Mobile is not just text messaging
December 4, 2008
Lynn Heidenreich is chief marketing officer of Siteminis
When most companies think of mobile marketing, they think of text campaigns and in the truest sense, they are probably correct since the very essence of the mobile device is exchanging information via phone services.
But today, consumers are using their phones for much more. So for those who only venture into the world of text messaging for their mobile marketing efforts, it begs the question, "Where do I go from here?"
Once the message has been delivered, where do companies direct their consumer to go?
What happens to the company that uses a text response strategy to gain a customer only to lose them because it forgot to think through its mobile Internet presence and how effective and enjoyable that experience will be with the consumer?
In a sense, companies are failing to deliver on the promise: "Use your mobile device to do business with me -- It's easy, it's fun, it's reliable!"
Before I continue, let me first say I think that text messaging campaigns for the mobile phone are a great marketing technique.
I've seen many creative ways of using text messaging to engage the mobile consumer.
At ball games and race tracks, consumers are asked to text-in to contests, surveys and coupons.
Email blasts that allow the consumer to opt in to get free downloads or to join paid services are also a novel way of getting that attractive mobile customer.
Location-based messaging services that allow you to text in a keyword to find services or retail outlets in your location are also being used to gain ground in the mobile marketplace.
All of these, and the many more that I haven't listed, are being used with increasing frequency by retailers and service providers as they venture into the world of mobile.
But back to my question, "Where do I go from here?"
Many companies are dabbling in mobile commerce sites, but few are making an effort to provide potential consumers with a robust mobile site where they can actually conduct business and easily get information.
Companies are spending so much time on their text campaigns that they are forgetting the most important feature -- the quality of their mobile presence.
An ecommerce study conducted by Cisco revealed that 42 percent of retailers have a reformatted mobile site that allows for limited functionality and product viewing.
Per that study, only 15 percent of those retailers have a site that allows for purchases. Even more staggering, only 6 percent have sites that are designed specifically for mobile phone usage.
It's true that a text marketing campaign can direct consumers to the bricks-and-mortar stores, offer discounts and coupons, notify consumers of special events and gain participation at the mobile level. But how does this enhance the mobile experience for the consumer?
The answer is that it doesn't.
It also doesn't really gain the retailer any incremental business, since all they it can do is direct the consumer to another venue such as the store or the Internet.
How much more exciting would it be to engage consumers on the mobile phone and direct them to the mobile Internet to satisfy their interest?
So why haven't more companies concentrated on their mobile sites?
It's a question that has me scratching my head.
If you look at the numbers, it's even more perplexing.
According to a Nielsen Mobile study, there are currently about 95 million U.S. mobile subscribers that pay for access to the mobile Internet as part of their subscription or by transaction.
Of that number, more than 40 million actively use the Internet at least once a month on a monthly basis. The number of active users has grown 73 percent over a two-year period.
For companies looking to expand their customer base, I would think this is an opportunity that most wouldn't want to miss.
Companies who truly optimize their sites will gain by leaps and bounds and hurdle over those that are just dabbling in mobile commerce or mobile marketing.
This new mobile consumer is far more tech-savvy and visually oriented and the expectation is going to be high.
A text-based mobile Web site with limited functionality and no visuals will most likely be more harmful to a company than helpful.
The bottom line is that companies need to deliver on the promise that text messaging only hints at. And companies need to realize that robust mobile Internet sites aren't a future expectation, but a present requirement.
Lynn Heidenreich is chief marketing officer of Siteminis, an Atlanta-based mobile site developer. Reach her at