Allow me to take you on a trip down memory lane. This memory, however, is the evolution of content on the Internet and, like all things in history, is constantly changing.
Content: Then vs Now
Once upon a time, when it came to Internet marketing, all you had to do was put up a website, throw a little keyword dense content on it and watch it soar to the front page of Google and other search engines. Sounds hard to believe, I know, but those gold rush days were a real thing. The first to the web won and, many times, with poor content.
Those days are long gone.
Things have gotten a bit more complicated as the proficiency level of Internet users increased. Internet users are savvier and plenty. And with that, we can’t expect getting to the front page of the search engines to be enough to get visitors to click and buy. We’ve entered the phase of quality content. Not only do you need fresh content, it needs to add value to your website and give value to your visitors. But that’s just part of the equation.
It also has to be so good that someone wants to share it to their social networks. And it has to be able to be consumed from any device at any time. Today that device is your mobile phone.
The Mobile Web
The vast majority of adults own a cell phone. Strike that, the vast majority of the population has a cell phone. And if they don’t have one, they sure know how to use one. Babies aren’t excluded either.
We know that babies aren’t using smartphones and tablets to talk. They don’t even know how to talk yet. The fact of the matter is babies, kids, teens, and adults are using their mobile phones to consume content. In some cases, most online browsing has switched from the computer screen to the mobile screen.
Are you prepared to compete for those mobile eyeballs? You should be, because in 2014 mobile Internet usage should overtake desktop Internet usage.
How Businesses Need To Use, Create & Share Mobile Content
As a business, it’s time to start making the transition before it’s too late. By the way, that means now. The future of all content will have to comply with mobile standards. This includes your website, blog, social, search, email, and apps.
1. Responsive Design
The first thing you need to do is change your website to a responsive designed site. Responsive design is a fancy term for a website that looks natural and functions naturally in the mobile format. Think about bigger font, easier forms and calls to action. It needs to read easily on your phone and people need to interact with it – that’s the bottom line. If you don’t, you’ll lose close to 70% of visitors.
2. Social Sharing
Whether you want to believe it or not, your content is being shared on the Internet somewhere. If it’s not, you’re doing something wrong or you just might have bad content. 🙂 When someone shares your content, the odds are likely that someone is consuming it from their mobile phone. Your blog and site need to cater to both the mobile visitor and the desktop visitor.
Beyond that, social networks have gone mobile. 65% of social networking occurs on a mobile device. You need to be sharing content that is suitable for the mobile web. One thing you can implement immediately is the sharing of mobile images. By doing so, you give the visitor an image they can share from mobile to mobile, or friend-to-friend.
Depending on your industry, it’s probably a good idea to have a presence on at least 1 mobile app or social network. Instagram and Vine are big right now, but as we move from a desktop world to a mobile one, you can bet there will be more networks to join that will fit your audience.
3. Search Standards
Mobile searches are tied to specific things. People who search on their mobile phones want something and they want it now. They are also searching for a variety of things. According to a study from Google, mobile searches are driven by speed & convenience. As you know the mindset of the mobile searcher, you should be able to address this and give them what they need. Your own analytics will determine what that is, but one thing that will turn them off is a non-responsive website.
4. Email Marketing
Mobile email will account for 15% to 65% of email opens, and more email is read on Mobile than on a desktop. http://www.emailmonday.com/mobile-email-usage-statistics As a business, email inboxes are your most powerful form of communication. Responsive design or at the very least responsive landing pages are necessary to convert your list to buyers. Here are some other things you can do. http://blogs.constantcontact.com/product-blogs/email-marketing/mobile-friendly-emails/
2014 is the year for mobile. Make it your New Year’s resolution to get up to standards.
