Posts Tagged ‘Mobile Commerce’

5 Key Mobile SEO Tips

May 20th, 2010 No Comments

An important aspect of your Mobile Commerce site is that it must be optimized for the mobile web.

Here are a few key tips for Mobile Website SEO

1. When creating your title tags and meta descriptions, make sure to add the word “mobile” to your copy. This will ensure that Google bots read your mobile website as pages created specifically for the mobile web.

2. Submit your Mobile Commerce Website to every directory, just as you would do for a traditional e-commerce website. Be sure to include your local directories as well- especially if your business is based locally.

3. Create a Mobile Sitemap. Google developed specific bots to crawl mobile websites. To make sure your mobile commerce site doesn’t get mistaken for your PC website, it is extremely important to create a mobile sitemap. Google will display mobile pages that it decides are the most relevant to any particular mobile search. This makes it crucial for most businesses to have a mobile sitemap (along with a fully optimized mobile site) with their Mobile commerce site. Failure to do this can result in your mobile site not appearing in organic searches- making it impossible for your customers to find you.

4. Submit your site to all major mobile search engines. This is a must if you want your mobile website to be crawled at all. Here is a list of mobile search engines you should definitely consider:

Google XHTML http://www.google.com/xhtml

Google Mobile http://www.google.com/mobile/

Yahoo Mobile http://mobile.yahoo.com/search

MSN/Bing http://home.mobile.live.com/Home.mvc

AOL Mobile http://mobile.aolsearch.com

ABPHONE http://www.abphone.com

5. Speed is important. Google has announced that site speed will now be taken into consideration for Google ranking. For now, it is safe to assume that mobile users are on a slow connection, so be sure to follow the appropriate guidelines for creating your mobile site, to ensure you are up to speed (no pun intended). Another way to be sure you are getting a fast mobile commerce site is to leave it to professionals who are well versed in mobile internet. Give us a call for a FREE DEMO and let us help you create an effective, optimized mobile site. Call 800-985-9277 or e-mail bill@mowbi.com or Jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , , ,

Mobile Commerce- Mobile Website Design Tips

May 18th, 2010 No Comments

As we’ve covered in past posts, Mobile Commerce is poised to explode in popularity. Whether your company is large or small, anyone who owns and/or operates a business needs to get a mobile website ready right away. Here are a few tips on setting up a successful Mobile Commerce website:

Do NOT include content deeper than three links- The mobile audience is on the go and does not have the time (or attention span) to browse in the same manner that desktop users do. Keep content fresh, relevant, to the point, and interesting.

Unless your primary target is in developing countries (where basic model cell phones still have popularity), use XHTML for your mark-up language.

Develop a mobile sitemap that makes it clear to Google that this is your Mobile Commerce website- not your E-Commerce site.

Don’t Forget the Phone- There are many mobile phone options available to consumers. When thinking about design for your mobile commerce site, don’t forget to consider the different screen sizes, resolutions, and overall phone shapes that your mobile site will appear on. There are high end, and low end phones- wide screens, small screens, and phones that are middle of the road. Designing for specific mobile devices can seem daunting, however, the simple marketing principle of knowing your target will help you out greatly. Who your audience is should tell you what kinds of mobile devices they are likely to carry, which will then dictate the specs for your mobile commerce site. Be sure to share this information with your mobile website developers.

Do NOT use Pop-Ups- they are likely to confuse your audience and cause their service to slow down.

Limit Scrolling- Keep the page scrolling to one-direction-only. Again, the mobile audience is time pressed, and impatient. Don’t make them scroll up-down-side-side.

Check out Amazon’s take on a mobile commerce website. Their mobile site has many features that you can and should consider when thinking about design for your own mobile commerce site.

