Now is the right time to market websites via the mobile Internet. The market is relatively new and there are only a handful of competitors. Making a quick move now could help businesses establish dominance in the market leaving the competition trailing behind.
The days of SMS marketing are numbered. Mobile marketing is no longer limited to just sending out blanket SMS messages to scores of users with the hope that some might be interested. The mobile Internet brings the same flexibility to handheld devices as the World Wide Web brought to PCs. A wide variety of marketing options are now available:
Qode
Consumers can simply click a smartcode, enter keywords or even scan a barcode and bypass long URLs, search engines or cumbersome menus to access mobile content using a new technology called Qode. Marketers can use Qode to make any campaign, product packaging, retail display or even magazine publication immediately interactive.
The potential applications of Qode are very attractive, especially for contests, coupons, tickets, polls and real-time information access.
- Qode
Mobile Search
Google, MSN and Yahoo! now offer mobile search advertising programs either individually or in partnerships. Mobile search, like traditional search offers the option to market via organic mobile search optimisation or paid mobile search advertising.
Both organic and paid search are currently quite non-competitive in the mobile market. Gaining dominance in either is relatively cheap and quick at present and companies that react quickly are likely to be able to reap rich rewards and grow intrinsically owing to the first mover advantage.
Text & Web Triggers
Web triggers allow users to enter their phone number on a website and receive an SMS push with a link or some sort of content. Text triggers allow users to send an SMS message as a request from specific content. Both text and web triggers have been in use for a while now. However very few businesses actually fully understand the potential of such services.
Using a web trigger, for example is a very easy way of getting visitors to the regular website aware of the fact that they can also access the site from a handheld device, on the go, which could be invaluable for travel, news and entertainment related sites.
- Bango web trigger
Viral Mobile Campaigns
Mobile content can be promoted virally by encouraging users to send a link to a friend from a mobile website, by encouraging them to forward (WAP Push) a message to another user’s phone – often in exchange for points or free content – or even via blog marketing campaigns.
The great thing about viral campaigns are that if done correctly, once set up they incur no further cost and continue growing exponentially, for free!
The Next Step
Websites that have the content simply need to make that content available to mobile Internet users. Mobile website optimisation services are usually helpful in ensuring that websites work perfectly on a range of handheld devices. Mobile marketing agencies are then able to help businesses promote that content and monetize it.
AccuraCast mobile search marketing
About the Author
Farhad is the Group CEO of AccuraCast. With over 20 years of experience in digital, Farhad is one of the leading technical marketing experts in the world. His specialities include digital strategy, international business, product marketing, measurement, marketing with data, technical SEO, and growth analytics.
