Mobile Marketing Tips

SUMMARY

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SMARTPHONE VS. TABLET

THE SMARTPHONE MARKET

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME, RIGHT DEVICE

MAGIC CONTENTS

HTML5 WEBAPPS

APPS AS CRM

SIMPLICITY WINS

THE 80/20 RULE

AN APP IS NOT A WEBSITE

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Just like many other great revolutions in the past, the mobile revolution has carried

along a whole new mindset. Mobile is not a device, it’s a way of thinking. As a result,

different devices are connected to different mindsets, different needs and different

moods. This means that when planning your mobile strategy, you should forget

about that “one-size-fits-all” approach that unfortunately far too many businesses

continue to use. Instead, you should start using a different voice for each device.

This is particularly true if we think about smartphone and tablets. It’s not just a

matter of screen sizes: smartphones and tablets bring along different mindsets

and consumer needs.

How so? Think about the differences in usage between the two devices. While

smartphones are preferred for accessing utility contents on the go, throughout

the day, tablets are by definition lean-back devices, as they are mostly used at

home and in the evening.

SMARTPHONES

5AM 6AM 7AM 8AM 9AM 10AM 11AM 12PM 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM 6AM 7AM 8AM 9AM 10AM 11AM 12AM 1AM 2AM 3AM 4A M

9%

8%

7%

6%

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

0%

HOURS OF DAY

PERC

ENT

OF

AU

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TABLETS






Moreover, if we think about the locations in which tablets are mostly used, one can

hardly define tablets as “mobile” devices at all, as they are mostly used when chilling

out on the couch or in bed. These differences also impact the type of activities

performed on the two devices.

Smartphones are used to access utilities or check quick information – such as

looking up business phone numbers, checking prices and locations. On the other

hand, tablets are preferred for prolonged activities, relaxing activities. In other

words, when using a tablet, people are more likely to dedicate time to themselves,

to their free time, maybe plan a holiday, search for super deals or redeem a coupon.

Keep in mind these insights when planning your mobile strategy and design your

app layout to be able to satisfy as quickly as possible your users’ needs, depending

on the device they’re using to run your app.






Ok, so you’ve just had a great idea for an app and want to make sure it is optimized

for all the devices on the market, right?

Great! It sounds like the perfect recipe to develop a successful application with

excellent user experience and bound to receive tons of downloads. But how? Which

figures are we talking about when we aim at reaching “all the devices currently in

use”?

Well, recent stats say that to make your application perfectly optimized for 80%

of the devices currently in use, it has to support as many as 156 devices. And if

you think you’d be satisfied with having your app optimized for only 50% of active

devices, it still means you should be able to support 37 different devices.






With the device market getting more and more competitive, it is likely that

manufactures will keep expanding product lines, cranking out an increasing number

of devices to address the preferences and needs of specific types of customers. As

a result, it will become more and more complicated for app developers to optimize

and test their applications on all the devices in use, with a high risk of generating

negative word-of-mouth buzz due to frustrating user experience.

There’s always the possibility for app developers to choose to address only a portion

of the app market by supporting only certain OS and devices. Still this choice would

require several adaptations to accommodate all the different versions of the same

platform (e.g. iOS 5.X, iOS 6.X and the twin versions of Android for smartphone

and tablet), not to mention the difficulties to fit the wide range of display sizes now

available.

So, where does all this leave us? Are app developers doomed to serve a smaller

and smaller niche of the mobile device market? Do they have to give up on the

chance to reach a cross-platform audience?

In other words, this is exactly the advantage of relying on a cross-platform tool

like AppsBuilder. Thanks to our cutting-edge mobile publishing and distribution

platform, SMEs and large enterprises can create their mobile presence and

We expect a future in which app developers are less frequently

individuals with a creative idea and a laptop and more frequently,

companies designed to develop, produce and distribute apps at scale.

Mary Ellen Gordon(Flurry Mobile Fragmentation Report)






distribute it across all the major devices in use. Using one single panel and with no

coding skills at all, you’ll be able to develop mobile applications for iOS (all operating

systems from 4.3 onwards), Android (both forked versions and unified OS from

4.X), as well as HTML5 WebApps to accommodate older devices.

With AppsBuilder’s platform, app developers have the chance to go truly cross-

platform in a few clicks and convert their global appeal into more downloads,

stronger popularity and new revenue streams.






Geotargeting literally creates a closer connection with your customers than any

other mass-market digital approach. Instead of feeling removed from the digital

environment, consumers experience your geotargeted messaging and marketing

as tailor-made for their needs.