Give us a call to discuss your company’s future in Mobile Commerce. We can help you design and develop a fully optimized, functioning mobile commerce site. Call us today and ask about how to get your FREE DEMO. Call 800-985-9277 or e-mail bill@mowbi.com or jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Application Development, Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Top 5 Text Marketing Tips

May 8th, 2010 No Comments

One of the many excellent options available via Mobile Marketing is Text Marketing, or SMS (short message service). According to the New York Times, 97% of all SMS messages sent to consumers were opened in 2009. 83% of these messages were opened within an hour of being received. Right now is a great time to begin a Text Marketing campaign because the mobile channel is virtually clutter-free and hasn’t be over-run with spammers. Here are the Top 5 tips for running a successful Text Marketing campaign:

1. Choose the right service provider- While Text Marketing is still getting it’s legs, there are industry standards that must be followed. For instance, automated dialers (that hack into national SMS structure and blast messages to thousands of consumers) are to be avoided. Hiring a service that employs this kind of tactic for your business can result in stiff penalties, and could cause you to be blacklisted in the mobile sphere. Text Marketing can be a powerful marketing tool. Put your best foot forward by hiring a reputable company to get your campaign off the ground. Give App Publishing a call at 800-985-9277 or e-mail  jordan@mowbi.com to discuss how we can help you launch a successful mobile marketing campaign.

2. Use Traditional Marketing- You can supplement your Text Marketing campaign using traditional channels such as print, or outdoor signage. Macy’s and drugstore giant CVS both have used print and display ads to drive mobile traffic. When using traditional media to drive texts, be sure to make the call to action extremely clear, with the text displayed prominently. The text number itself should be short, memorable, and one of your mobile keywords.

3. Build Relationships- Don’t use Text Marketing as a one-shot blast and disappear. You’ll miss out on the true opportunities that text marketing presents and you won’t grow your opt in list. Instead, use Text Marketing to build relationships with your customers. Send them valuable coupons, and notices. Armani , a large national retailer was able to effectively intergrate text marketing into their brand identity. Their SMS text information is displayed right next to their name and logo. They send valuable coupons to their opt in list, and they recently had an exclusive sale for their text message customers only. They are using text marketing to build a culture around their brand. This is the kind of relationship building you should be thinking of, when planning your Text Marketing campaign.

4. Always Remain Professional- With  new technology like text marketing and mobile commerce, it can be tempting to tailor messages to a youthful audience. Even if your company’s demo skews younger, do not make the mistake of using slang or teenage texting ”shorthand” (words like, gr8 , 4u, lol, etc). Business’s such as Adidas have found that consumers are wary of text messages that use this kind of language. Your text marketing campaign can be playful and fun (if that messaging works with your audience), but it should always present your company in a professional, legitimate light.

5. Make it Enticing- If you’re using traditional media to drive mobile traffic, or if you’re sending SMS messages out asking for clicks or click-to-calls, it is extremely important to give your audience a compelling reason to take action. The first thing your customer will think when they receive your WXYZ marketing text is WIIFM- What’s In it For Me? The best incentive for most consumers is a free offer. This is often the dance of a successful text marketing campaign- you give the consumer something for free and in exchange, they agree to receive text marketing messages from you (ie, they opt-in). Do not under estimate the power of a free offer. Yes,  joining the opt in list to your favorite local pizza place for sales updates is nice and maybe you’ll get around to doing it next time they text. But if that same pizza place is going to give you  free breadsticks if you opt in NOW and this offer expires at 3pm today- you’re likely to get around to that opt in list a lot more quickly. Just like with any traditional call to action, text marketing messages must have a strong offer. And what do consumers like better than free?

Call us at 800-985-9277 to give your Text Marketing initiatives a strong start. We’d love to discuss your mobile marketing ideas live. Ask how to get your Free Demo- We’ll show you exactly how mobile marketing can increase your company’s bottom line- The demo is absolutely free, so there’s nothing to lose. Call 1-800-985-9277 or e-mail bill@mowbi.com or jordan@mowbi.com.

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , , , ,

MCommerce-Mobile Marketing Lesson from Macy’s

May 5th, 2010 No Comments

As MCommerce becomes more mainstream, major businesses are taking notice-and taking part in the marketing opportunities. There was an interesting case study involving retail giant Macy’s that offers valuable lessons in Mobile Marketing. Here is are the highlights of the study and points you may want to take note of-

Background

Macy’s added mobile marketing to their marketing mix with hopes of increasing web traffic, retail traffic, mobile subscriptions (all in effort to increase sales) and to promote the overall Macy’s brand.

