As you walk through the halls of any shopping mall, chances are you will have to sidestep several people who are looking down at their cell phone. They may be texting their friends to determine where they’ll meet for lunch, or they may be searching to see which retailer has the best deal on the latest fall fashion.
Based on data from BIA/Kelsey, eMarketer estimates there will be 81.8 billion searches conducted via mobile devices in 2015 – just in the U.S. According to a recent report from Alphabet (parent company of Google), mobile search has surpassed desktop search worldwide.
Another recent study projects this holiday season will be the first time that the majority of online shopping visits in the United States (51%) will occur on mobile devices. To give that percentage some historical perspective, in 2014, Cyber Monday sales alone accounted for nearly $2.7 billion of sales, with 40% of that coming from mobile devices.
Now, think about those people you had to sidestep in the mall. Each one is quite literally a mobile target for your digital marketing campaigns. What do you need to do to ensure you’re capturing your share of those 81 billion mobile searches?
The good news is, if you have been creating and managing digital ads geared toward desktop searches, you are well on your way toward mobile success. You still need to create ad groups and keywords. Those really don’t change between desktop and mobile, so the work you’ve already done can still pay off. As I mentioned in a previous post, the analytics are largely the same as well.
You may, however, need to make other adjustments. For example, ad extensions for mobile may need to change from “click for more information” to “click to call.” Using a mobile device’s ability to place a call can have a huge impact on moving prospects through the funnel and improving your conversion rates.
You also may need to change your bid strategy. Getting the #4 position on a desktop might work, but on a mobile device it won’t be enough. If you can, you may want to change your bid modifiers so you’re showing up in the top three instead.
In addition, you may need to change your web development strategy. Even if your site is optimized for mobile using responsive design, it may not be delivering the desired experience. Again, check the key performance indicators (KPIs) of your analytics to ensure your mobile site is delivering the appropriate experience.
One final word of note: these principles apply to B2B advertisers just as much as B2C. Don’t assume a B2B buyer will be office- or PC-bound. The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement has created a tectonic shift in the workplace, and many B2B searches now begin on a mobile device – even if they are ultimately fulfilled on a desktop. A poor mobile experience means they’ll never get to that desktop.
Hitting a moving target is far more difficult than one that’s standing still. But it’s not impossible. Use what you’ve learned already, make the proper adjustments, and you’ll find yourself leading the pack in our increasingly mobile world.
