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

New Maine App

June 19th, 2010 No Comments

Portland Magazine with AppDevHeads AppThe latest issue of Portland Magazine features an exciting app that helps Maine visitors find restaurants, shops, shows, real estate, and general tourist attractions. This custom app was developed by App Dev Heds, an application development team that builds cross platform mobile apps along with native apps for all major mobile phone operating systems

The Portland Magazine App is going to help tourists find unique, fun things to do while in Maine, and the app is also a great marketing tool for both the magazine and the vendors included in their directory. It’s an excellent example of how mobile marketing can work to engage consumers in a manner that’s beneficial for all.

Be on the lookout for more great applications from App Dev Heds. And if you’re interested in starting an app development project for your company, call 1-800-409-4804 or visit http://www.appdevheds.com/index.php.

Mowbi Creates New Mobile Yard Sale

June 15th, 2010 No Comments

Summer is upon us and yard sale season is in full swing. An interesting aspect of Mowbi is the ability to accept payment via mobile phone, however, the many Mowbi features make it possible to have a successful yard sale in 21st century style.

You can create a Free Mowbi Websiteto create awareness of your yard sale and generate excitement and interest in your merchandise.  The free one page Mowbi mobile site includes contact information, directions to your home, all of you social media links, and more. You can use your  free mobile website to promote your yard sale- like a mobile flier, but better. Directions, e-mail, phone number- all can be included in your one page site. Plus, you can have links to all of your social networking sites. This means you can display pictures of your merchandise, or YouTube clips of the sale items in action. You can use Twitter to let followers know when new items are added to your yard sale, or when an item is sold. All of these services come FREE with your Mowbi one page site.

You can upgrade your Mowbi to a full mobile commerce website and allow users to make purchases before they even get to your yard sale. You can make a mobile store and upload pics and descriptions of all yard sale items, where customers can then purchase the item via mobile phone. Here is a quick example of how this could work: You post a Red Bike for sale, with pictures, a description, and pricing information on your Mowbi web page. You even have links to a YouTube video of you demonstrating how great the bike rides. Then, you Tweet the link to your item to your Twitter network, and also post it on your Facebook Wall with a picture and/or YouTube video. Customers then go to your Mowbi mobile website, view the bike, and one lucky user purchases it- then and there. You take the item off of your Mowbi site and send Tweets and wall posts indicating that the product has been sold. The user who purchased the bike simply shows up and picks up the merchandise. The main take away from this is example is that instead of limiting yourself to cash customers, you can use Mowbi to complete full, secure transactions from your yard or garage. This can double-even triple your potential customer base.

Visit http://www.mowbi.com/ to sign up for our newsletter and learn more about how Mowbi can help make your business more profitable. From a small yard sale, to a Fortune 500 company, Mowbi is the mobile platform that can enhance business for everyone. Call us today at 800-985–9277 or e-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

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

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

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

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

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

Portland, Maine Uses Text Messaging to Squash Violence

May 29th, 2010 No Comments
Text Messaging has new uses

Text Messaging has new uses

The police chief in Portland, Maine has  found a new use for text messaging. The increasing violence in the Old Port district, had local police and  bar owners questioning to keep overly intoxicated individuals off the streets. They found the answer in technology. Bar Tenders will now use a text messaging program to inform other bars of rowdy, or over intoxicated patrons that may be headed their way.

Here is how it works: A patron at Bar X has been drinking for the past 3 hours and he has become loud, abrasive, and belligerent. The bar tender refuses to serve this patron any more alcohol, and the patron is asked to leave the establishment. As this unruly patron heads to Bar Y, the bar tender or security guard sends a text message to other bars that participate in the texting program (all texts are sent to one designated phone number that all participating bars and the police have access to), warning them about the potentially dangerous customer. This same text messaging system sends a message with the patron’s description to police officers who are patrolling the area. There is even an option to capture the patron’s digital pictures, so police and security know exactly who they are looking for.

This program is called “Text a tip and pic” and Portland police and bar owners are optimistic that this text messaging system will significantly improve safety in the Old Port. Read more about this groundbreaking program here: http://www.pressherald.com/news/to-quash-rowdiness-craig-says-bars-can-send-text-warnings_2010-05-28.html

Text Messaging and the use of mobile devices are becoming more mainstream as we become more comfortable with mobile technology. We can expect to see more innovative uses of SMS or Text Messaging like this in the very near future.

What are some unique ways that youcould be using SMS or Texting? The time to start thinking about it-is NOW. Call us to discuss how texting can fit into your business plan. 800-985-9277 or e-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Mobile Money On It’s Way

May 26th, 2010 No Comments

In a recent survey of 250 Smartphone users done by Marconi Pacific, it was found that mobile phone users are eager for mobile money. That is, they are ready and willing to use their mobile devices as second wallets. Here are some interesting stats from the study- note that these statistics reflect opinions of the 185 respondents who also have a data plan.

96% use their mobile device more for data services (ex. e-mail, social media, texting) than for talking.

50% have used mobile banking. Many banks now offer services via mobile web. This has allowed banks to increase interactions with the customers who rely on their services the most.

43% either currently use, or would use the “tap & go” function. This function allows consumers to save their credit card information into their Smartphone, and then pay for goods and services by simply “tapping” or “bumping” their phone. This statistic is important to note because it reflects the growing trust consumers are developing around credit card security and their Smartphones.

50% would strongly support mobile phone based payment taking place of credit card payment.

The above statistics prove that U.S. consumers are ready to shop, communicate, and do business via mobile phone. Is your business ready to accommodate the mobile consumer by allowing payment through mobile device? Give us a call and ask about the tools we can give you to accept payment through Smart phones. Call 800-985-9277 OR E-mail Bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

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