Promotion

Promotion using traditional media to drive consumers to text in order to win a shopping spree with a popular cable network celebrity.

Outcome

The creative was ineffective in driving texts, because the text instructions were in very small print in the call to action, and the vanity text (MACYS) was not a powerful keyword.

Rebound

Macy’s was able to make a strong comeback with their future mobile attempts, including clear ctas in traditional media, opt in lists, keywords and vanity texts incorporated into traditional media calls to action, and providing incentive for contacting Macy’s via mobile device (such as coupons, sweepstakes, etc).

Take-Aways

MCommerce & Mobile Marketing can be extremely effective as a part of your traditional marketing mix. It is important to keep the rules of Mcommerce in mind when using traditional media to drive traffic to your mobile campaign. Some ways that Macy was able to effectively blend traditional and mobile media (which you can think about and incorporate into your business plan) are:

Strong call to action- Be sure the requested action (texting via mobile device) is clear, and easy to understand when being expressed in traditional media. For example, a print ad or bill board should NOT have Text instructions in fine print at the bottom of the copy. This information is possibly the most crucial aspect of your message- you may want to put the CTA in a colorful star burst where consumer’s eyes are likely to be drawn in an ad.

Text Info Matters- Not only is calling attention to the text info important, but making it as easy as possible for the consumer to recall that number is equally imperative.  A great way to do this is by using a memorable vanity text. You can get even more bang for your buck if that vanity text also happens to be one of your keywords.

Make it Worth It- When you’re using traditional media to drive mobile traffic, you need to give the consumer  extra incentive- a reward for going out of their way to remember your text number, and then actually type it into their phone. Special discounts, coupons, and special sales events are effective in driving consumer interest. Contests and sweepstakes also offer excellent incentive for a mobile visit.

If you’re thinking about intergrating mobile incentives into your marketing mix, give us a call to discuss your options. 800-985-9277 or e-mail bill@mowbi.com or jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Advertising Tips for Mobile Commerce

May 4th, 2010 No Comments

Our past posts have discussed mobile commerce and mobile marketing as a whole, from pricing, placement, and promotion standpoints. Here are a few great tips for strictly for advertising on a mobile scale.

Have a strong call to action- It is important to have a strong CTA no matter what media channel, but it is absolutely crucial to have a strong, clear, easy to follow call to action as a part of any mobile advertising campaign. Direct listeners to call, click, or stop by “today”. Put a limited time aspect in the mix, such as, “offer ends Friday” or “limited to the first 50 visitors”. Make the action needed to complete the sale as easy and as clear as possible- and also make sure you express why it is important to act right now.

Micro Target- One of the great aspects of mobile marketing is the ability to heavily target your audience to deliver a powerful message that is streamlined to a particular demographic. When creating mobile advertisements, be sure to take advantage of the ability to reach very specific demographics. You can create an ad targeting middle aged women in New York City who are two blocks from Macy’s at noon. You can create a mobile message for college aged men in Texas who are in downtown Dallas at 8pm on any given Friday night. You have the ability to speak to very specific target audiences- make sure your copy and design does this effectively.

Keep Copy Concise-Smart phone screens are much smaller than a stationary PC, Print Ad or Billboard, so it goes without saying- you’re working with limited space. Also, consumers who are receiving messages via mobile device, are likely to be on-the-go, meaning they do not have time to read through a lengthy SMS or mobile e-mail blast. It is important to keep your advertising copy short, pithy, and to the point (in most cases, the “point” will be the offer and the CTA).

Be Creative- Just because you’re working on a smaller screen, doesn’t mean that consumers will expect anything less in the creativity department. Mobile commerce websites have the capability to be full color, interactive, rich, and interactive. Take advantage of everything a mobile commerce site or advertisement can be with help from a pro if needed. While the potential to make an impression is still great, as more companies come on board, mobile clutter will be just as hard to break through as it is with any other medium. Have a great idea for a mobile app or mobile commerce site?   Call us at 800-985-9277 to discuss your ideas or e-mail bill@mowbi.com or jordan@mowbi.com

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

The Top Feature Consumers Want from M-Commerce

April 30th, 2010 No Comments

As you embark on entering into the Mobile Commerce sphere, it is important to understand the expectations consumers have regarding mobile commerce, and overall experience on your mobile website. Every company has a unique customer base, with unique needs, wants, and desires. To discuss questions and  ideas for setting up a successful mobile presence for your business, give us a call at 1-800-985-9277. Or e-mail bill@mowbi.com or jordan@mowbi.com

In the meantime, read on for today’s idea to get you thinking about consumers in the mobile commerce market.

