Archive for the ‘Mobile Commerce’ Category

Mowbi Connect Press Release

July 17th, 2010 No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 16, 2010

PORTLAND, MAINE TECH FIRM LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY MOBILE SOCIAL NETWORKING PLATFORM. INTRODUCING MOWBI CONNECT!

Mobile CommercePORTLAND, MAINE: Emerging front runner in mobile technology, Mowbi, LLC (www.mowbi.com) has introduced MOWBI CONNECT, a mobile social networking platform that is poised to revolutionize social networking for businesses and consumers. This exciting free mobile social media tool is unlike any other product on the market.

Jordan Denning, Mowbi’s President, explains that “Our Mowbi Connect product is Mowbi’s unique entree’ into the enormous and growing social media market.  Now, all Mowbi members, organizations and individuals alike, can easily and clearly manage and share all of their own individual branding and social networks in one mobile space via Mowbi Connect. From Facebook to Twitter to MySpace, we have found that Mowbi Connect is an extremely powerful tool for both businesses interested in mobile marketing and branding to individuals who simply want to express themselves via their mobile device.  Mowbi Connect is Mowbi’s way of offering to customers the ability to get their message out, whatever that may be.  At Mowbi, we like to say that Mowbi Connect is the mobile version of ”All YOU.  All the time.”

Mowbi Connect puts all of a company’s or individual’s social networking links on one uniquely branded mobile webpage. In addition to unlimited social networking links, and a personal scrolling Twitter feed, users also have the option to brand their page with a company logo or unique photo.  Right now all businesses and individuals are invited to create a Mowbi Connect site for free. This is in effort to demonstrate to consumers that Mowbi Connect will allow them to engage mobile social networking at unprecedented levels of ease and interaction.

Mowbi Connect presents an excellent opportunity for businesses to get their feet wet with mobile social media marketing, without having to invest any capital. Mobile social networking is projected to explode in popularity as consumers become more comfortable using mobile phones to make purchasing decisions, and as audiences expect deeper levels of engagement with advertisers.

Mowbi Connect is also a great tool for bloggers and for individuals who are interested in keeping their readers, friends, and fans engaged by updating their social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook via mobile phone.

Mowbi Connect was developed by Mowbi, LLC, a Maine based company that is committed to helping Maine businesses grow by keeping Maine on the cutting edge of mobile technology.

For more information, contact Jordan Denning at 207-239-5351 or jordan@mowbi.com or Bill Broadbent at 207-841-5174 or bill@mowbi.com.   Please also visit www.mowbi.com.  ###

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Top Mobile Advertising Predictions for 2010

June 28th, 2010 1 Comment

A recent article in Advertising Age magazine outlines the top 5 predictions for Mobile Advertising in 2010. This interesting predictions will effect every aspect of marketing a business, whether it’s a local auto shop or a fortune 500 big wig. Here are the top 5 predictions from Adage, along with ideas on how you can be proactive with your advertising plan to include mobile media.

Mobile Advertising will Revolutionize how local advertisers connect with customers- Location based advertising, which is offers/search results targeted to a customer’s actual location is on the rise. In fact, Google now offers a service to local businesses called Place Pages, where customers can scan a QR Code (a decal that looks much like a bar code placed on your establishment’s window) with their mobile phone and instantly gain access to coupons, reviews, and specials. They can also “star” your place, which saves you info in their phone so they can visit later.  Local businesses should be sure to have a fully optimized mobile website, that is listed in every mobile directory to ensure they are appearing in mobile searches. The potential that mobile advertising presents local businesses is huge.

Further adoption of in-store shopping applications- In store shopping applications are going to make mobile a significant part of the decision making process in retail stores. Here’s how: There are several price comparison apps that allow consumers to compare prices (other retail store prices and online prices) on items while they are literally looking at them on the shelves. There are also applications where consumers can see reviews of products and services. Lastly, mobile coupons are starting to really take off, meaning you can drive foot traffic to your store via mobile device. The best way to make mobile technology work well for you is to have a strong mobile presence, with not only an optimized website, but also an active mobile social media presence. Build a strong opt-in list and send valuable coupons to your customers regularly.

Outdoor Advertising will become Measurable- By driving consumers to text on outdoor ads like billboards or window signage, companies will be able to get a solid read on results almost immediately. With the capabilities of mobile advertising, tracking results is as easy as counting texts, computing conversion rates, and calculating cost per order. Plus, often texting is a more attractive option  than calling to the mobile consumer, as they are likely to be on-the-go and would rather have a quick, to the point interaction.  The next outdoor campaign you have, try driving texts instead of visits or calls. Consumers can text to receive a coupon from you or be admitted to a special event or sale.

