After years of steady gains, mobile web browsing overtook desktop browsing for the first time ever in 2016. The following year, mobile surpassed desktop in global online purchases.
If these milestones highlight the growing centrality of mobile in everyday web usage, they also underscore the need for marketers to optimise their mobile seats for lead generation. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for mobile optimisation, marketers who display data-savviness, a deep understanding of user experience, and a commitment to relationship-building are most primed to turn their mobile sites into lead generation engines.
Here’s a guide to getting there.
Emphasise user experience to generate more conversions
A sleek, seamless mobile site isn’t a sufficient condition for customer acquisition, but it’s increasingly a necessary one. While a quality site won’t take you very far if you’re hawking products consumers don’t want, a third-rate mobile site will drive potential customers away.
Few bugs alienate more users than a site that’s slow to load. To maximise site speed, consider having images that load as users scroll down the page, rather than populating your page with images that load simultaneously and slow load times.
Once users are browsing your mobile site, they should have ready access to your contact information. Click-to-call icons allow customers to easily and conveniently get in touch. Your mobile users will especially appreciate instant access to this information; after all, mobile’s ascendance was fueled by the public’s demand for instantaneousness – whether in communication, in navigation, or in finding the best burger in town.
It’s also vital to prioritise the way users receive information on your site. Your mobile site design is different from your desktop site design. When it comes to mobile design, individual bits of information you display to your visitors on the desktop can be deleted; the most important thing is to decide what information to remove. The key to success lies in ensuring users have all the essential information without being overwhelmed – and it doesn’t take a marketing wizard to tell you that what’s digestible on desktop may well constitute information overload on a mobile device.
Keep tabs on your site’s lead generation process
Mobile’s on-the-go nature is its chief attraction for users, and your site’s lead generation process should reflect that. How, then, to maximise efficiency and effectiveness?
Consider your site’s content. Start with the headlines. Because mobile screens do not provide the same amount of space as desktop screens, short yet informative headlines are the way to go. In crafting the best website copy, knowledge of your user base is of the essence. Messaging should be clear-cut and the site should be devoid of rivers of uninterrupted text; find ways to crisply and compellingly tap into your customers’ interests, likes, and psyches.
In plotting the flow of your mobile site’s content, it can prove highly useful to generate heat maps that illuminate which areas of your site spark the most interest. This information can be leveraged to prioritize information and determine which content appears above and below the fold.
What about your most engaged users? To easily facilitate customer service engagements, make sure your contact form stands out. Use contrasting colours. If it fits your business, add a click-to-call icon.
After customers have been acquired, mobile can play a key role in retention efforts. Cultivate relationships with “thank you” pages, which have proven a meaningful way of deepening relationships and fostering greater customer affinity for brands. To optimise your post-purchase pages, make sure that they include a mix of any following offer’s most critical components.
To put meat on the bones of your mobile operation, learn how to leverage data analytics wisely. Google Analytics is a powerful tool on this front. Use it to pinpoint high-intent users and determine if they have completed desired actions. In the event that they have not, you now have the opportunity to utilize your retargeting strategy to reach them on desktop and to brainstorm new ways of optimising content and messaging to close the deal with mobile users.
In a world where mobile now reigns supreme, businesses across sectors must be mindful of the need to create interactive, pain-free mobile experiences for users. While evolving trends in mobile technology and everyday usage may keep you on your toes and force the occasional recalibration in your strategy, the plain fact is that the mobile-first era is upon us. Marketers who understand their target audiences’ mobile behaviour and the needs of today’s “right here, right now” consumers will find that this new era is one rich with promise and opportunity.