What’s the Top feature Consumers want from Mobile Commerce?

SPEED.

According to Forrester Consulting, fast internet speed (i.e. a webpage that loads instantly) is crucial to any e-commerce business. In fact, their data shows that it takes consumers two seconds or less to become frustrated to the point of losing interest in your website and visiting a competitor when your website hesitates to “load up”. 

This means that two seconds or less is what you’re working with to capture the attention of your target audience via internet or mobile device. 

This past holiday season, the average time it took most mobile websites to load was 3.7 seconds- almost 2 seconds past the point of interest for consumers.

Looking at these numbers, it almost goes without saying that having a fully optimized, fast loading mobile commerce website is absolutely make-or-break in your mobile commerce efforts. DO NOT simply make your current e-commerce website available via mobile device. The website will not load in anywhere near a reasonable time, wasting any money and efforts put forth for your mobile marketing campaign.

It is best to have a professional create a fully optimized mobile website for you. Give us a call and ask about how we can develop a mobile commerce website from your existing e-commerce site. 800-985-9277.

If you still aren’t convinced about the importance of speed and mobile commerce, chew on this last quick stat: Last year, Forrester Consulting found that of the 14% of consumers who owned mobile devices but had not used them to make a purchase, almost 50%  reported they would have in fact made purchases if the speed of each mobile site had been faster.

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , ,

Top 6 Profitable Marketing Tips for MCommerce

April 28th, 2010 No Comments

“Mobile Commerce will grow to over $300 Billion by 2013,” Forbes Magazine

“The value of mobile commerce transacted in 2009 will total $1.6 Billion,” ABI Reasearch

“There are 270 million cell phone users in the U.S, and 82% of them never leave home without their devices,” Synovate

“Mobile commerce is likely to follow the history of exponential growth previously experienced by the e-commerce surge,” Adam Boysen, Acquity Group

We are on the ledge of a mobile revolution and we’re going over that ledge any day- companies that fail to act now, will be left out later.  Think of the explosion of e-commerce. Many doubted e-commerce based sites such as Amazon and eBay, yet today one must have an internet presence to be profitable in business.

We’ve gathered the top six marketing functions that can, and should be conducted on a mobile scale. If you’re unfamiliar with MCommerce, or unsure about Mobile Marketing, take the time now to get up to speed and get involved. You can take it from us, take it from Forbes, or take it from your own good business sense.

Here are the Top 6 Profitable Marketing Tips for MCommerce

Send Mobile Coupons- According to Mobile Marketer.com, mobile coupons pull a 5-15% conversion rate, compared to less than 1% conversion that traditional print coupons currently generate. Pizza giants like Papa Johns, who claim to have generated $1 Million in web orders this past December alone- through mobile marketing efforts are reaping the rewards of  mobile coupons. Print coupons may be on the outs, but mobile coupons are just heating up (no pun intended).

Remember the Basics- Just like any of your marketing efforts, Mobile Marketing should be targeted and valuable. Ask yourself these questions: Why are we using mobile marketing? How can mobile marketing improve our business? Exactly how can we use mobile marketing as a valuable aspect of our marketing mix? How will we measure success?

Have a Mobile (or at least mobile friendly) Website- With more consumers having access to the internet from their mobile devices, it is crucial that your website is available on the mobile web. This can be accomplished by creating a mobile website or having a professional make your current website mobile friendly. Your mobile website should have full capabilty to process sales transactions.  Check out our Mobile Store Maker for affordable, comprehensive options for creating a mobile site for your business.

