The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Marketing

ULTIMATE
THE
Mobile Marketing Guide for Agencies
A deep dive look at mobile marketing trends in 2015
and what it means for mobile app resellers and SMBs.

2 | Mobile Marketing 2015 | Mobilizing for SMB Growth
Introduction
2015 is a tipping point for mobile business. For the first time, mobile phones will outnumber people.The number of
Americans shopping online will top 150 million. More sales will begin on smartphones and tablets than on desktop
PCs, with easy, secure payment just a touch away. 4GE-LTE is everywhere and mobile data cheaper than ever.

These and other big shifts present incredible growth opportunities for small and medium businesses (SMBs) and
their partners (you). Are you ready to take advantage of the new landscape?

This eBook was created to help marketing agencies, SEO specialists and others serving SMBs profit from the
global mobile revolution.

Our goal: Help you understand today’s most important trends so you can make money on mobile apps and websites.

Whether you’re an established business looking for new sources of income or just getting started, the up-to-the-min-
ute insights in this short book will pump you up for profits as a mobile app reseller. Let’s roll!
Andrew Gazdecki,
Founder and CEO of Bizness Apps

Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Mobile Mania: Big, Big Numbers
Upward mobility for SMBs and partners
Chapter 2. Mega Mobile MarketingTrends
Trend 1: Shoppers using multiple devices
Trend 2: “Webrooming”
Trend 3: Bargain-hungry buyers and showrooming
Trend 4: Social buying:The New Norm
Trend 5: Content marketing for SMBs
Chapter 3. What It Means (Hint: New Revenues)
Chapter 4. Call to Action: Mobilizing for Mobile Reseller Revenues

CHAPTER 1
MOBILE MANIA: BIG, BIG NUMBERS
Take a look around you, or in your
own pocket.The huge popularity
of mobile is pretty obvious. Do you
know anyone who doesn’t have a
cell phone?Visit a Best Buy, Staples,
Costco or thousands of online
retailers and you’ll find tablet
computers selling for less than $100.
A few eye-popping numbers
illustrate mobile’s global magnitude:
7 billion mobile devices
in use worldwide – Altimeter
• Worldwide app sales: Roar ahead, projected $38
billion in 2015 – Forrester Research
• U.S.: 355 million cell phone users, up 11 million
from 2014. – Ovum
• Tablets: 147.1 million U.S. mobile users will use
at least monthly – eMarketer
• U.S. mobile shoppers: 145.9 million at start of 2015 – eMarketer
• U.S. Millennials: 78% spend 2+ hours daily using their smartphones.
iOS and Android: Now 94.2 % of U.S. mobile market – Comscore
Mobilens
New cell phone
sales: 1.2 billion per
year worldwide
– IDC

Upward Mobility for SMBs and Partners
Fig 1. Mobile isTop Platform in 2015
Number of U.S. Smartphone andTablet Owners
Mobile’s meteoric rise comes at a good time for small and medium businesses.The overall U.S. economy is
improving.The “buy local” movement is accelerating. Increasingly, customers are passionate about shopping local
not only on holidays, but year-round. Foodies take pride in local restaurants. Etsy fans prefer crafts shops in their
area. People want to support small businesses. As one economist noted: “IN 2015, SMALL IS STRONG.”

58% of small business owners expect growth in
2015. – CAN Capital Small Business Health Index
And more customers are willing to try new ways of
doing business.Take taxis or food delivery, for
example.What used to be an obvious action (pick
up the phone and call a cab or restaurant) is now an
endless list of options: request a ride on one of several
ride-sharing apps, use a food delivery website or even
digitally hire a personal assistant. In general, people are
growing more comfortable with changing the way they
do things—and they like it. So are SMB owners.
Mobile yields big benefits for customers and SMBs. Phones and tablets introduce new ways of reaching customers,
more routes for customers to reach them and more convenience for both parties. Apps are appointment-setters,
message-takers, customer service reps and trusted advisors—even marketing brains for business. In short, mobile
makes it easy to do business for everyone involved.
38% [of business owners] said they plan to
expand and/or try new forms of advertising/
marketing activities… up from 31 percent last
quarter. – Small BusinessTrends
Small Business Saturday 2014, sponsored by
American Express, drew 88 million shoppers, up
14.9% from 2013 Spending at retailers and
restaurants that day hit a reported $14.3 billion.
– National Federation of Independent Business

Fig 2. Mobile has become the primary device for consumers
Time spent on mobile increasing in retail category