Social Media will be more important than ever- With mobile media, consumers have the ability to voice their opinions in real time. People are using mobile versions of social media sites like Twitter to instantly voice their opinions on products and services as they encounter them. Again, it is extremely important to have a strong social media presence in the mobile sphere. Some companies are even creating platforms specifically for consumers to comment on. For example, a taxi company in New York City has an app that allows users to comment on taxi service in real time. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you are present and are interacting with your customers frequently via mobile device. A great way to keep your mobile media organized is with the Mowbi Platform. One of the neat features of the  free one page website is links to all of your social media networks all in one place. Your blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are literally at your (and your customer’s) finger tips. For more information about Mowbi call 1-800-985-9277 or e-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , , , ,

Mobile Marketing Tips for Restaurants

June 22nd, 2010 No Comments

If you own or manage a restaurant, you should strongly consider adding Mobile Marketing to you business plan. Not only can you generate more traffic to your venue, but you can build a strong, loyal customer base. Here are some mobile marketing tips for restaurants:

Build a solid opt-in list- The first step in your mobile marketing campaign should be building a strong opt-in list, made of customers who agree to receive promotional messages from you on their phones. Building your opt-in list doesn’t have to be hard. You can use print efforts to gain interest in your mobile marketing program. For example, you can use table tents or on table displays with contests or special deals to drive texts. Your customers can then be asked to join your list in order to be informed of the outcome of the contest, or to receive the special discount at hand and promotional messages in the future. You can also use radio advertising to drive texts and build your opt-in list. The next time you advertise a contest or promotion, just drive listeners to text instead of calling or filling out a card. Whatever you choose to do, remember that it is imperative that you are working with a list of opted-in customers for all mobile marketing efforts.

Pre/Post Service Perks- Offer special perks for your mobile customers. Allow them to make reservations from their mobile phone and send reminders as their visit date nears. Is it a busy Friday night? Send your mobile regulars texts as your waiting list fills up- let them know wait times. Better yet- allow them to place their name on your waiting list via mobile phone, so that when they arrive, they move to the front of the line. If your establishment offers entertainment, send early alerts to your customers and allow them to purchase tickets at a discount. Post visit, you can send customer surveys so they can rate their visit. Send a survey specifically on service, or food quality. Let customers know that your value their opinion, and want to exceed their expectations with every visit.

Mobile Promotions- Once you get a strong opt-in list, you can offer even more services to your customers in order to increase sales and loyalty. Have a mobile customer’s only signature drink at the bar. Send texts with links to your special drink, and name the drink something unique, that only your mobile customers will know. Hold a mobile customer reception or exclusive mobile customer’s special night. Own a bar or grill? Why not have a game of trivia for your mobile customer’s via their mobile devices? The possibilities for cool restaurant promotions using mobile marketing are endless.

Call us to discuss more great mobile marketing tips for your restaurant. 800-985-9277 or E-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Top 3 Mobile Marketing Ideas for Local Businesses

June 14th, 2010 No Comments

It was recently revealed that over 1/3 of mobile searches on Google are for items relevant to the users current environment.  Search engines Google and Yahoo are both working to make their advertising reach as local as possible. If your company is locally based (pizza shop, salon, record store, etc) it is crucial for you to have a strong mobile presence. Here are some mobile marketing tips for local businesses.

Make sure your website and social media sites are mobile-friendly- You MUST have an optimized mobile website in order to appear in organic searches. This is especially true for locally based businesses because mobile search engines display pages that are the most relevant to mobile users. So if you want your barber shop to appear in the top ten mobile Google search results, you need to make sure your mobile site is optimized, with fresh, relevant content for mobile users. Another tip- be sure that your social media outlets are mobile friendly. Twitter and Facebook have mobile versions of their websites- make sure the website that hosts your company blog does as well. If you use WordPress, be sure to install the MobilePress plugin.

