Is the future of marketing mobile-first?
Explore the mobile-first marketing landscape and its impact on business in the digital age. Is your strategy ready for the future?
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Based on a May 2023 study, 51.52% of all web traffic came from mobile with the average for 2023 so far coming in at 56.86% which means there’s a good chance that you’re reading this on your mobile phone (or maybe not!) But, it goes without saying that the rise of mobile usage has allowed marketers to consider how they target their audiences because, after all, we should be reaching our target audience where they are.
In today’s digital age, the marketing landscape is constantly evolving, with mobile devices playing an increasingly pivotal role in consumers’ lives. To stay competitive and relevant, businesses must ask themselves: Is the future of marketing mobile-first? Throughout this blog post, we will discuss whether marketing is shifting to a totally mobile-first approach.
Mobile Statistics
It goes without saying that mobile has had a huge impact on how audiences consume content, purchase products and overall experience a brand. With 66.6% of the global population using a mobile device, it’s no surprise that marketers are shifting their budgets into mobile marketing over desktop with 60% of the total global digital advertising spend being attributed to mobile.
It’s also worth ensuring that your website is optimised for mobile with mobile conversion rates increasing YoY. A recent 2022 study from Kibo showed that although mobile had a lower average conversion rate than desktop for eCommerce stores within Great Britain (4% vs 5%), mobile conversion rates had increased by 5.55% since Q1 in 2022 clearly demonstrating its persistent growth. However, smartphone users found tasks like filling out forms, working on documents, or comparing products online more challenging on their phones than on a computer.
Consumer Behaviour
As well as browsing the internet for products from an eCommerce perspective, audiences are also using their mobile devices for a number of other reasons. 25% of all digital media consumption is made up of social media, which is mostly accessible on smartphones. As well as optimising your website for mobile, it’s also worth looking at social media ads such as Facebook & Instagram to ensure you’re reaching your audience where they are.
It’s also worth noting that some consumers have actively taken steps to limit the amount of ads they consume on their smartphones and other devices. Most internet users have acted to control online ads, primarily by unsubscribing from marketing emails (66%) and selecting ‘no’ to avoid promotional emails (60%). Notably, more social media users (67%) confidently identify social media advertising compared to search engine advertising by search engine users.
Mobile Payments and Wallets
Maybe you use mobile wallets yourself, or maybe you see others use them on their smartphones, but the rise in use of mobile payments and wallets can be a benefit. In 2022, mobile wallets accounted for roughly half of global e-commerce payment transactions with this stat only expected to grow – 23.8% estimated annual growth rate of global mobile payment market between 2021-26.
By integrating a mobile payment method on your eCommerce store, for example, you can offer your customers a seamless checkout experience – which we already know increases conversion rates = more revenue for your business.
Google: Mobile First
Google too are exploring their own shift to a mobile-first approach with mobile-first indexing. Google’s mobile-first indexing is a search engine practice where Google primarily uses the mobile version of a website’s content for ranking and indexing.
There are ways that using Google mobile-first indexing can be beneficial for marketers. For example, by ensuring your website is mobile-responsive, optimising mobile content and user experience, and focusing on mobile-specific SEO strategies to improve visibility, marketers can reach their target audience effectively on mobile devices. Remember: It’s all about optimising where your target audience is.
Data Privacy and Mobile Marketing
One drawback of the increase of mobile marketing that you may be experiencing is the reduced amount of data you can get about your customers due to mobile privacy. However, this is about adapting rather than trying to change the outcome.
For example, data privacy such as GDPR and CCPA can help build trust with your customers. Using email features such as preference centres can be beneficial from a marketing perspective – you don’t just allow your audience to choose what content they’re interested in, but it also allows for more personalised targeting.
We could write a whole blog about the importance of personalisation in marketing but we’ll leave you with this powerful stat for now – personalised emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates. With 85% of users using smartphones to access email, you can use data privacy, email marketing and mobile-first to your advantage.
In summary, the future of marketing is undeniably mobile-first, but that doesn’t take away the importance of desktop marketing either. If you are to take away anything from this blog today, it would be to reach your customers wherever they are. Some B2B industries are still desktop-first so you don’t want to neglect this audience by optimising everything for mobile, but definitely be ready if there is a usage shift.
By understanding and embracing this shift to mobile-first, you can effectively connect with your audience, enhance user experience and stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
