In a recent post from BtoB Magazine, stats show that mobile is fast becoming a priority for Business to Business companies or B2B.
Business to Consumer or B2C organizations have been using mobile for some time now. They’ve been developing apps, implementing SMS campaigns (text messages) and adding QR Codes to posters and product labels.
B2B has lagged behind a bit but it’s becoming clear that this is no longer an option. In the post, Lisa Collins, interactive marketing manager at building products company USG Corp, states “we know people are using numerous mobile devices to access content, so we are using more analytics to determine if we need to make certain content mobile-friendly.”
The article also highlights some very interesting numbers…
- U.S. mobile ad spending will reach $7.3 billion this year, up 77.3% over last year, according to an April forecast by eMarketer.
- By 2017, U.S. mobile ad spending will surpass $27.0 billion, eMarketer projected, comprising almost half of all online ad spending.
- See more at BtoBonline.com
We often receive calls from businesses telling us that they’ve reviewed their site statistics and the mobile audience is definitely there… and growing. If this sounds familiar, don’t panic. Your mobile visitors can still find you and see your standard website.
But, as we stated in our post, Mobile is Now a Mainstream Marketing Channel, mobile is not going away. Ignoring mobile today is like ignoring the web 15 years ago – eventually it will come back to bite you in the…
Your clients will use smartphones to find your services, research your organization or look at your competitors. I’m not saying you should abandon your desktop site and go mobile first. But, mobile first is gaining strength as a design priority and will eventually become the norm.
That said, what’s their experience like? Are they able to easily get the information they need from your site? To date, B2B businesses have assumed that their customers are looking for them while sitting at their desk. This is changing… Think about these scenarios and ask yourself, “is this one of my potential clients?”
- The business traveler – They are doing research on their phone while waiting for a plane or in the hotel lobby. They are using their tablets for email and other communication as well as for gathering information.
- The workaholic – they are constantly working – checking email while watching TV, researching and writing on their tablets while waiting for their daughter’s gymnastics class to wrap up or waking up at 3am with an idea they need to know more about. What do they reach for?
- Quickdraw – they check their phone while in meetings. They answer every question with a Google search. Their boss asks “who does this?” and, while sitting at their desk, they reach for their smartphone to do the search.
Mobile is becoming the preferred go to resource for B2B consumers. In a recent Marketing Land post, it was noted that…
- Smartphone sales are up 63% while PC sales are only up 15%, according to a recent Canalys report.
- Mobile [smartphones] currently contributes to more than 13% of all Web traffic, which is a 117% increase for 2012, according to a study by PR and marketing firm Walker Sands Communications.
Mobile is here. You now have an opportunity to be on the leading edge of its growth. Smartphones and tablets are the new PC. Use innovative mobile marketing practices to reach these users:
- Use responsive design to make your website mobile friendly.
- Use QR Codes and SMS in your outreach, print marketing and at your events.
- Use mobile microsites to promote products, offer more information at a specific moment or engage a passerby.
If you missed your chance the first time around with the web, marketing to smartphones and tablets is your second chance to get in on the ground floor! Go for it!
What are your B2B experiences with mobile. Let me know in the comments section below.
Originally published on Myqrosites. Reposted with permission.