Create a Lasting Dialogue- Remember that mobile marketing should be a long term piece of your marketing mix in order to be profitable. Don’t get stuck in a marketing rut- picking up mobile marketing once in a while when you feel it may help certain campaigns. Your new mobile customers need and expect ongoing communication from you. Before you start any mobile campaign, consider it from every angle. What’s going to happen before, during, and after the campaign? How can you stay engaged with your customers in a manner that converts them to loyal repeat buyers? Not by simply sending SMS messages out each time you have a sale. Think about how to weave individual campaigns together to create an ongoing dialogue with your customers.

Don’t forget location- Make sure that you’re easy to find using a mobile device- in fact, make sure that your mobile site includes location based services. For example, a parking garage could send alerts to subscribers in their area on Friday evening with a special cheap hourly rate for anyone who parks in their lot between 9-midnight. One of the biggest perks of mobile marketing is that you can reach customers where ever, and whenever. Don’t miss the opportunity to be there at the exact moment your potential customer needs you.

Get your Customers to Double Opt In- Similar to ecommerce, it is not only good business practice to have a list that is fully opt-in, but it is also profitable because you are creating a solid list of loyal customers, who are willing to receive advertisements/promotional content as long as they are given special deals or discounts. Keep an ongoing relationship with a solid list, and you’ll notice that list growing. Being innovative enough to jump into mcommerce now presents a wonderful opportunity to build a long lasting, reputable presence in the mobile web world. Failure to follow what’s considered good ecommerce practices at the jump with mcommerce would be shooting yourself in the foot- as you’re likely to get blacklisted quickly. Mcommerce and mobile marketing are exciting new opportunities for businesses everywhere- just remember to play by the rules.

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , , ,

Top 5 Reasons your Business Should Go Mobile – Right Now

April 22nd, 2010 No Comments

In past posts, we’ve shown examples of how businesses can use mobile apps as a marketing and commerce tool.  If you’re a business owner, or are involved with marketing efforts for any business, here are 5 great reasons why you should be getting in on the mcommerce action right now.

1. On any given day of the week, roughly 57.8 MILLION Americans are online via mobile devices. That number is growing, and is definitely not a stat to sneeze at. If over half a billion consumers are logging on via mobile device- your business can’t afford not to have a presence there. Why wouldn’t you want your goods and services available to millions of qualified consumers?

2. With new mobile applications that allow you to create and maintain a fully functioning ecommerce site on a mobile scale, for a relatively small fee,  you can have an additional outlet for generating and completing sales transactions.

3. With a mobile application like Mowbi, you can stay in touch with your customers 24/7 with fresh, relevant content that can generate thousands in sales. Remember the past example of the pizza joint sending Twitter updates of late-night specials to Smart phone customers on Saturday nights? Mobile social media allows you to be proactive with your customers- reaching out to them at the times when they are most likely to buy.

4. Experts predict that Mcommerce is poised for an explosive surge like Ecommerce was years ago. We all know that having an internet presence is crucial for businesses in the 21st century. Failure to establish yourself in the Mobile Commerce  realm is likely to be a huge misstep. As more companies establish mobile identities, and more consumers turn to mobile devices for internet use; those businesses who ignore mobile marketing could be left out in the cold. Don’t wait for lost website hits and internet sales- look to mobile marketing now, and be thankful you did later.

5. It’s easy. With the cool new mobile apps appearing daily, it is easier than ever to set up a Mobile Store. In fact, our Mobile Store Maker coupled with the Mobile Invoicer allows you to set up shop in less time than it takes to read the Sunday Newspaper. Mobile Invoicer literally turns a Smart phone into a Credit Card Processor in seconds. There are even new mobile applications that can convert an existing brochure site into a commerce site. Our mobile application Mobile Store Maker allows you to build a mobile store from your existing website and/or turn your brochure/info only website into a full fledged commerce site.

These are just 5 of the many, many excellent reasons it is worth it to get involved with MCommerce right now.

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags: , ,

Jordan Denning is the new President of App Publishing

April 16th, 2010 No Comments

Jordan Denning is the new President of App Publishing, LLC, a Maine based software development company that has developed mobile-commerce and mobile-marketing applications unlike any currently available in the marketplace. Creators of the revolutionary Mowbi mobile site maker, App Publishing exists to help companies make the inevitable and necessary transition from E-commerce to M-Commerce.

