Mobile, mobile and more mobile. This is one of those trends that started, gained incredible speed and has landed with a solid foothold in today’s business environment. Indeed, mobile continues to hold a place in current industry predictions and trends.
Why is this so important? People spend increasingly more time on their mobile devices looking for information and communicating. In many countries, smartphones now outnumber personal computers. If your company does not participate in mobile technology, it is almost a certainty that you are missing out on business.
So, where to start? An article from Small Business offers insight. Let’s take a closer look at six current and forecasted trends for mobile.
- Mobile friendly websites for your consumers: There’s a high probability that your website is being viewed on a mobile device. If your site is not mobile friendly, it may result in a loss of potential customers and loss of your ranking in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that will lead to further loss of potential business. To determine if your website is mobile friendly, a good place to start is Google’s mobile optimization starter guide.
As an acknowledgement that the mobile content ecosystem could be improved, the accelerated mobile pages (AMP) project was recently born. Michael Juba of EZSolutions identified this as a 2016 mobile trend for small business to watch. This project is a global, open source collaboration that includes industry leaders and users and believes that speed matters and instant is ideal.
- Mobile access for employees: Since most people are constantly attached to their smartphones, allowing them mobile access to take care of business outside the office may improve productivity. While there may be security and HR policy concerns to address, the benefits of connecting your employees typically far outweigh these types of concerns.
- Mobile back office functions: vCita’s CMO Ran Oelgiesser has identified back office function as a mobile trend to watch in 2016. “…By using mobile solutions with easy-to-use CRM, client engagement and back-end business management capabilities, today’s busy small business personnel will be able to manage all key aspects of their business via their mobile device, whether at the office, in the field, or after hours.”
- Mobile Apps: As described in Small Biz Trends by Andrew Gazdecki mobile apps are an imperative to stay competitive. Software development kits are now affordable and can even be used by non-coders to create fully-functioning apps. Apps aren’t just for commerce anymore. They are used for just about any type of activity imaginable including booking travel, watching videos, researching information, reading newsletters, and more.
- Mobile Geo-Marketing: While geo-marketing is not a new concept, this technology has evolved to directly interact with a consumer on their personal mobile device based on their physical location. Whether it be via geo-fencing or the more sophisticated mobile beacon, possibilities proliferate for marketing opportunities. To get started, learn more from Loren Baker’s Business2Community article.
- Mobile Payments: The mobile payment option consists of transactions conducted using a mobile phone instead of payment such as cash, a bank account, or debit / credit card. By offering easier payment methods, a small business can readily expand their customer base. Brant Schelhaas of Vantive Integrated Payments offers basic steps to get started.
While mobile technology offers a wealth of opportunities for your business, it can also be daunting. Every option does not work for every business, but finding the option that works for your business can be beneficial. Ninestone can help you assess and implement the best solution for your business needs.
August, 2016
Ninestone Team