Are you falling behind when it comes to mobile?

May 13, 2012

I think it is fascinating in a “I don’t get it” sort of way.  We all know that mobile is where digital is headed.  We’ve all repeated the “by 2015, the #1 way we will access the internet is through our smart phones” and yet… it seems like most people are lollygagging along when it comes to getting onto the mobile train.

Is your website mobile optimized?  Are you learning more about mobile ads?  Are you thinking about how you’re going to accept mobile payments?

Or do you look like this infographic?

Browse more infographics.

 

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Are Smart Phone cameras your new marketing partner?

August 18, 2011

 

Screen shot 2011 08 16 at 9 34 26 PM
Are you leveraging your clients’ technology?

The smart phone is literally changing our world, bit by bit.  It’s changing how we accomplish everyday tasks, how we get our work done and how we communicate with/to the world.

Let me give you an example.

Fact:  Mobile devices have replaced cameras for 44% of consumers

How does that impact your business?  Every day, the majority of your customers are walking around with a camera in their pocket.   How have you adjusted your marketing/thinking to take advantage of that?

Odds are, your answer is… I haven’t.  Begin by asking yourself these questions:

Can I integrate photography/photos into my core offerings?

Example:  EBay has now added the functionality of being able to scan a bar code and click a photo (all with a smart phone) and with two quick uploads, your sales listing is complete.

Is there something you could add (customers text you photos of their car accident from the scene, clients inventory stock for their quarterly financials with some photos, etc.) to how you support clients that their phones could make easier, faster, cheaper?

Do my policies need to be updated?

Example:  It used to be that bridal shops wouldn’t let you bring a camera into their store, for fear you’d steal the design and run home and make it yourself.  Now… anyone can snap photos in the dressing room without lugging in a camera.

Maybe the bridal shops should have you text them photos (from magazines or wherever) of dresses you like so they can pull similar dresses for you to try on, when you arrive at their store?

Do you have policies and procedures that smart phones make obsolete or worse — silly?

How can I get my best customers to share photos that tie to my work?

Example:  There’s a production studio here in my community that in the good old days, used to snap poloroids of the people in studio and then display them all over their walls.  Today’s modern version of that should be — they grab a quick digital shot on their phone… and upload it to their Facebook fan page, tagging the people in the photo.

Now… not only will their fans see the pictures, but so will the Facebook network of each person in the photo.  How can you leverage your customers’ love for sharing, their smart phone and their network?

What other questions, in terms of the smart phone’s ability to capture photos, should we be asking ourselves?

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Creating smart QR Codes

June 14, 2011

Screen shot 2011 06 14 at 11 04 38 AM
…An example of QR codes & my column

QR codes seem to be the media’s most recent marketing darling.  You’ll find lots of articles talking about how to use them, including a couple I’ve written (read here and here).  And in March, I shared Central Park’s incredible QR campaign to inspire you to give this technology a try.

Along with the various online places where you can find my marketing thoughts, I am a weekly columnist for Iowa’s business journal, the Business Record.  A few months ago, we started adding a QR code feature to my columns — to share extra resources and to demonstrate how QR codes can work.  (the screen capture is of one of my columns that has migrated from their print product to their website)

When we decided to add this feature, I decided I wanted a QR code creator that was a bit more robust than some of the free sites I’d been using.  We weren’t ready for custom shapes (check out these designs) — but I did want to know how many scans each code had and if there was a pattern to when the scans were occurring.

After reviewing many options, I am down to two choices.  The “must haves” for me were:

  • Could create a high resolution QR code (need it for the print publication and for some of our client’s work)
  • Reporting/tracking capabilities
  • Good customer support if we had questions

The first contender is QReate & Track by InterlinkONE.  They do offer a free membership/option but I opted for the $19/month version so I could get the reporting.  That reporting includes:

  • Number of scans
  • Scans by day, time and month, year etc.

Really, for most local businesses, that’s plenty unless you’re going to do some serious number crunching.  In terms of easy access for support, they have a forum, a blog and you can e-mail them your question.  They’re also here in the states so for me, that’s a time zone advantage.

The second contender is PushQR.com from the UK.  They too offer a free option but I went for the 6.99 GBP($11 something/month) because I needed to create more than 3 campaigns a month.  The big difference between the two is in the reporting.  With pushqr.com, I can track:

  • Realtime # of scans
  • Bounce rate
  • Pageviews
  • Unique scans
  • Time on page
  • What barcode reader was used
  • What type of mobile device was used
  • The geography of the scanner (down to the city)

Clearly a more robust reporting menu.  One of the other cool features to this site is the ability to set a goal.  For example,  my QR code could lead you to a landing page where I offered something for sale.  The goal URL could be the thank you page that you’d go to after making a purchase.  Now the reporting shows me not only how many hit the landing site and where else they went — but how many did what I wanted them to do — buy something.

As for support — they have a very simple online manual to answer the most basic of questions and I can open a ticket and submit a question/request to their team.

I haven’t quite landed on the best option for us at McLellan Marketing Group yet — but both of these providers have served our purposes for now but it’s hard to argue with PushQR’s in depth reporting and lower price.

How about you?  Are you creating QR codes?  How are you using them?  Do you have a favorite tool?

 

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The mobile revolution is coming. Are you ready?

May 9, 2011

Consider these mobile facts:

  • By 2013 — 50%of web traffic will come from mobile devices.
  • 91% of mobile users consume social media on their mobile device.
  • The US population is approx. 306 million. 69 million of those people have smart phones today.

I’ve mentioned before that by 2020, the #1 way we will access the web is through our smartphones.  That’s only 9 years away.  Is your business getting ready for the mobile revolution?

Check out this video on the smartphone consumer and the mobile movement.  Notice how their behaviors are already radically changing and we’re in the infancy of this trend.

Are you poo pooing this because you’re a B2B company?  Better think again.  Check out this free PDF from my brilliant pal Christina Kerley — filled with case studies, video links and more — all showing you how mobile is affecting B2B.

Remember how the web changed the way you did business, marketed your business and in some ways — literally changed who your customers were?  Mobile is going to do the same thing.  If you’re prepared.

I’m curious — what are you doing to get ready?

 

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