Jordan is an attorney and entrepreneur with 15 years experience in private and in house legal practice, education, retail, and marketing. He holds a joint JD/Master of Intellectual Property and his legal work focuses on the areas of bankruptcy, corporate law, sports & entertainment, and intellectual property (specifically, trademark, copyright, and licensing).

Continue watching this blog to learn more about the new direction that App Publishing will be taking.

Posted in Mobile Commerce Tags:

WHITE LABEL MOBILE APP PLATFORM

February 7th, 2010 2 Comments

phones WHITE LABEL MOBILE APP PLATFORMWHITE LABEL MOBILE COMMERCE APP PLATFORM

Choose the mobile commerce tools you want to offer to your customers

Visit our site to see our brandable mobile apps and more about our white label mobile commerce app platform.

When we white label our mobile commerce platform, it means that we take our name off of it and put your name on it. You sell the apps to your customers and profit from the monthly subscription fees and from two services that can be offered to your members.

Who is this for?

App Publishing’s mobile applications are specifically geared towards merchants. The white label platform was developed for companies that currently support merchants. These companies range from ISP’s to Graphic Design Studios. Any company with merchants as customers can benefit by offering these mobile commerce tools to their customers.

Ultimately, it’s the real value experienced by the merchant that makes this work. App Publishing’s mobile commerce tools enable merchants to profit from the booming mCommerce economy.

This white label mobile commerce platform can give your merchant members the ability to profit from the mobile commerce revolution and your company the ability to profit from their success.

What you get…

Your company will have a web based platform with full featured member and administration controls. Members can join and log in to your company’s mCommerce portal and see your company logo and contact information.

You control the subscription fees and the services offered. The mCommerce platform is totally in your control.

What your customer gets…

Once your customers join and log in to your platform, they have the ability to brand their own app(s) with their company logo and information. They can create an app that is cross platform and able to be viewed on any phone with a decent browser. It’s their app and they have control.

All of these mCommerce apps have one primary goal and that is to help your customers profit.

What about the services mentioned earlier?

Your company can offer, on top of your own current capabilities, the Go Native and DIFM services. Below is a quick outline. The App Publishing staff will help train and educate your staff.

maoi man WHITE LABEL MOBILE APP PLATFORM“GO NATIVE ” is a service that turns a mobile blog, website or store into a native, platform-specific, mobile application.

A native app is one that has been built for a specific mobile OS platform like an iPhone app. Only native apps can be submitted to iTunes or any of the major app stores like Blackberry App World, Android Marketplace, Windows Marketplace and other major app stores.

 DIY WHITE LABEL MOBILE APP PLATFORM“DIFM” is a service that builds the app for the customer based upon their own site’s look and feel. These customers can contact your company for help. The services offered and price points are up to you.

Our staff can build mobile stores that look like the customer’s site in one to two hours. We can show you how.

Go mobile. Your customers are.

The Bottom Line…

Setting up an app platform for your company is affordable and can be done in a short amount of time. An App Publishing staff member will be assigned to make sure that everything is done as you like and the platform launches the way you expect. The white label process is not an automated one and you will be in constant contact with our staff.

App Publishing also offers custom development as well. If you have some additional features you would like to add, no problem.

Call App Publishing today about white labeling a mobile commerce platform for your company – 1-800-985-9277.
” GO NATIVE ” is a service that turns a mobile blog, website or store into a native, platform-specific, mobile application.

A native app is one that has been built for a specific mobile OS platform like an iPhone app. Only native apps can be submitted to iTunes or any of the major app stores like Blackberry App World, Android Marketplace, Windows Marketplace and other major app stores.

Here are the six platforms App Pub works with:

iPhone | Blackberry | Palm | Windows | Android | Nokia

Current opportunities for generating sales revenue and enhancing your brand in major app stores is substantial. iTunes has had over 3 billion apps downloaded! Research in Motion, Microsoft, Google and other major players are focused on building app stores that distribute mobile applications. This opportunity is yours if you want it.

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