In Forrester’s recent report, “Mobile-First is Not Enough,” Forrester gave some sobering statistics: even a decade after the introduction of the iPhone, only 32% of marketers have systematically integrated mobile into their marketing approach, and less than 56% say they use mobile to transform the customer experience.
The problem with those statistics, of course, is that mobile is where your customers are. More than a third of the world’s entire population now owns a smartphone, and the numbers are only poised to increase. That means if you’re not focused on being MobileBest, you’re risking falling behind. In this blog post, we’ll break down the key takeaways from the report — including steps you can take to become MobileBest.
Important Takeaways from Forrester’s New Report: Mobile-First Is Not Enough
Most marketers are still mobile-first.
If you’re still mobile-first, you’re not alone. Forrester reports that only 38% of marketers are using mobile to transform their business, 13% of respondents consider their marketing
organizations to be mobile-savvy, and 43% of marketers don’t measure the ROI of their mobile marketing campaigns. We’ll be the first to admit: thinking MobileBest requires a whole different approach than mobile-first. But it’s a worthwhile shift, and it’s possible with the suggestions below.
Don’t just change the size; change the experience.
Forrester found that many marketers simply reduce the size of an ad to fit mobile screens, and consider that optimizing for mobile. But that’s limiting the potential mobile can have for your brand. Customers interact with their mobile phones differently than they do while browsing on their computers or shopping in stores. As such, you should really think about all the ways you can engage customers with advertisements on mobile — or use it to make their lives better. Airlines have done it with mobile boarding passes; banks allow people to deposit checks via photo. What do you (or could you) do?
Ensure your entire company is designed to be MobileBest.
Once you think of mobile as more than just one of your marketing channels and as the marketing channel, your company is going to have to change at all levels within the organization. Make sure your IT department is staffed to handle the technology requirements, that your marketing team knows the nuances of mobile measurement (hint: it’s more than just new app users), and that your on-the-ground teams are equipped to handle the new experiences that you’re driving mobile customers to.
Think outside the app.
Just having an app is very mobile-first thinking. The reality is that most consumers use just a few apps — and they’re dominated by social media, email, and messaging. If you’re outside that box, you’re going to have to think outside of it, too. Consider other ways you can reach customers, whether through a compelling mobile website, use of GPS or camera, or other unique services. Forrester recommends conducting ethnographic or “ride along” studies to understand how mobile adds value throughout the customer journey.
You’re One Click Away From MobileBest
At TUNE, we coined the term MobileBest and have been talking about it for well over a year. If you want to see how we help enterprise companies move beyond mobile-first to become MobileBest, check out our customer stories or get started with a free trial today.
Author
Becky is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at TUNE. Before TUNE, she handled content strategy and marketing communications at several tech startups in the Bay Area. Becky received her bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University. After a decade in San Francisco and Seattle, she has returned home to Charleston, SC, where you can find her strolling through Hampton Park with her pup and enjoying the simple things between adventures with friends and family.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.