzz surrounding mobile marketing revolves around creating online conversions and increasing digital sales. But did you know that mobile technologies are also essential for increasing sales within your store? In fact, Marketing Land notes that, according to data from Google, they're a driving force behind in-store purchases. The data shows mobile users are "closer to purchase decisions and often have immediate needs and desires," making them a prime audience for marketing efforts.
If you're not already using mobile technologies to get consumers into your store, you might want to start capitalizing on the many micro-moments you have to interact with your customers. Here are three areas where you can get started today and see immediate results:
1. Geo-Fencing
No matter where you go, you'll find consumers attached to their phones. Whether they're checking into a location on Facebook, taking a photo on Instagram or tweeting a review of a new coffee shop, they're increasingly interacting with their screens. For marketers, this can be a very good thing. Use the power of geo-fencing (serving ads to consumers within a certain radius of your storefront) to benefit your business. For example, if you own a clothing boutique that shares a strip mall with a juice bar, you could create ads to be served to those checking their phones at the juice bar (perhaps highlighting athletic wear or styles that appeal to the health-conscious). The juice bar customers might then walk down to your store after their juice purchase to check out what's new or on sale.
2. Mobile Search
Capitalizing on the power of mobile search is also a vital component in attracting store visits. Research from Google shows that 50 percent of consumers who conduct a local search on their smartphone will visit a corresponding store within a day, and 18 percent of those searches will lead to a purchase within 24 hours. If you want to increase traffic to your store, you should boost your business' visibility online by making sure your directory listings are correct - especially your store address, hours and phone number - and optimizing the design of your website for mobile devices. You'll draw visits not only from consumers who are specifically seeking you out, but also from casual browsers.
3. Paid Search Campaigns
In addition to beefing up your website and directory listings, you'll want to make sure your business is the first to pop up when consumers turn to their smartphones. So it's a good idea to run a search campaign that targets mobile users specifically. For instance, if you own a hair salon, running a paid search campaign that includes calls-to-action — perhaps one that invites users to download coupons or view limited-time deals — may steer them away from the competition and get more foot traffic to your door.
The mobile world is ever-expanding. Whether you're a small business with a single location or a growing company with multiple storefronts, you can't afford to ignore the power that mobile technologies have to offer.