CHAPTER 2
MEGA MOBILE MARKETING TRENDS
What specific mobile marketing trends will bring SMBs,
customers and partners (you) the most bang in 2015? Picking
through hundreds of reports, articles, blogs and piles of other
stuff from the world’s smartest mobile doers and thinkers was
a big job, but we did it.
If there’s one “meta” theme (besides get
going now!), it’s this: SMBs must make it
smooth and easy for customers to find,
understand, contact, browse, learn and
purchase from them, both online and in
person.
“Mobile web marketing will become the
most important thing for SMBs to focus
on in 2015.” – Melinda Emerson, Quintes-
sence Group Consulting
LET’S DIVE AND SEE
HOW TO MAKE
THAT HAPPEN…

Trend 1. Multiplatforming
Response: Create a seamless branded experience across phone, tablet, PCs and apps
The eye-popping stats in Chapter 1 succinctly describe SMBs’ complex new mobile-leaning world. A quick recap:

• In the U.S., smartphones now outsell tablets and way outsell PCs
• Windows 10 is reviving desktops and “2-in-1” laptop/tablets
• Mobile data is nearly 80% cheaper than in 2014 and, increasingly, unlimited
• Millennials, teens and many others basically live on their smartphone
• Pretty much everyone is shopping online
• Most shoppers hop between cell phones, tablets, PCs and on-location visits to research and buy
Consumers today demand fast, cheap, anytime, anywhere access on multiple devices.That boils down to three
simple but crucial must-haves for SMBs and partners in 2015:

A mobile-friendly website that loads quickly (3-5 seconds), looks good, is optimized & easy to navigate,
doesn’t use Flash and offers easy-to-find basics users need: physical location, hours, products, etc. (More
on this in a bit.)

Apps that do the same and more as a complementary or alternative mobile presence. Apps are
especially important.They encourage repeat visits and spur brand loyalty. Plus, buyers are far more likely
to return to a favorite business that’s always in their pocket.That, in turn, puts more business in your
pocket.

A consistent brand look and feel across mobile phones, tablets, PCs and apps. Every platform doesn’t
need the same functionality. But each must be instantly recognizable as a different view of the same
business’s face.

For brands today, an integrated online marketing strategy must include all channels: websites, mobile apps, search
engine marketing, social media marketing and blogging.
Fig 3. Apps AND MobileWeb Key

“The buyer journey is evolving rapidly and will
include many more digital and traditional touch
points than ever... Buyers are doing more
research, shopping, and buying on mobile devices,
so SMBs must ensure consumers can get their
content across all their devices.” – Laurie McCabe,
Co-Founder & Partner, SMB Group
Respected industry
consultant Gartner says
most organizations will
need to support a “3 x 3”
future: three operating
systems (Android, iOS and
Windows) and three
“application architectures”
(native, hybrid and mobile web).The last refers to a website optimized for use on a phone or tablet.The HTML5
programming language, the firm adds, will continue to become “essential” for creating apps that run on multiple
platforms. How SMBs handle all this is a good question we’ll tackle in Chapter 4.
Bottom line: No serious organization today can afford to have a crappy, ugly, slow, buggy website,
mobile website or app—or worse, no mobile presence at all. Everything else in this eBook is just a
variation of this new reality.Websites that don’t work well for mobile consumers will hobble SMBs
this year and beyond.
“Learn how to collaborate across screens, channels, and moments of truth to deliver ONE experience to
customers wherever they are in the lifecycle.” – Brian Solis, Principal Analyst, Altimeter Group

Trend 2.“Webrooming”and“Showrooming”
Response: Use mobile to improve on-location and online experience
For much of the last decade, many businesses (small and large) were freaked out by “showrooming”: customers
checking out a product in a store but buying it online.

Yet in 2014, showrooming dropped to 28% of online sales studied, according to the latest global Future Buy Shop-
ping Report from researcher GfK.

In contrast, “webrooming” (buying a product in a store after researching it online on a smartphone) hit 41%. Some
10-15% of in-store sales are a direct result of webrooming, estimates marketing technology company Criteo.

