Is it time for a mobile website?
Mobile content, already established world-wide, is growing rapidly in the United States. No longer just for large national companies, local businesses, organizations and non profits are finding successful ways to provide information or engage in sales and marketing activities using mobile content. Though desktop web sites will display on mobile devices, it is much more effective to engage the viewer with a mobile site.
It may surprise you to learn that a basic mobile site is much easier to build than a desktop site and therefore can be practical for even a temporary use--like promoting a fundraising event or a sustaining member campaign. If you would like to explore the possibilities of establishing a mobile site, contact us. Call us now for an appointment at 303-320-4855. We can demonstrate how your desktop site looks on a smart phone and also show you how much easier information can be viewed on a mobile phone.

The construct for understanding the importance of mobile media was developed by Tomi T. Ahonen, an independent consultant and recognized expert in the converging areas of mobile telecoms, Internet and media. He identified six stages of mass media (print, recordings, cinema, radio, television and the Internet). Then he added a seventh; mobile phones. Each media has its own content type, creative artists and technicians and business model.
Tomi and others in the field then identified eight benefits of mobile media that distinguish it from the other six. Mobile;
1. is the first personal mass media
2. is permanently carried
3. is always on
4. has a build in payment mechanism
5. is available at the point of creative inspiration
6. has the most accurate audience measurement
7. captures the social context of media consumption
8. allows augmented reality to be used in media

The Growing Importance of Smart Phones

Its a fact--smart phone use is growing rapidly, and because of functionality, represents the new frontier for accessing the Internet and the World Wide Web. There are even some pundits who believe that mobile phones may someday overtake desktop computers for personal use.
Sound improbable? We have a few statistics that might help convince you. We've assembled them from comScore, Inc., a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital business analytics;
1. For a three month period ending August 2010, 60% of smart phone users downloaded applications on their phones compared with 39% of regular mobile phones.
2. Even though smart phones make up less than 25% of the U.S. mobile market, by August 2010 their users represented the majority of mobile content consumers. The content most accessed was weather(43%), maps(35%), social networking(31%),search (18%), and news (18%).
3. In November 2010, 61.5 million people in the United States owned smart phones, up 10% form the preceding three months.
4. In July 2011, the top three search sites were Google (182.3 million visitors), Yahoo!(177.6 million), Microsoft(174.3 million).

For most businesses and organizations, the purpose of communicating with potential buyers is to generate new business, encourage repeat business, and promote customer loyalty. Accomplishing these goals can be done with content that:
1. describes a new product or service
2. explains a new way to use an existing product or service
3. provides a case study describing a problem and how a product or service provided the solution
4. gives testimonials from satisfied customers
Regardless of the specific content, there is one important question that all sales-related communication must answer. The question is from the perspective of the potential buyer, and is;

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

The benefit to the buyer must be apparent in whatever you are presenting, so be explicit. Use introductory phrases like "what this means for you is" or "this translates to" or "the results were", then provide objective evidence to support your benefit statement.

Direct mail markerters and advertisers work hard to determine what type of content motivates buyers. Research consistently uncovers four characteristics of content that score highest in buyer interest. The best content is;
1. useful or entertaining.
2. relevant to the buyer's interests.
3. timely.
4. unique to the seller, either in content or presentation.
These four characteristics are particularly important for opt-in e-mail subscriptions. If a reader signs up for your e-newsletter, the motivation wasn't to do you a favor--it was because the content of the newsletter had perceived value.

Amid the ongoing debate about whether direct mail or e-mail is the best method to market to customers and prospects, very little is being said about the one thing that is crucial to the success of both--the message. Unless the message is relevant to the audience and persuasively presented, it doesn't matter how it is delivered. So while the discussion about direct mail versus e-mail continues, focus on developing good content and honing your writing skills.
The objective of both direct and e-mail marketing it to persuade a customer or prospect to take action, either now or later. When a seller consistently and regularly sends a communication such as a mailed post card or a newsletter (either mailed or web-based), a buyer is more likely at a future time to take the action desired by the seller. In other words, direct or e-mail marketing is less about an immediate sale than about positioning the business or organization to be top-of-mind when the potential buyer is ready to make a purchase.
This is important in business-to-business selling where the sell cycle is often long(especially when compared to business-to-consumer), and it is hard to stimulate demand. Direct mail is also important during an economic downturn when either budgetary constraints or the unwillingness of the purchaser to spend money creates a long sell cycle for both businesses and consumers.

An outgrowth of the capabilities of variable data printing is personalized URL's (PURLs) on direct mail marketing pieces. A PURL is the web address of a landing page that is unique to the individual recipient of the marketing piece. A PURL combines a response device with a web site.
When a recipient goes to the PURL landing page, the response device is immediately filled with the recipient's contact information (such as name, address, telephone, email). With the click of the mouse, the recipient can request information or take advantage of the offer. As soon as that happens, the PURL generates an e-mail message that is essentially a sales lead.The novelty of the PURL, combined with the ease of responding, is said to increase the response rate.
Some Applications for PURLs include requesting a free sample, information, or trial; to take advantage of an offer or a discount; to RSVP or register for an event; and to complete a survey.