I remember many years back everyone kept saying “mobile is the future“… and of course, we are now in the mobile age. It’s not so much of a question of who has mobile phones and devices, but more like who doesn’t? Even kids below the age of ten have their tablets and mobile devices now.
It doesn’t matter who you are targeting and what your business is, what matters is that you are taking advantage of mobile and building up your customer base right now.
In this article we are going to take a look at some of the reasons why mobile is so important right now for business, and how it’s going to continue to change the way we live, shop and do business in the coming years.
We are Our Mobile Devices!
You can learn a lot from someone by their mobile device. Whether you are looking through their phone numbers, recent maps, running applications, web history or even the pictures stored on the phone… all of this amazing information tells a story. Even though all of this information may not be shared with companies, key download information and demographic/geographic targeting always will be.
The important take away in this message is that our lives are now incomplete without a mobile device in our pockets, and anything to do with our mobile devices… even advertising, is extremely effectively and important to every device owner.
Mobile Billing Payments are Just Starting
It’s likely that you are already paying for your mobile device and data plan with a credit card, but how many other payments are you making through your mobile device as well. Here are just a few of the recent ways we’ve seen organizations accepting payment through mobile devices.
- Send a simple text to Red Cross and make a $10 donation… you are then billed on your monthly mobile billing statement.
- Apps like PayPal make it easy to send payments on the go with the use of just an email address.
- Starbucks has an app of their own, which makes payments easy. Don’t have cash on you? Whip out your mobile device and they can scan your Starbucks member card bar code right from the counter and deduct it from your account balance.
This is just the tip of mountain. If you aren’t thinking about how your business can use mobile for important transactions and customer ease, this is something you need to seriously look into. Your competition may already be light years ahead of you, and more customers are using their mobile devices to make payments daily.
Text Alerts Convert Like Crazy
When is the last time you searched for money saving coupons and promotions online? There is a good chance it was recently. What happens when you are in a store and don’t have a printer handy? If you are fortunate enough to be shopping at one of the many new retailers that are trying to get customers to request coupons and updates through their phones, you won’t need to worry about printing out coupons ever again.
The next time you are in your favorite retail store, ask if they have a text alerts program and there is a good chance they have one. Most participating retailers will send out weekly/monthly promotions and coupons right to your phone, which you can then have scanned during your next purchase.
Never before has it been so easy, cost effective and beneficial for companies to connect with their customers while providing a valued service in the process.
Mobile Isn’t the Future… It’s Now!
You don’t hear anyone saying “mobile is the future” anymore, because we are living in the mobile world right now. How amazing is it that customers are now doing the advertising for companies by walking into stores and voluntarily requesting promotions and coupons through their mobile devices.
This is only the start my friends… make sure you are taking full advantage of mobile and everything it has to offer.
Disclosure: I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space where small business owners can access educational resources, read success stories from other business owners, engage with peers, and find tips to help businesses run more efficiently. Every month, the Page will introduce a new theme that will focus on a topic important to a small business owner’s success. For additional tips and advice, and information about Visa’s small business solutions, follow @VisaSmallBiz and visit http://visa.com/business.