Fig 4. “Webrooming” joins “Showrooming”
How Consumers Use SmartphonesWhile Showrooming

Both shopping behaviors will continue to flourish in 2015.That means SMBs must provide great experiences both
online (seeTrend 1) and at their physical locations. Partner agencies can play an invaluable role here, educating and
helping SMBs cover basics that save their customers time:
Online booking and ordering

Store locators on mobile websites and apps, including address, phone number and email address for each
location

GPS functionality that provides turn-by-turn directions to the business
One-touch calling from within apps

Product and service directories that up visibility on mobile devices
Customer comment/suggestion board: a managed, tablet-based app lets in-store and online customers
leave feedback for the SMB
Mobile-based payment options including tablet-based e-receipts and POS
Mobile-only promotions (check in, redeem in-store): bringing customers to the door with in-app deals and
exclusive direct alerts
Online
Onsite

75% of retail and consumer brand apps DON’T
provide store locators. – L2ThinkThank
71% of in-store shoppers who use smartphones
for online research say their device aids their in-
store experience. – Ipsos Media/Sterling Brand for
Google
81% of U.S. mobile owners used their devices to
research items before going to a retail location;
19% at retail location. – Ninth Decimal
New in-store technology like “beacons” will get much buzz in 2015.These inexpensive devices use Bluetooth and
GPS tracking to automatically push personalized marketing messages, targeted deals, ads, buying advice and other
information to shopper smartphones based on the visitor’s location in the store, time of day, purchase history or
other mobile behavior.The technology is promising, but technical, security, privacy and annoyance questions
remain. Most SMBs are better advised to focus on the high-value basics above for now.
“The convenience of online ordering or scheduling and in-app payments is going to differentiate businesses that
offer these, and disadvantage those that do not.” – Greg Sterling,VP Strategy & Insights, Local Search Association

Trend 3. Bargain-Hungry Buyers
Response: Mobile coupons and loyalty programs
A record-breaking “Cyber Monday” and the 2014 holiday shopping season left no doubt: buyers love mobile
bargains. Specifically, coupons and special deal emails and texts delivered to their smartphones and tablets for
printing or in-store scanning.

Savvy buyers used coupons but it’s a sure bet that a record number of mobile coupons were used in the $616.9 billion
in November and December 2014 sales projected by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Savvy buyers used mobile
coupons to get the best deals on everything from clothes, toys and electronics to home accessories, services and
meals. Businesses benefited from increased traffic and sales thanks to early promotions and 24/7 online sales.
Adults redeeming coupons via a mobile device
for online or offline shopping will increase from
78.69 million to 104.11 million between 2014 and
2016. – eMarketer
60% of customers seek discounts and sales via
mobile. – Ninth Decimal
53% of U.S. tablet users will redeem a coupon
from home and 40% of the U.S. smartphone us-
ers will redeem a retail coupon. – eMarketer
More than 96% of consumers plan to use a mo-
bile smartphone in 2015 to find the best retail
deals. – Shopular 2015 Mobile Retail Outlook Survey

“We anticipate that 2015 will be a banner growth year in terms of the impact of mobile influence on retail,” predicted
the 2015 Mobile Retail Outlook Survey. “Consumers’ reliance on mobile influence and access to deals and savings
offers ... will become increasingly prominent and play a strong role in the way Americans shop and buy.”

It’s already happening in big business.Take Starbucks—their Gold Card makes you a “member,” not just another
bleary java junkie. Because it’s on your phone, the digital card is always close at hand, even if your wallet isn’t. Out on
a walk?Why not get some coffee?You don’t have your wallet, but you do have your phone. How genius is that?
Plus, redeeming a coupon and paying through an app just feels cooler. One friend recently admitted: “The Starbucks
app has literally caused me to buy 2-3x more than I used to.”
Fig. 5 Shoppers Love Digital Coupons
Share of U.S. Companies Using Mobile Coupons for Marketing Purposes

For most SMBs, simple steps will prove a great way to grab their share of mobile deal discoverers.

Take digital coupons. Many people are annoyed by old-fashioned mail marketing, so they toss away the offer. But
with digital coupons, the buyer is already on board.They’ve downloaded the app.They’re ready for digitally delivered
discounts.

That receptive attitude also extends to digital loyalty programs, regardless of how they’re delivered—by app, email,
text, mobile-friendly website or all of the above. Getting the customer to download an app means they’re well along
the trail to sales.

