Mobile Technology and Your Business
Mobile technology is in a constant state of flux. Hardly a week goes by where apps don’t update, and smartphones often change in size or in software versions. In an ever-changing digital landscape, how do you optimize your business’s website for maximum sales and outreach? If your business has run aground in keeping up with mobile technology, here are some tips to consider before you throw in the towel.
Mobile Technology Payment Platforms
If your business provides a product for customers, one of the most baffling statistics is that of smartphone conversion rates compared to that of tablets or laptops. On smartphones, completed transactions are 1 percent. This means that if 100 people visit your marketplace on a smartphone, only one will actually complete a purchase. On tablets and computers, however, the conversion rate is closer to 2 or 3 percent. This increase represents more than 100 percent in sales, simply because tablets and computers have larger screens.
However, there are ways a company can make smartphone transactions easy and improve their conversion rate. For instance, enable mobile users to complete transactions with their existing PayPal account, and more customers are likely to carry through with the transaction. Eliminating the steps taken and the time of transactions greatly increases your company’s sales.
Security
As with any marketplace, security is an issue. When your business asks customers for personal information, you immediately become a target for hackers. Some hackers can even hack smartphones and mobile devices using voice commands such as Apple’s Siri, or Android’s Google Now. Hands-free headsets can be used as an antenna by hackers to control phones, send sensitive information through texts and email, or obtain passwords and user names.
If your business decides against a third-party marketplace checkout such as PayPal or WePay — both which offer thorough security — remind customers that smartphone antivirus and security measures such as two-factor authentication will help to keep their information safe. Use an encryption service on your marketplace as well, such as KeyNexus or Vormetric.
Social Media
Most social media is conducted on smartphones and other mobile devices. People traveling from work or school spend time on social media, so don’t let this market base slip through your grasp. Companies, large and small, cash in on social media activity. But it’s not enough to simply promote your products or services.
Instead, when you post on Facebook or Tweet on Twitter, draw connections between your products and the needs of your customers. For instance, LifeLock is an identity theft prevention service, and they focus on a wide range of issues on Twitter. From Medicare scams to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, they relate and take interest in a host of topics as part of the Twitter community.
Mobile Technology for your business starts with RWD
Responsive Web Design is a term used for a website that is optimized for mobile devices as well as traditional computers. While there are many schools of thought about how best to deal with the mobile market, RWD doesn’t require multiple websites for mobile devices. RWD code recognizes the kind of device a customer is using and then loads the appropriate interface of your business’s website for that device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet or computer.
Mobile technology is here to stay. It’s fast, innovative and highly disruptive to a business. The winner may be those that are at the bleeding edge but more likely those at the cutting edge. Too many mistakes are made at the bleeding edge plus ideas come and go at an incredibly high speed.
