Similar to the realtor’s “location, location, location,” mantra, where buyers can find your business is one of the most important aspects when it comes to gaining sales. In marketing, however, the chant is “place, place, place.”
While computers are by no means becoming obsolete, they are often supplemented with smartphones and tablets. For a small business, being easily discoverable on these devices is pivotal to profitability.
The following are key takeaways to remember about how buyers use smartphones and tablets to find the businesses they are looking for.
- Device searches: Surveys indicate that the number of searches done on mobile devices has climbed 20% in the last year. The significance of these numbers is that business owners whose websites cannot be viewed on mobile devices will be left behind.
- Different devices, different purposes: Unlike laptops and desktops, which remain staples of the enterprise, tablets and smartphones are becoming much more popular for casual web browsing, shopping, and searching for directions. If someone is trying to find your physical store, it is much more likely they are going to use their smartphone than their laptop.
- Social media: Surveys show that almost 40% of those surveyed use social media to interact with businesses. And while almost 66% of that 40% are considered “passive,” meaning that they just “liked” the business, this is still a large number of people that your business could reach through their newsfeeds.
- Follow-up actions: According to Nielsen’s findings, people who use their mobile devices to search for your products are statistically more likely to take “follow-up actions.” Follow-up actions include additional searches and purchases. 55% of mobile searches resulted in a purchase, and 84% resulted in an additional product search.
- Sales: comScore research has revealed that searches done on mobile devices are far more likely to come to a sale than searches done on computers. It is essential, therefore, for your business to be certain that all of your products are available on mobile devices.
So what can you do now to make sure your business is smartphone and tablet ready? Fortunately, it’s never been easier or more affordable to create a mobile website or to leverage smartphone apps and software to provide outstanding customer.
Another tip is to post the most relevant information about your business – your address, phone number, and hours – on the front page of your website and on Facebook. So if you don’t have a Facebook page yet, make one. Millions of users log on every day, and by posting reminders and special deals, you can expand your clientele. This is especially true if you run a local business. Chances are, more local people will “like” and follow your business if you have a strong social media presence. Plus, these platforms are already well-suited to the mobile format, giving you a head start to making your business mobile-friendly.