When it comes to the mobile app environment, push notifications typically play a

key role in any mobile marketing strategy, as they allow businesses to communicate

with customers in a more personal and contextualized way, thus maximizing the

effectiveness of their messages. Thanks to push notifications, brands can also

deliver relevant content to their customers based on preferences they have

previously expressed. By subscribing to various information channels, users receive

a notification whenever new content is available, so that they don’t have to find the

information but the information finds them.

Geofencing is taking push notification to the next level, by allowing you to establish

a virtual fence around a predefined geographic area. When one of your app users

enters or exits the area, you can set your app to push a message to the user.

How big?






Of course you can also decide how wide your radius should be. For example if

you’re the only business of your sort in town, might as well go big. On the other

hand, if you want to target a specific area to leverage local preferences to establish

your business as a local milestone, stress the convenient linkage between your

message and proximity to the sender.

Moreover, you can also set a duration for your geofenced push notifications to be

sent out. If you want to start a campaign to promote a product or a service, maybe






targeted at a specific audience during a specific time of the year, this tool comes

incredibly handy.

One of the most common ways of using geofencing is to send special offers to

customers when they walk or drive near a business’s location.

For example, if you’re a coffee shop and there’s a brand new blend of coffee you’re

offering your customers to try, send out a geofenced message inviting people to

come in and warm up with a cup of fresh coffee and a muffin. Or if you are school

or a gym trying to launch a new course or present a visiting teacher, geofenced

messages allow you to alert users about the upcoming event and invite them to

try it out!

Remember that geofencing is not just about stressing users with messages

whenever they go to places. Would you appreciate that? Probably not, and end up

opting out of your own service.

To add value to your app and your business, forget the sales attitude. Instead,

use geofencing as an organic way to connect and stand out from the crowd. If

you manage to come up with something timely, relevant, and useful – even if not

frequently – it’ll be a win. Because ultimately, your geofenced messages should

improve your customers’ experience, and provide them with extra benefits.






Finding the right mobile voice is not easy.

With the mobile industry skyrocketing, businesses have included mobile in their

marketing strategy but may fall short in identifying how to speak to their mobile

audience to achieve their goals. This is crucial because a strong mobile identity

relies on great tailored content, which will broaden the users base for the simple

reason that it works – making it the perfect response to a specific need.

But how do you get the most out of the mobile potential? By optimizing.

Why? Because mobile isn’t just a device, it’s a way of thinking.

Living in a world of instant gratification, mobile readers look for specific information

that can answer their research needs on the go. That’s why when creating content

for your app, it is crucial to adopt all the design, formatting and editorial solutions

that can help mobile readers make sense of your content as quickly as possible.

Always remember that you have to give your customers a reason to care about

what you have to say: the information that you are trying to pass on and the

information they might be interested in may differ, so the trick is to identify that

grey area where ends meet generating relevance.






Whenever you are crafting specific content for your App, or deciding on the design

features you wish to implement, you should follow a simple principle that can help

you avoid getting lost in the decision process of what to highlight and what to

discard.

THE KISS PRINCIPLE

This principle is widely known and used in design and it stands for “Keep It Simple

Stupid”.

It can apply as a general rule during the creation process of your App’s content as

well, by which you should avoid clouding up your content with unnecessary details

or complicated data.

A few basic tips that you can follow in order to make sure that the product you are

delivering goes above and beyond expectations, are summarized below:

1. Remember that you have to fulfill a need

Your users’ needs might be practical (check a timetable, find a place, get details

about an event) or emotional (read about a person’s bio, get tips of the perfect

gift, have fun). In both cases, you should address one specifically, and have your

App content work around that. Remember: the average user’s attention span is

between 3 and 5 seconds!

2. Distribute content

What you are trying to say determines how you should say it. There are three

strategies you can follow in order to help you find the best solution:






BLIMBottom Linein the Middle

Get to the point first, then expand on the

topic.

GREAT FOR:Blog Posts

Press ReleasesNotices

WHY:Catch reader’s

attention right away!

Also known as the KISS-KICK-KISS

technique.

GREAT FOR:Bad news

Payment notifications

WHY:It softens the overall

effect of your message

You have to gradually lead your readers

to your desired conclusion.

GREAT FOR:Purchase offersSubscriptions

WHY:Persuading to take

an action

BLOTBottom Line

on Top

BLOBBottom Line

on the Bottom

MOSTIMPORTANT

USEFULINFO

LESSIMPORTANT NEED

LEASTIMPORTANT

MAIN MESSAGE

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

POSITIVE






3. Express one idea per paragraph

The content you craft needs to be consistent, human and interesting. This translates

into giving useful information and stepping away from the sales-speak. But don’t

over do it! Express one concept per paragraph and use headlines to catch your

readers’ attention. Make sure they are concise and suggesting, but not revealing.

