How Can Brands Keep Up With The Increasing Use Of Mobile?

People are increasingly using their mobile devices to access the web, shop online, conduct research and find entertainment. This has led to a sharp rise in our expectations as customers, writes strategy consultant Jasper Bell in an article for Econsultancy. Brands, he says, have to keep up with these rising expectations; here are four ways of doing this:

First, brands have to be aware of the changes in consumer behaviour and the evolution of their expectations. They need to know the answers to every key question related to the shopping cycle: when a customer shops, where, why and how they do it, and also how these answers vary depending on the device used and the location and category of the customer.

Second, brands need to be optimal. They need to choose the best design for their mobile channel – be that responsive, adaptive or a separate mobile website altogether – and they also have to consider developing apps. These choices depend, once again, on a good understanding of target audiences, combined with identifying the business objectives that need to be met via the mobile channel.

Connecting with the audience at the best time and best place is also key to the successful utilisation of mobile. Most retailers were initially opposed to the idea of shoppers showrooming, but there is no way to prevent it and some are starting to respond by matching their prices to other outlets, responding to the customer’s desire to find the best bargain.

Finally, brands need to be found online relatively easily, which means they have to optimise their customer touchpoints for smartphones and tablets. Also, partnerships and media exposure will go towards increasing visibility to mobile users.