Trend 4. Social Buying: New Norm
Response: Use apps, social media and text messages to get into the conversation
Shoppers consulting other shoppers via social media and online review sites is not new for 2015. It’s just more
important than ever, both for consumers and small and medium businesses courting them.Whether SMB marketers
like it or not, “social buying” is the new norm. Fortunately, more are recognizing the new necessity.
41% (of small businesses) clearly understood the
important impact online and mobile business re-
views will have on the future of their businesses
as well. – CAN Capital Small Business Health Index
“SMBs need social media solutions that help
them actively listen, participate in, and track
the social networks their prospects and cus-
tomers use to engage and nurture relationships
and build customer advocacy.” - Laurie McCabe,
Co-Founder & Partner, SMB Group
The good news: It’s easier than ever for SMBs to add social features to smartphone apps and mobile websites. Click-
ing on an app’s “Tell-A-Friend” feature, for example, lets customers take a business viral with built-in sharing capabil-
ities over email, Facebook,Twitter and SMS. Another click connects the business with users on these popular social
networks.This visibility is critical in gaining buyer consideration and all-important customer endorsements.

SMS (Simple Message Service) deserves special note here. Simple text messages are a basic tool poised for new pop-
ularity in 2015.They’re cheap, quick, favored by many younger buyers, easily personalized and suitable for
marketing, ads & customer service. And they work.

Fig. 6 Mobile trend is big for SMBs

“97% of texts are read within three minutes of
being received, proving that mobile has the
potential to be an incredibly powerful and
immediate tool for customer interaction.” – Adam
Goran, Divisional Director, Grass Roots Group, Custo-
mer Engagement Division.
In fact, industry researcher and consultant Forrester predicts that text will be a key part of an emerging trend to
“push” streams of bundled communications through a single app to consumers. One big reason is that for many
people, texts feel less invasive than emails or (gasp!) calls.
Mobile-based social media is a crucial bridge that can turn shoppers into customers and brand advocates.

Trend 5. Content Marketing
Response: Provide useful, trusted materials to buyers
Once SMBs connect socially with consumers, many think the job is done. Big mistake. Getting followers on Face-
book, Pinterest, Instagram etc. is just the first step. Now what?Today’s buyers expect not just ads and promotions,
but useful information of real value (seeTrend 4 – Social Buying).That’s why 2015 is time for SMBs to embrace one of
today’s hottest marketing trends.
Content marketing means providing high-quality
material that attracts, engages and educates new
and existing customers. It starts with the basics
needed to locate, purchase and use the business’s
products and services. More sophisticated busi-
nesses go a step further, providing buying advice,
relevant news & trends, guest experts, special
events & workshops and much more. Content
is developed internally, farmed out or “curated”
from outside sources. It’s then delivered via mobile
apps, mobile sites, email or SMS messaging—or all
the above. And quality counts.
“The days of preaching to customers rather than ex-
citing and informing them are rapidly coming to an
end and marketers that can effectively connect with
prospects will win. “ – Bill Hunt, President, Back Azimuth
Consulting
“Small businesses need to go directly to their customer
and ensure their blog, website, and email newsletter
are all as good as possible, with fantastic design and
good content.” – Ramon Ray, Publisher, Smart Hustle
Magazine
Examples: A local wine shop might publish a short weekly or monthly video about choosing and appreciating the
best new wines. A restaurant could share cooking techniques in a live workshop. A realtor, personal trainer, lawyer,
therapist or other service professional could do a short advice blog or send a short, targeted text asking a helpful or
provocative question.

U.S. adults average 43-1⁄2 hours per month
connecting with mobile content via an app or
web browser, up 10 hours per month from previ-
ous year. – Nielsen
Nearly half of all video viewers watch on their
mobile devices. – eMarketer
Smart SMB marketers will take a page from bigger businesses (who’ve been gung-ho on content marketing) and
start creating, delivering and sharing useful information including:

•Videos
• Podcasts
• Music
• Newsletters
• News feeds
• Photos
• RSS feeds and blogs

TV, magazines, newspapers and radio are no longer the best (or most cost-effective) way to engage buyers.Why pay
media company when you can be one?YouTube, Flickr, iTunes, Facebook,Twitter, Constant Contact, MailChimp and
hundreds of other public and private “channels” offer inexpensive access to thousands of new and existing customers
eager to learn and engage. Content marketing gives SMBs a golden opportunity to expand their close relationships
with customers into a wider role of trusted advisor.