Utilize SMS/Text Message Marketing- Build customer loyalty and a solid opt-in list by sending interesting, relevant texts to your customers. Studies show that text messaging has a 70% response rate (compared to the 30% average response that e-mail marketing draws). A great way to build your opt-in list and ensure customers are willing to receive texts is to use other media in conjunction with your initial texting campaigns.  You could display fliers or posters in your store that use text as the call to action for a special sale, promotion, or contest. In exchange for the special deal or chance to win a great prize, your customers allow you to send promotional texts. This can start your opt-in list, and informative, useful texts from you can build your opt-in list. Whatever the case, if you have a locally based business, you definitely should be using SMS- just be sure you’re sending to a customer base that has opted-in.

Mobile Commerce- If it makes sense for your locally based business to allow consumers to purchase goods/services via mobile device, then create a full scale mobile commerce website. Pizza parlors, hotels, salons; any business where consumers can order or pay ahead could benefit from allowing users to place orders, make reservations, set/pay for salon appointments all via mobile phone. Think about how mobile commerce could fit into your business plan and have experienced developers help you make your mobile site ready for commerce.

If you own a business with a local customer base, and you’re ready to start your mobile marketing initiatives, call us at 985-9277 or e-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Mobile Commerce Presents Opportunity for Hotel Industry

June 10th, 2010 No Comments

Mobile commerce and mobile marketing offer spectacular opportunities across the spectrum of businesses. From Fortune 500 Companies to your local antique shop, Mobile Commerce and Mobile Marketing, can bring any business into the 21st century, quickly.

The hotel and travel industry can use mobile commerce to drive reservations, to promote events, and to increase general awareness of their venue or destination. This industry is enjoying the perks of Mobile Commerce, just by the nature of their business. Consumers who travel on business are now looking for lodging on the way, via their Smartphones. In fact, one hotel chain (Omni Hotels) has seen their mobile traffic grow 85% in the past 6 months. And 1 in 4 visitors books a room- this is a 25% conversion rate in an industry that typically expects 7% on an e-commerce site.

Here are a few quick Mobile Commerce tips for anyone in the Travel/Hotel Industry:

Create a Mobile Website- This seems like the most obvious step, however, some businesses may not understand that simply making your existing website available via the mobile web is not enough to drive mobile traffic. Mobile Search Engines look for and display the most relevant mobile content when a mobile user engages in a search- so making sure that your hotel’s mobile commerce site is fully optimized is crucial for getting organic traffic. Aside from mobile bots, there is also the issue of load time to consider (note that google bots also now consider site speed in ranking). Mobile consumers are consumers on-the-move and impatient. Your traditional e-commerce website is likely to take too long to load onto a smartphone, which will result in users abandoning your page before they formally get there. With location based services (search engines that provide suggestions to consumers based on their current location) growing in popularity, if you own a hotel, you can not afford to pass on having an optimized mobile presence.

Keep Info Short & Relevant- While your mobile commerce site should be an enriching experience for your audience, keep in mind that if someone is searching for your hotel via their mobile phone, they are likely not browsing around looking at what’s offered in the continental breakfast at each hotel. They most likely need to book a room for the night, and need to know your location, rates and vacancies immediately. Be sure to place this information on your landing page. Make the content on your mobile commerce site relevant for mobile commerce users. Links to your room rates, vacancies, booking tools, and credit card payment all should be prominently featured on your mobile landing page. There can also be links or icons that demonstrate amenities such as a hotel gym, or restaurant service. The unique questions and concerns that you know your customers have, should all be clearly and easily accessible on your mobile commerce website.

Make it Fully Functional- Don’t just have rates, directions, and contact info on your mobile commerce site. Take full advantage of mobile technology and allow consumers the ability to reserve their room or conference center via their smartphone. It is crucial that you have the ability to accept credit cards via mobile phone. A good mobile shopping cart can help you do this in a simple, secure manner. Customers should be able to reserve their room or conference center, and even complete their check in/check out paperwork via their mobile phone. If you have a hotel lounge or restaurant, let consumers make reservations. You could set up a strategic alliance with local restaurants in your area, and allow guests to make reservations their via your mobile site. The opportunities are endless.

SMS Marketing- Hotels can and should be using text messaging as part of their marketing plan. It is important to make sure guests are opted-in. The way to do this is by offering services to them that are truly valuable. Reservation Reminders/Confirmation texts are services that guests are likely to find useful. Pre-Arrival texts that have final check in reminders, info about special events or shows going on at/near your hotel are likely to be welcomed and appreciated. Text Alerts on inclement weather, traffic or air delays, anything that might impact your guest getting to your hotel, are all texts that many consumers would welcome. Post Stay texts, that have a short survey on overall guest experience are useful for consumers and also for your own knowledge. When you use SMS messaging to send truly useful information to your guests, you can build a quality list to send promotional texts to like special room rates, or special services (spa, massage, etc) being offered. Mobile Commerce and Mobile Marketing are all about building relationships with your customers. Use the unique position of the hotel industry to create loyal guests.