4. Use action word and lists

Functionality is key to a great App and great content. That’s why consistent lists

and direct action words can help you: they make it easy for users to go through

their tasks. Remember to personalize the action words and use lists to prioritize if

you have to (by using numbers or letters instead of bullet points). But don’t crowd

it up: 10 elements per list is as big as you should go.

5. Leverage rich media content

Create an appealing media mix that will add value to your App and give an extra

reason to your users to come back to it. Use videos, images and podcasts and

think about different elements like charts or graphs. Visual material is easy to

understand, if crafted correctly. This will boost your App’s efficiency, and your

users’ appreciation.






People who are taking first steps in the mobile industry may soon find themselves

wondering about the difference between native apps and HTML5 Web Apps in

terms of functionalities, benefits and limitations.

If you are planning to create your own mobile application, ask yourself a few

questions first:

• What are you looking to gain from it?

• What is your target market?

• What are your content resources?

• What is your budget?

HTML5 Webapps can be a great solution and here are a few reasons why:

It’s cheap

It is quite cheap to develop, as it doesn’t require particularly high technical skills. It

can be created with the help of a Webmaster, making sure that no fixed sizes are

used in the style-sheets, but only percentage values. If you are not an IT expert,

you can install one of the many plugins available on the Web to manage events in

HTML5.






Fast Development

As it requires lower technical skills than native applications, it takes shorter to be

developed.

Easy to update

Basically, it’s a web page and therefore it’s available online all the time. As such, all

you have to do to access updated content, layout and design is to refresh the page.

Accessible from any device

Thanks to its style sheets using percentage values, the HTML5 Web App is extremely

portable and can be accessed from any type of device: smartphones, tablets, or

mini PCs. Its Graphical User Interface is flexible and able to fit any screen size, just

like a real app!

HTML5

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smartphone

tablet target

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QR

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E






Fluid media streaming

Compared to native applications, media streaming in HML5 Web Apps is much

more fluid and a lot faster.

Of course there are a few downsides: HTML5 Webapps aren’t available offline, and

you cannot enable push notifications. Also, of course, they are not available on

the App Stores. But no worries, maybe those elements aren’t right for your App

anyway. So here is why you should opt for an HTML5 WebApp:

• If you need to make your content compatible with any

type of device (mobile and desktop)

• If you don’t want your content and layout to be subject to

stores’ approval

• If you use your app for e-commerce and don’t want to share

revenues with Apple App Store

• If you want to make your content easily accessible through

QR codes

• If you wish to migrate your website content to a

mobile-optimized site

• If you need to update your content frequently






As many other great revolutions in the past, the mobile revolution has carried along

a whole new mindset. Mobile is not just a device, it’s a way of thinking. Customers

are empowered, and mobile devices have revolutionized the way they engage with

brands, offering companies an unprecedented opportunity to improve customer

care and lock in old customers, while still capturing new ones.

HERE ARE 7 TIPS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGH MOBILE CRM:

Listen to your audience

Nobody remembers what you did nor what you said. They only remember how

you made them feel. Mobile customers expect to play an active role in company

life as well as to easily get in touch with a company to ask for information or leave

a feedback, via in-app feedback forms.

Engage with your customers

Customers often turn to mobile apps to find the answers to their problems with

a product or service, and it’s right at these crucial times that they have the power

to make or break your brand. Use in-app wall chat to answer questions on the go,

and leverage conversations around your brand. Foster the trust, and spread it!






Make yourself approachable

No matter how rich in information and product details your app is, your customers

will always appreciate the chance to speak to real people and receive real-time

assistance with their issues, with a tremendous impact on their overall sentiment

towards your business. Make it possible!

Offer additional services

When you offer a differentiated service you are not only making their lives easier, but

also eliciting reciprocity – an obligation to return back. Use your app to establish a

two-way dialogue with your customers and offer them dedicated services that can

only be enabled via app, such as weather forecasts, route planner, tip calculator,

discount calculator etc.

Create a good content mix

Choice is always a welcomed feature among customers, and content is no exception.

Offering multiple types of information, your business can benefit from reaching

out to different audiences, allowing your brand to follow through and maximize its

potential. It’s not about making it crowded – it’s about tuning it in!

Know your customers

By measuring user activity, preferences and contact details you can build a solid

picture of what your average user looks like, what your potential user might like and

how your mobile social voice sounds like. Holding that knowledge, you can move

forward in your business strategy, identifying which actions to take and which not

to pursue, for both a better user experience and a bigger success.

Don’t shout!

What your offering has to be is personal and tailor-made. As the number of mobile






users and users’ expectation rise in parallel, the secret is not to shout louder than

the others, but to nail the timing and the place.

