Go mobile! This is the warning cry of business gurus in the technology age. Making your business mobile friendly is great advice since more than half of American adults own smartphones, according to Pew Research Internet Project. But, like eating well and getting exercise, the advice is easier said than done. Deciding where to start and what aspects of the business to convert to mobile platforms can be daunting and can change your overall business structure. Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program and consult your business plan before implementing mobile technology.
Mobile Website
The easiest and least invasive strategy is to optimize your existing website for mobile viewing. A beautifully designed website with high quality graphics and elaborate video may not translate well onto the smaller screen of a smartphone or tablet. With a third of people exclusively using mobile technology to go online, according to Scientific.net having a website that is not readily viewable can dilute your online presence. Depending on the hosting platform you are using, optimizing your site for mobile application can be as easy as adding a plugin. Some HTML platforms may require you use a Web designer to appropriately format large data components like video.
Mobile Marketing
If you are one of those people who does not like using Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, get over it. Social media marketing is word of mouth multiplied by a million. Social media marketing is one of the best ways to expand your brand reach. If you have not done so, create a Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest page, then post often. There are many good articles online that discuss the best use of social media, but the important part is to have and use the pages.
Mobile Productivity
Devices like the Samsung Galaxy or the iPad Air let an entrepreneur do business wherever he is. Your small business environment can be turned on its ear by using mobile productivity applications. Where you once sat in an office to do your work, you can get the same amount done while visiting new prospective customers. Google’s app store has hundreds of applications to increase mobile productivity. These applications range from buying postage stamps, to whole accounting suites. If you are trying to translate an existing brick and mortar business into something more productive, start small with apps that allow you to access your business’ financial information.
Mobile Store
If you want to make the big shift to mobile, place your whole product list online and create an e-commerce shopping cart. This is simpler than you may think. As long as you have a current inventory list, you can place this list online and integrate the point of sales system with the e-store. This will allow the virtual store to always be current without a lot of effort on your part. There are several great shopping cart managers that have monthly packages as low as $15 per month.