If you are in the hotel industry, and you’d like to start your m-commerce initiatives, give us a call to talk about Mowbi; the powerful new platform that is an all in one mobile commerce business tool . 800-985-9277. Or E-Mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Great Mobile Marketing Ideas for Traditional Media

June 7th, 2010 No Comments

One of the many excellent aspects of Mobile Marketing is that you can use it to augment your existing marketing mix. Radio, TV, Print, Signage- Mobile Marketing can be used to drive results to campaigns across all channels. The great thing about using mobile marketing to augment your advertising or marketing campaign is that results are measurable immediately. Here are 6 Mobile Marketing Ideas that incorporate traditional media channels. To discuss your unique ideas for marketing your company on a mobile scale give us a call at 800-985-9277 OR e-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Radio- There are exciting ways to integrate mobile marketing using SMS messaging. Radio is especially attractive for mobile marketing because most listeners are off site when they are exposed to your radio message- meaning, they are likely to respond to your call to action via mobile device.  Driving listeners to text or to your mobile site, eliminates the extra step of calling or browsing the net for your website from home.   Make your radio promotions interactive, with text based contests. Drive texts to your mobile commerce website with radio ads . A great way to do this is to offer exclusive coupons, or a text only area for a special sale event. You can present this offer through a radio spot or through a DJ endorsement. Either way, radio and mobile marketing not only compliment each other as far as driving response, but you can also get a read on results immediately.

Television- TV’s relationship with mobile marketingand mobile commerce is growing increasingly interesting. With technological advances and consumer demand, the prospect of mobile television becoming a popular vehicle of TV consumption is not entirely far-fetched. The demand for mobile TV is growing, and when it gains it’s true potential, there will be many implications for advertisers. It will absolutely mean significant changes for those in the Direct Response industry.  This  interesting topic gets a bit off subject for this post, but watch for it in future posts from us. For now, we’ll stick to the basics. For TV, SMS messaging is also a great mobile marketing tool. Programs such as American Idol and entertainment giant MTV are already texting in their programing. Not only can you use texting as part of your call to action in a TV spot; you can also insert your message into programs directly. For instance, American Idol now has voters texting in to place their votes. MTV drives their audience to opinion polls via text. If you’re running a major promotion, a great idea to consider is driving texts. You could also consider hosting a mobile website for audiences to place votes, or opinions about their favorite TV shows.

Print- Perhaps the oldest form of advertising aside from word of mouth, print ads are moving into the 21st century quite gracefully and you should be sure that your print ads are too. You can drive your target audience to text or to your mobile website. A great way to build your opt-in list is to drive your target audience to an exclusive mobile website that gives them access to special events, sales, and promotions. With mobile marketing, you can turn your print ad into an interactive tool to make sales and build a strong opt-in list.

Signage- You can incorporate mobile marketing on billboards or in store displays. Retail big wig, Bloomingdale’s was able to use a text call to action on the window of their Lexington Ave location to drive votes for their new window display. They received hundreds of votes each day, proving that consumers are willing and are ready for this kind of interaction with retailers. You can take this idea even further by driving texts for a contest or special promotion. If hundreds of consumers are willing to text in to vote- imagine how many people would be willing to text for a chance at a prize. Another great example of signage incorporating mobile marketing is Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a non-profit agency that offers services to the homeless and working poor in Austin, Texas. MLF had a billboard sign, with a local homeless man literally standing on the billboard, with the words, “I am Danny. I am Homeless. I am here.” right next to a giant call to action asking viewers to text a designated phone number to donate to Danny. Through this campaign, MLF was able to raise enough money for Danny and his wife to buy a house. Again, this shows that consumers are willing and ready to participate in traditional to mobile media. Billboards can be a great tool for driving texts traffic to your mobile website.

Give us a call to talk about how to incorporate mobile marketing into your traditional marketing mix. Call  800-985-9277 OR e-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Create Mobile Store with Tips from Japan

June 3rd, 2010 No Comments

Mobile commerce may be just starting to pick up speed in the United States, but companies are already making millions of dollars in mobile commerce revenue in Japan. In fact, the Japanese have been profiting from mobile commerce for years. Did you know that Japan reports $400 million dollars of revenue from mobile commerce each year?  Here are a few key tips from the Japanese to consider when you set out to create a mobile store.

