The Mobile Monster: Are Brides Finding You?

2012 is almost here and I’m going down my to do list of things I fully intended on completing this year. Who doesn’t love the satisfying feel of crossing off those seemingly monster chores that we regularly face as business owners?

We’re down to the wire but I’ve got my fingers crossed that one of my nemeses will finally be put to bed. What is this dreaded deed?

Going mobile!

I know, we’re supposed to be firing on all cylinders in the marketing universe. How the hell could we drop the ball on this one?

Actually it was pretty easy. Close my eyes and shove my fingers in my ears. La la la la…not an issue. I can do denial like the best of them. Maybe this is your excuse as well.

Pull your head out of the sand! I think its time for us to say together, “Mobile is a must, not an option!” Its time to get on the train or be left behind.

The Mobile Love Affair

People are addicted to their mobile devices. When was the last time you met with a bride who didn’t have one?
Consider these facts:

• 65% sleep with their phone according to Pew Research.
• MRIs reveal that the brains of iPhone users actually respond to the sound of their phones like they would when they’re hanging out with their boyfriend or girlfriend, according to this New York Times article.
• 6-10% of people have actually texted while having sex, according to Mashable.com.
• Text messages have over a 95% open rate. How does that compare to emails you send out to prospective customers?

Now that’s some serious mobile love.

How Do You Look On Mobile?

What happens when a future bride tries to pull your site up on a mobile device? Chances are it’s pretty ugly, pretty useless or it doesn’t load at all. Either way you lose.

Not sure what your site looks like on a typical smart phone? Check out your website on this page. This will give you a general idea of how useless your site is without a mobile friendly version. Ouch.

Never fear. There are plenty of services out there that will help you get in the game. Don’t worry about super ninja mobile marketing strategies. First things first…you just have to show up.

No presence, no sale. It’s pretty simple.

You need to do this. Hell, WE need to do this! So let’s make a pact to get on the mobile band wagon and cross that one off our list.

5 Painless Ways to Go Mobile:

1. Apply the KISS principle, keep it simple, stupid!

Most people will make a short visit to your site so you will want to think about what they see. Stick to the basics: contact info, phone, location. Cut to the chase about your product or service. Think of it almost like an elevator pitch.

2. Make it easy to navigate.

Go easy on links and keep your navigation as clutter free as possible. Don’t overdue it with pictures or this will really mess with your page load time. Remember, flash is NOT your friend!

3. If you’re a WordPress user, use plugins and mobile themes to optimize your site.This means you can skip the fun of a redesign and still look good on mobile.

4. Go with a company like Mofuse.com who will build and host a mobile page for you. Be aware, this comes with its own pros and cons.

5. Whatever solution you choose, test it on multiple platforms.

It would really suck to find out your awesome looking mobile site was rocking on your Android phone and crappy on your friend’s iPhone.

So, no more excuses. Get mobile with me in 2012. All the cool kids are doing it!

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