There are plenty of retailers as well as online marketers out there that are finally realizing that mobile marketing may just be the next big thing. For others, it remains somewhat of a big mysterious entity. The rest may view it as an inconvenience to understand or adopt for their businesses.
But there is no denying that the majority are noticing the rapid emergence of mobile and the potential marketing that’s associated with it. Most see the possibilities and the potential of operating a mobile based shopping platform for their business. The fact is that they are noticing how it’s beginning to completely reshape the e-commerce landscape.
So regardless if you like it or not, all merchants should be adjusting their online marketing strategies to include mobile, so adapt or die. Whether this means that you need to develop your own eCommerce mobile site or perhaps construct an application for the variety of the different mobile devices and platforms that’s available. The most successful of the e-retailers however, are those who are continuously willing to accept and then adapt to change to keep up with the times, or at the very least to stay a step ahead of their competition.
To help in fostering that glass-half-full mentality, as well as providing hopefully useful mobile marketing tips, listed are some of the best opportunities that are awaiting your online business as it will translate in the mobile space.
Proving Superior Customer Service
Speed and courtesy is of absolute importance when it comes to developing and nurturing customer relationship based management. Conducting business on the developing mobile platform actually provides for better opportunities that were not available in the past.
Using Mobile Has Advantages In The Following Areas:
• If you decide on using “Short Message Service” or (SMS) messaging protocol, you can immediately thank your customers or clients directly via SMS when they are actually physically leaving your business or office
• You can offer product or service descriptions in real-time, as well as instant pricing and list inventory
• You can distribute a mobile based daily, weekly or even monthly coupon or rebate notification system online, or
• Set up mobile channels which will enhance the retailers online dialogue with their customers or clients significantly
Location Based Technologies
Location based technology isn’t expected to be going away anytime soon, and this for good reason as well. One of the most significant and perhaps the leading catalyst that’s behind mobile commerce is “location-based” types of services and platforms. They can and should be for the most part, be the online marketers best friend. Merchants should begin by ensuring that their businesses are easily searchable and thus found by their mobile customers. They should also be enhancing their online presence with additional features such as offering: coupons and rebates, user alerts, reviews and ratings etc.
Online Mobile Comparison Shopping Engines
A recent study has shown that mobile shoppers will more than likely use their mobile devices to actively compare actual prices of products that are available locally, and then immediately compare it with the same or similar product online using comparison search engines.
For those retailers who has taken the time to establish a mobile presence for their business, but has neglected to take advantage of being listed on the various comparison shopping engines available, they may be losing potential customers in the process. It’s vitally important that you begin participating as soon as possible. It’s also important in this mobile age that we live in, that all the product data remains accurate and up to date in ‘real time’ as much as possible.
Barcodes and Payment Methods
Barcodes, such as QR Codes as well as Online Mobile payment methods are not only easier for consumers or clients to be able to complete transactions, but these secure online mobile payment methods including barcodes, provides the retailers with additional opportunities to offer promotions by up selling or cross-selling additional products or services.
Each of these mobile payment systems or barcodes which are used by the merchant will give them the ability to be able to use a targeted landing page just for a specific product or service or category that’s purchased through that particular channel, which allows for customized individual messaging to an entire new group of customers.
While it may not seem that new or particularly intimidating to most, but there is no doubt that mobile commerce has definitely arrived, and is not going anywhere. In this ever changing yet flexible e-commerce world that we live in, the most well prepared of the merchants or online marketers are the ones that will accepted these changes in online commerce rather than just ignoring it, are the one’s who will be ahead.