Make it convenient & FUN- Takeshi Natsuno, a key mobile web developer in Japan has been quoted saying that mobile commerce is so popular in Japan, because it is a convenient and fun experience for consumers. When you create a mobile store,  make your content  convenient for mobile shoppers.  For instance, don’t set up create a mobile store that requires users to scroll in more than one direction to view the content on your site. Don’t use font sizes that are so small, that users have to strain to read your content. Make it as convenient for consumers to browse and shop from your mobile website as it is to shop on your e-commerce site.  Your mobile store should also have a “fun” element. Keep your content fresh, relevant, and interesting. The colors and graphics should be engaging. Have links to your blog and social media sites available on your landing page.

Your Mobile Store should be intuitive- When you create a mobile store, keep in mind that users are expecting a positive, user friendly experience. Your  mobile store should be easy to navigate. Popular links should be easy to find, sales and promotions should be prominent, checking out should be a clear and simple task.

Graphics & Images should be sized for the mobile web- This is a great reason to not simply make your e-commerce site available on the mobile web. Images that are not sized and optimized for the mobile web will either cause your store to load much too slowly or display the graphics on your mobile website in a low quality manner (i.e pixelated images). Even in Japan, where mobile technology is on the cutting edge, consumers complain about low resolution colors and images. When you create a mobile store, it is extremely important to follow the proper guidelines for content and graphics.

A great way to create your mobile store that follows some of Japan’s model for mobile commerce success is to call in the help of professionals. Call us at Mowbi to get the ball rolling on your mobile store. 800-985-9277 Or e-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Mowbi Mobile Website- FREE

June 2nd, 2010 No Comments

In previous posts we’ve reviewed how and why it is important to consider adding mobile commerce to your business plan. We have also touched on Mowbi, the groundbreaking platform that is an all around business tool for MCommerce.  The Mowbi beta launch is near, which is exciting on many levels. Here is a brief outline of the FREE mobile website that our Mowbi Members will enjoy.

Basic Company Information and Logo- This is includes your business address and contact information. It is crucial to have your company logo and contact information prominently displayed across all lines in the marketing channel. It is even more important on a mobile commerce website, as the mobile audience is often on the move, and looking for goods or services while they are en route. The ability to reach the new mobile consumer is going to be increasingly important. The FREE Mowbi Mobile Site allows you to have your company’s most important information, readily available to your mobile customers.

Click to Call- This valuable feature allows mobile consumers to click an icon or link that generates a phone call to your designated line. For instance, a pizza parlor could have a pizza icon with a click to call CTA (call to action). The customer simply clicks on the pizza, and the phone rings at the pizza parlor. Again, this incredibly valuable feature is included in your FREE Mowbi mobile site.

Click to E-mail-This is the same great concept as click to call, except this function allows consumers to click on an icon or link to send you an e-mail. This function is FREE with your Mowbi Website.

Google Map Directions to Your Business-The importance of this function on a mobile website is immense. It is absolutely imperative that you have clear, easy to follow directions to your location- especially if you are a locally based business. It all goes back to the basic rule of thumb for the mobile consumer- assume they are on the go. Mobile users need to know how to find you- FAST. They don’t have the time to browse around the web and look for themselves like traditional Internet users do. This crucial feature is yours FREE with your Mowbi One Page Website.

Social Media Links-Links to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites are part of your FREE Mowbi Website. Mobile Commerce is all about interacting with your customer, rather than speaking at them. Mobile Social Media allows you to be in constant contact with your customers. Do you have a special sale going on? An event or promotion? Mobile Social Media allows you to promote your business and interact with your customers with up to the minute information. This is your opportunity to build valuable relationships that lead to a solid, loyal customer base.

All of these valuable features are yours, absolutely free with your FREE Mowbi Mobile Website. Just one of these services could cost you thousands. Mowbi members will get them all for free. Give us a call today to find out how Mowbi can help launch your mobile commerce initiatives. The above features are just a small sample of what the full Mowbi platform can do for your business. Call now. 800-985-9277 OR E-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce, Mowbi Tags:
« Older Entries
Get Cheap Cell Phones and Wireless Deals. | Thanks to Best Savings Accounts, CD Rates and UK Loan