Most Brands Not Ready to Meet Mobile Challenges

These days, everyone is talking about mobile strategy. However, according to a new survey published by Sitecore and Vanson Bourne, most brands don’t think they’re prepared to effectively market via mobile. So what, then, is everyone really talking about? 

Missing the Mobile Mark

The mobile conversation lit up back when mobile usage surpassed that of desktop computers. Suddenly, everyone was paying attention to what people were doing on their phones. 

For some businesses, this meant making sure their website was mobile responsive, at the very least. And if they were really thinking ahead, marketers reimagined the mobile experience with branded apps. Unfortunately, too many apps weigh down users’ smartphones, and today chat and social apps seem to get the largest slice of the mobile pie. 

In hindsight, people have been talking about mobile for a long time; marketers saw this shift coming early, and yet now, in 2016, of the 450 brand marketers that participated in this global survey, 41 percent of the respondents said they have no mobile strategy in place, or have yet to execute the one they have. 

To drive this point home, in the same survey, 97 percent of respondents said, “they believe a good mobile experience impacts customer loyalty.” In other words, most marketers know mobile is important, but more than half aren’t ready to mobilize their brand experiences.  

To be fair, the mobile landscape is somewhat uncharted territory. For executive level marketers unfamiliar with the terrain, the refocus on mobile can be a bit intimidating, if not altogether outside comfort zones.

Plus, mobile today is different from mobile five minutes ago. Take those branded apps for instance. Having an app for every store proved to be a misstep. Instead, we’re seeing more collaboration between third-party apps that unify products and services into a single experience. 

So, what are these marketers to do? Forbes says they need to define objectives carefully. 

At the very least, you have to know what you want your mobile plan to do, or it won’t be effective. You should also look for ways to integrate it with social media, one of the best places to find new or current consumers online. 

And finally, marketers should be proactive about the mobile experience. According to the PEW Research Center, 67 percent of people check their phone for messages, alerts, and calls. Be proactive about understanding this behavior and send relevant information to users who are already looking for new messages. 

It’s time for marketers to start realizing their mobile goals and not just talking about mobile strategy in a nebulous cloud of buzzwords and phrases. 

For small businesses looking for an edge, mastering mobile is a good place to beat out the bigger competition. According to the new survey, lots of brands are still twiddling their thumbs over mobile, so you have a great opportunity to get ahead.