In an age where consumers spend more time on mobile than on any other form of media, mobile marketing strategy is playing an increasingly important role in overall retailers’ plans. This is especially true today given that nearly half of consumer mobile app use increased during the pandemic, according to a recent survey by Broadridge Financial Solutions.
As consumers continue to depend on their mobile devices throughout their shopping journey, retailers are investing heavily in apps like shopping list building platforms to engage with users and include this imperative channel. in their marketing mix.
However, the challenges of mobile marketing can be overwhelming at times, especially when it comes to making the right choice about where and when to spend mobile marketing money to effectively reach customers. Retailers also want to make sure they’re getting the best ROI from their mobile apps, so it’s critical that they deliver experiences that further influence conversion.
That’s why it’s essential to understand the four common mistakes that many retailers make with their mobile marketing strategy, and how to fix them with deliberate and engaging approaches.
The app is the only part of your mobile marketing strategy
Yes, apps are a valuable way to engage shoppers on their mobile device. However, publishing an app is not enough to capture consumer intent and justify the amount of investment required. Consumers expect a seamless omnichannel experience throughout the purchase journey, including the mobile touchpoint. In fact, 84% of consumers expect businesses to make it easy for them to interact across print, digital and other channels.
To reach a wide range of buyers and encourage downloads and engagement, marketers should include promoting the app across all channels, including social media, store signage, receipts, promotions weekly and more. Target does this well by reminding consumers across all channels of the rewarding shopping experience they can get by downloading the app, such as easy access to Target’s Circle deals, weekly ad notifications, and uptime. articles.
You also need to diversify your mobile marketing investment into other industry relevant mobile apps with a larger audience, such as those for shopping lists, productivity, revenue, and lifestyle. By including these apps in your mobile marketing mix in addition to your own mobile platform, you can create a strategy that reaches a large, highly contextual and mobile-savvy audience.
Limit in-store promotions to physical displays
Traditionally, retailers have interacted with in-store shoppers through physical displays, positioning of products on shelves, and visual signage to capture prices. Retailers can go even further by making mobile a go-to benchmark for shoppers, especially since 80% of shoppers are looking at their phones while browsing the aisles.
Imagine Sally is a mom who goes to the store once a week. She uses her favorite mobile grocery list app for all the items she needs for this week’s meals. At the store, she uses the app to check items. While searching for her daughter’s favorite brand of cereal, she receives an alert for an in-store promotional offer to try a new brand of milk to go with her. By having access to critical list building and first party data and understanding what drives Sally’s buying decisions, you can create a data-driven connection right on her mobile device.
Forgetting to promote the private label
Private label products generate profits for retailers, with year-over-year sales growth of 13.7% in 2020 from 12.9% in 2019, according to the recent Coresight Research report.
To ensure that consumers place these items in their shopping cart, you need to include private label promotion as part of your mobile marketing strategy. This could mean implementing an add-to-list promotion that places private label products on buyers’ digital grocery lists. This helps you reach the right buyer at the right time, targeting consumers in the middle and lower parts of the funnel when they interact with a product category. It helps you increase awareness, understand consumer buying intentions, and increase private label sales and the bottom line.
Don’t keep user experience (UX) in mind
Retailers often make the mistake of simply copying and pushing their desktop or web experience to their mobile app. If the site is not optimized for mobile, it hurts the user experience, leading to frustrated customers and abandoned carts.
According to a survey conducted by FullStory, 65% of consumers trust a business less when they encounter a problem with a website or mobile app. Therefore, their experience with promotional content from a retailer can negatively affect how they feel and view their products.
Retailers who fail to create a useful, productive, and purpose-built mobile experience are missing out on a huge opportunity to engage with consumers in meaningful ways. Retailers who prioritize user experience and make the app mobile, easy to navigate, intentional and brand loyal will appeal to consumers.
A strong mobile strategy will beat the competition
Consumer expectations for a smooth omnichannel customer journey mean you need to use mobile channels in a way that drives conversions and sales. Retailers large and small are already committed to making mobile marketing a key priority in their overall mix. By carefully examining your current mobile strategy, you can research the pitfalls that are hurting sales and find new ways to harness the power of mobile to engage with consumers as they shop.
Molly McFarland is the founder and CRO of Suitable for advertising