Google Anouncment Forces Mobile Adoption

Can your company afford to ignore the rapidly expanding mobile marketplace?

In short, no … To quote Google, businesses ‘best friend’ for being found online, “Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.” (Source; SMTD February 26th 2015)

As a business leader, easing your organization into the mobile cultural shift is necessary ... at minimum to preserve your current return on investment in Search ... and to get the best return on your digital dollars. With mobile culture-building and mobile leadership in mind, here are six tips to consider within your organization to take advantage of this opportunity.

1. Understand the context: mobile apps vs. mobile pages

Outside of advertising, essentially, you have two main approaches to mobile in terms of content. "Mobile Web" refers to browser-based access to the Internet or Web-based applications using a mobile device. "Mobile app" refers to a software application (it could also connect to your website) that usually resides on a smartphone or tablet.

2. Commercial Web services drive mobile visits

Today, various commercial Web services present/provide information in a mobile-compatible form. Visitors can navigate large service providers such as Facebook, YouTube, Google Search, and Amazon with browsers on their smart devices. Accordingly, the information placed within those services is also mobile-enabled. Ensure your Web pages are "mobile-enabled" to ensure your visitors receive the best experience when viewing from their mobile device.

3. Your Web pages are a good place to start

Making your Web page "mobile-compatible" is a practical way to join the mobile evolution vs. creating an app. Many website content management systems offer responsive-design features so Web pages are displayed in a mobile-compatible manner. Commercial services such as Mobify and Duda Mobile allow you to create mobile versions of your Web pages ,if your website does not include responsive-design features.

4. Subscribers read and share your communications via mobile devices

Mobile does not end at a website. Many device owners read their email using their smart phones and tablets... and some of those device owners are most likely subscribers to your email communications. Ensure the email you send out as newsletters, marketing messages, etc. are mobile phone, phablet and tablet compatible.

5. Mobile can provide a new set of metrics

Mobile analytics offer a new way of looking at how customers interact with your products and brand. You may gain a deeper understanding of visitor habits that help you grow your business, so ensure that you isolate and include mobile visits in your analytics to see whether new patterns emerge.

Mobile advertising, is still not proven for many. However, if you do execute mobile campaigns ensure features such as click to call and social sharing are enabled on your landing pages to provide convenience for visitors. Assess your campaign analytics validation and ensure your ads are as targeted as possible.

Bottom Line: Given Google's announcement, mobile usage and growth trends, "the shift" to mobile is upon us. Don't forget to include a mobile strategy when looking for opportunities to extend your online efforts and when looking for ways to make your products accessible to all markets.

Alex Wozny, is a digital analyst with amazing research skills. Through Concentric, he helps businesses develop, measure and optimize their digital advertising as well as their marketing initiatives.