By Nisheeth Mohan, product manager for mobile solutions and technology at Keynote Systems.
As the economic climate continues to encourage shoppers to flock to online sites for price comparison research, web-only and mobile-only specials can help retailers to make the most of this dynamic.
Mobile is the medium of choice for an enthusiastic and engaged demographic. The ability to reach out to a mobile audience whenever you wish and wherever they are is unprecedented.
The results are also unprecedented. For example, click-through rates on mobile advertising are significantly higher than for other media. Rates of 40 percent or higher are known.
Marketers are beginning to recognise the importance of the triple-screen approach to saturation marketing.
In addition to broadcast and print media and the Web, savvy marketers will increasingly be using mobile in the run up to Christmas to supplement their campaigns.
Mobile is the medium that allows them to reach hundreds of thousands of people instantaneously through push campaigns. Furthermore, mobile is the only medium that goes with you. It is available anytime, anywhere, when a shopper wants to access product information or the nearest location where something can be purchased.
For mobile success, businesses need to build their brand, make their presence known and stay in touch.
1. Build a mobile brand
Market leaders already recognise the need to have a specific mobile presence. If you don't have a mobile site up or one under construction, make it a priority.
Mobile screens will never be as large as those on your PC, and a dynamite Web site can be a major turn-off to mobile users if they can't navigate it successfully.
Businesses need to ensure that their site is optimised for mobile use as what makes a web site successful will not necessarily transfer to mobile sites.
Short SMS addresses in the form of common short code is another mobile presence enhancer which many retailers are using to boost brand awareness.
2.Make your presence known
Take advantage of both organic and paid for search programmes. This is one place where you will get a huge return for the money you spend on site development and paid search.
3. Stay in touch
Most purchases are still made at a bricks-and-mortar establishment or on a PC, but mobile is fast becoming a critical component in driving shoppers to those sites.
In order to reach these mobile customers, businesses can use short codes to push deals through SMS messages.
In addition to this, companies can consider supplementing advertising with the highly successful couponing programmes now available.
If businesses fail to recognise the importance of mobile marketing and sales in the coming months, they risk being left behind in 2010.
It is essential that companies develop a dedicated mobile strategy to keep up with competitors and to avoid driving away consumers.