Over the last few years, mobile marketing has become an increasingly important part of a marketer’s toolkit. Marketers who prioritize targeting campaigns and offer optimized experience for shoppers on their smartphones and tablets are definitely on the right path since mobile is now the primary outlet for e-commerce shopping over desktop, 55% to 45%. While desktop still remains the preferred choice for making purchases, this is expected to shift in the coming years.
With so much going on, what does a marketer need to know about navigating mobile performance? Here are five commandments to remember.
1. Find Mobile-Focused Publishers
Because so many consumers are using their mobile device instead of desktop, it’s important that your ads are placed on websites that are optimized for the mobile web or have native mobile ad experiences. A slow, non-responsive website design or landing page can be detrimental to a mobile marketing campaign, but a mobile-friendly site can do the opposite and help skyrocket clicks and conversions.
2. Leverage Programmatic Advertising
All marketers know how important it is to target the right audience—that’s why programmatic advertising is such an attractive option. It enables marketers to connect more effectively with consumers through algorithms that use historical data samples to find patterns. Because programmatic systems allow you to understand the past and predict the future, it gives you the ability to target the consumers most likely to convert through your ad. This can dramatically increase your ROI.
3. Prevent Click Fraud
Click fraud is an unfortunate reality for online and mobile marketers. A key indicator of fraud is seeing massively inflated click counts and low conversion rates. Another red flag is a multitude of clicks from similar IPs and/or user agents. If you suspect fraud, identify the publisher and campaign that is bringing in the bad traffic, disable the link, and pause the campaign. Any reputable ad partner you work with should have the tools in place to quickly identify and safeguard against click fraud.
4. Think Local
Location-based geo-targeting options are the future of mobile. With more and more national brands and small businesses looking to localize their brand messaging and sales campaigns, this is a great opportunity for you to drive conversions on mobile by focusing on location, demographics, and interests. You’ll see improved click rates from more targeted consumers with a higher intent to purchase.
5. Consider the Big Picture
Although a successful sales conversion is typically the most important KPI for a marketer, it’s crucial to remember the steps it takes to get there. A well-rounded mobile performance marketing campaign will not only track sales, but also understand how leads, installs, and clicks can turn into even bigger wins such as repeat shoppers and customer loyalty. Include these in your reporting summaries to help highlight the big picture.
Without a doubt, mobile has forever changed e-commerce and how consumers shop and make purchases. These steps will be especially important as we move into the holiday season, when retailers see their most significant jump in revenue for the year. In fact, retail sales are predicted to thrive by 5.7% this year—the largest growth since 2011. Focusing on these commandments will help ensure marketers keep up with the changing landscape and achieve mobile performance success.