Bottom line: It’s all about targeting the individual—not everybody—with relevant messages. Making
it personal shows that an SMB is working for their customer, spotting their interests, interacting not
just to sell but to somehow make their lives better.Who doesn’t want that?
“2015 will be the year of human for digital marke-
ters. Gone are the days of corporate-speak messa-
ging and dull, boring campaigns. Instead, we’ll
begin to see more marketers incorporate
human-speak into their messaging – videos,
pictures, humor, and human.”
– DJ Waldow, Digital Marketing Evangelist, Marketo

CHAPTER 3
WHAT IT MEANS (HINT: NEW REVENUES)
LET’S DO A QUICK
BREAKDOWN:
Hopefully by now a few key things are clear:
1. Mobile is booming and now the premier
channel in the U.S. and worldwide.
2. SMBs must get on board to compete and
leverage 2015’s most important mobile
marketing tactics.
3. There’s a huge upside for SMBs and for
their partners supplying mobile apps and
sites.

Benefits and Challenges for SMBs
• Increased revenue by enabling customers to perform online research and buy/use online coupons
• Greater loyalty through frequent-buyer programs and valuable trusted content
• Stronger “webrooming” and “showrooming” for browsing buyers
• Higher customer satisfaction thanks to better customer service
• More visit frequency from friction-free bookings and reservations

No wonder mobile has become the most popular way for SMBs and customers to connect.What’s not to like?

Unfortunately, it’s not cheap, fast or easy to create good, functional, modern mobile apps.The simplest SMB apps
cost a minimum of $3,000 - $5,000 to build and often take a couple of months. Costs rise quickly to $10,000 - $50,000
(and much higher) for more sophisticated “back-end integration” (hooking into company computer systems).
STICKER SHOCK: DIY OR DIFM?
Basically, businesses have two choices: Do itYourself (DIY) or Do It for Me (DIFM). Most SMBs (and many big outfits)
lack the technology, skills, staff and time to develop mobile websites and apps. In both cases, developers don’t come
cheap. Freelance developers charge $75 - $150 an hour depending on the market. And building is only about a third of
an app’s cost, according to Forrester Research. Updating needs to be done at least twice yearly.
2015 salaries for mobile applications developers will average $107,500 – $161,500—up 10.2% over the previous
year – Robert Half survey

IT organizations will dedicate at least 25% of
their software budget to mobile application
development, deployment and management by
2017. – IDC
“Most SMBs can’t implement these things them-
selves, but there are third party directories and
marketplaces that do.” – Greg Sterling,VP Strate-
gy & Insights, Local Search Association
SOLUTION: EASY DIY
A third option has emerged as the top choice for many small businesses hoping to capitalize on the mobile revolu-
tion: farming out to an app reseller (maybe you).

Resellers promise busy, cost-conscious SMBs a low price tag AND high-quality maintenance and service.The reseller
works hand-in-hand with them to design, build, publish and promote a customized mobile app and website that
works on iPhone, iPad, Android and HTML5 devices.The business doesn’t have to do anything but describe what
they want, then write a very reasonable check for monthly service. Quick and easy.

CHAPTER 4
MOBILIZE FOR RESELLING REVENUES
By this point, you know that mobile is the fast-
est-growing industry in history (Chapter 1) and app
sales are growing at lightning speeds—to $56 billion
by 2016, according to industry researcher Gartner.
You’re current on the key mobile marketing trends of
2015: multi-platform shoppers, webrooming,
bargain-hunting, social buying and content marketing
(Chapter 2).You’ve seen the clear imperative and
benefits for SMBs (Chapter 3).
SO HOW DO
YOU PROFIT?
Many marketing, design, SEO agencies,
entrepreneurs and even recent grads are
capitalizing on mobile’s rocketing growth
by becoming mobile app resellers.With the
easy-to-use technology described above,
they build, publish and sell mobile apps un-
der their own brand, netting over $5k for
selling only 30 apps a month and $30k or
more for bigger volumes.

Benefits to App Resellers
About the Bizness Apps Reseller Program
Bizness Apps (www.biznessapps.com) is the world’s #1 mobile web site and app maker for small businesses, power-
ing more than 300,000 apps.
LEARN MORE
• Unlock huge profit potential
• Establish yourself as a mobile solutions provider
• Generate an additional revenue stream
• Add value to your existing services
• Differentiate from your competitors
• Provide a needed service to your existing and new customers

biznessapps.com | info@biznessapps.com | 1-800-549-8138
San Francisco, CA
Have any comments, questions or feedback? - CLICK HERE

The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Marketing

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

En vedette

En vedette (7)

Plus de Bizness Apps

Plus de Bizness Apps (7)

Dernier

Dernier (6)

The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Marketing