How did you spend the day before Christmas? If you’re like me, you spent it much like I do every year, rushing from store to store in Sydney’s central business district, checking items off my list. But this year was different – because I used a smartphone to plan out my entire expedition from the road. If you looked at the searches I did on my mobile phone that afternoon, you’d be able to see exactly what I wanted to buy and where I wanted to shop.
The holidays may be over, but mobile isn’t. Like many Australians, I regularly search on my phone for nearby retailers, restaurants, and services when I’m on the move. Looking at recent statistics, it’s clear that I’m not alone: over a fourth of shopping-related searches on Google now comes from a mobile device. In a recent survey with IPSOS research, we found 49 per cent of Australian smartphone owners used their mobile to research and then call businesses, while 45 per cent have visited a business they’ve found using their smartphone. One in four had even made a purchase using their mobile phone.
The hard truth is that, for retailers, mobile is no longer merely an opportunity: it’s a necessity. Consumers have embraced the mobile revolution – which means retailers should too. Retailers large and small need to start thinking about how they can be relevant to mobile customers and how they can make their mobile advertising just as compelling as their print, TV, and digital campaigns.
The first step is building a mobile website, making sure that it’s effectively driving your customers to visit or call your store. In fact, the vast majority of Australian retailers should start their mobile strategy by focusing on a mobile website. But what’s next?
1. Start with mobile search
Mobile search ads are an easy starting point for advertisers already running desktop campaigns. You can use the same tools and processes to plan your mobile ads that you already know from the desktop. In fact, you don’t need to modify your ads at all to begin showing them on high-end mobile phones. By checking a box in AdWords, you can extend your existing campaign to mobile devices - and turn your campaign on and off at any time.
2. Customise your website for mobile
Extending your desktop campaigns to include mobile devices is a good start. But to really engage with your customers on the mobile web, you need to tailor your website and campaigns for the unique features of mobile. A great mobile website is the most important starting point for most retailers in Australia. It’s how you drive visits and calls to your store and ensure that customers can find information they need about your business quickly.
First, make sure your website is optimised for mobile and its smaller screen. Consider adding larger buttons and eliminating small text to make it easier for users to navigate your site on a smaller screen. I think Myer has done this particularly well. When I visit their mobile website on my Android phone, I see a clean page in large, easy-to-read type, listing stores and trading hours, catalogues, and departments. With just two clicks, I can see trading hours for the Sydney CBD branch, and with a third click I can generate a map and directions. This is exactly the experience Australians want from mobile retail websites: simple and easy to navigate.
3. Track, measure, optimise
Just like other forms of online marketing, you can get a treasure trove of performance data from your mobile campaigns and website, which you can use to tweak and improve as you go. With mobile, you can track performance of your ads across a number of factors - impressions, clicks, visits to your website, calls to your store, downloads of your app etc.
Mobile will continue to grow and will become increasingly important in driving retail results. My advice for you? Start your future now.
Ross McDonald is head of retail at Google Australia. www.google.com.au