Putting your brand in the right hands

By Mat Diss, Co-Founder, bemoko

Back in 2008, IBM released survey results which suggested more than 50% of people would gladly substitute their PC web for mobile web. The reasoning behind this is pretty straightforward, because it enables the consumer to make a choice as to when and where they connect, whether in private, out and about, and when inspired by other influencers.

There’s clearly a strong wish from consumers to embrace the mobile internet, but sadly the reality, even now in today’s smartphone led world is that getting ‘online’ can be a pretty awful experience. And that’s not good for marketing your brand.

You’ll know what I mean if you have tried to call up a site only to have to squint to read the text, or suffered badly pixellated text when you pinch and zoom in. Ever visited a site with a store locator or a login? Smartphones are usually GPS enabled, they know where and who you are! And if you hit a site with Flash, well that effectively triples the page download time, if it works at all.

So why can’t sites be instantly clear and navigable on the mobile screen? Why can’t images be delivered in the right size and resolution for the screen’s capability? Crucially why can’t content be personalised for me without having to ask? Here’s the thing, they can – but only if brands take time to put some thought into the creation of their mobile website. Given that the branded website is one of the most powerful marketing tools in your arsenal it beggars belief that the mobile opportunity is so often misunderstood, or worse still overlooked.

Here then, are five simple steps you need to consider when marketing on mobile:

1. Discover – Ways of finding a site can come from social media, SMS, QR code stickers, mobile email, search, promotions and the oldest of marketing options – posters and signs. 

2. Engage – seize the opportunity to engage with your consumer, keep the site social, conversational, make it relevant, and reward your visitors
 
3. Trust – Your brand is in their hand, so it needs to look and feel right. According to a recent survey by Monotype, “86% of survey respondents in the UK would not trust a communication from a source they often use, if the details were sent in an unfamiliar font.” The user experience must be perfect, and it must present a level of quality equal to the brand. You realistically have one shot at hooking your consumer, so you need to make it count.

4. Measure – Analytics are your friend, they can identify good performance, root out the bad, and provide crucial feedback that lets you improve your site. And that’s important because you must…

5. Repeat – by delivering a social, valuable service the consumer will want to return, and in the best case scenario will become your brand ambassador and take your site viral.

One day we’ll just call it the web, whether we are desk surfing, or hopping online wherever we are. Right now the mobile web offers huge potential to extend marketing campaigns. We can finally drive functional content onto devices wherever you are, with the right branded look and feel that ensures a warm familiarity, and so deliver long term engagement with the customer.