CRM TOOL EXAMPLE: Push Notifications

Push Notifications (or Promotional PopUps for HTML WebApps) are customizable

messages delivered to your users upon opting-in to receive them once they’ve

downloaded your app. It is a fast and effective way to drive your users’ attention to

the most important news about your app. You can use them to promote events,

announce upcoming releases and highlight any news in your app that you want

your users to focus on or take action on.

Push Notifications and Promotional PopUps can also be used to drive users’

attention to in-app pages or content outside your app, for example by inserting

external links.

One the most interesting features about them is that they can be geotargeted, so

that you will be able to reach users based in specific locations or when they are

near your premises.

The best CRM tools combine mobile marketing’s unique benefits:

intimacy, immediacy and contex.

Forrester Research(2013)

Another great feature is the possibility to schedule them. You can easily

set the start and end dates of your promotional campaigns so that you

will no longer have to worry about manually activating or interrupting

message delivery, and you will be free to focus on other tasks.






Mobile users are time-poor. Simple to them is equal to not having to spend too

much time learning something before actually being able to use it. This means

that intuitive colors and layouts or a navigation menu with subcategories can do

the trick in self-explaining how the content of the App works. This translates into a

clean design that’s good for the eyes and easy on the fingers.

Colors for sure one of the first things that your users will notice, or rather feel, as

being appropriate or not. Also, they’ll have a big part in crafting their first impression

about your App. And we all know that you don’t get a second chance to make a first

impression.

Bad set of colors






Above are two examples of a wrong set of colors, and a correct set of colors.

As you can see for yourself, there’s not much explaining to do: trust your eyes.

The bad set at the top literally tires your vision, makes it hard not to look away and

to read whatever text you might have on top on them or next to them. Your design

will appear cheap, overlooked and very hard to forget. And not in a good way.

The good set at the bottom, is instead soothing: although the colors are very

different, they blend in together well. Two similar dark colors craft a base where

the lighter color element can be used to highlight a specific object, piece of content

or section of your App. It is simple yet classy, and it allows your users to focus on

the App itself and what it has to offer.

Good set of colors






The mobile world is constantly changing, and not just in terms of hardware or

software: users are constantly evolving too, expecting their mobile experience to

grow both with the times and with them. That’s why when it comes to successfully

distributing a mobile app, user experience has to be a top priority.

After all, it is what makes the difference between a thriving App and a merely,

maybe, useful one.

What does that mean?

Basically, quality over quantity.

Mobile users use Apps to accomplish tasks: whether it’s to purchase a retail

item, check flight times or count the calories, the App should help them do that.

Depending on the category of your App, you should focus on a core feature that

will attract your target users and develop your Apps elements depending on that.

The 80/20 rule helps you remember that you should be very clear and make it easy

for your users to navigate swiftly through the info and services you supply on your

App, without clouding it up with things that they don’t really need.

How do you do that?

With analytics. Start from the information you have on your target market, what






it is that you want you users to be able to do, and then allow them to get back to

you with their feedback in order to identify their preferences and understand their

behavior.

Elements like feedback forms, wall chats and a detailed contacts section are a good

way to know what you are doing right and what you should revise and update: as

the mobile marketplace keeps adjusting, you should too.

TIPS TO GO

Analyze analytics and usability data carefully to determine your website’s

20% most-used functions

Prioritize: focus on the most important aspects of your App and

enhance them

Simplify your designs and layouts and remove what might look nice but

isn’t functional to your users

Think about functionality: use design to make it easy for your users to

navigate through your App






If you are a business ready to go mobile, or an established presence in the mobile

world already, it’s because you think your reach should expand and leverage the

power of technology through different devices.

You’re on the right track. But how do you make sure you don’t get lost?

Start by remembering that it’s not a matter of simply adding up services and

features, but rather one of crafting tailored content and going that extra mile in

delivering it. Evaluate carefully what you already offer on your company website,

and what your users would appreciate best to have on the go: differentiate, and

conquer.

But beware: simply trying to “shrink” the desktop experience is not going to work.

Apps work well because they are specifically tailored for the device they are used

on, and that reflects on what you decide to invest in: in terms of time, content,

design and expectations.

A few elements are perfect for Apps, and make no sense on websites meant to be

used on a desktop:






For example, direction widgets with

integrated GPS.

Or push notifications and promotional

pop ups that allow your users to get a

juicy offer right when they’re closest to

your business.

Or loyalty cards that motivate your

customers to check out your latest

offers and earn points, making them

your brand ambassadors and improving

your customer retention rates.






Contact us to find out how wecan help you build your mobile presence.

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Mobile Marketing Tips