If Your Business Isn't On a Mobile Phone, It's Basically Irrelevant In This Day and Age... Here's Why

So you step on the train, perhaps you find yourself a seat. You sit down. Without even thinking about it, you’ll have your head down and be straight into your phone. Scrolling on Facebook, perhaps. Picking a song to play into your headphones while you travel. Perhaps you’re online shopping for that pair of shoes you meant to buy yesterday but didn’t have time to go into the store for. Chances are, if you stopped staring at your own screen for a moment and looked up, almost every other person around you would be doing the same thing. Looking at a mobile phone or electronic device, that is. Not shopping for that pair of shoes.

The point is, we now live in a world where technology is constantly at our fingertips. As you’d imagine, this has huge implications for businesses. Well, not so much implications as it does, things to think about, take on board, and respond to. The fact is, if your business isn’t on a mobile phone, it’s basically irrelevant in this day and age. And here’s why.

1. Almost everyone is using mobile-first

Just like in the train ride analogy, almost everyone’s first go-to distraction is their mobile phone. Sure, you might get the odd passenger who whips out a book or a magazine, but the reality is, we live in a mobile-first world. In fact, Stone Temple recorded that from 2016 to 2017, mobile visits to websites in the US grew from 57% to 63% and are continuing to rise.

So by those metrics, without mobile, you aren’t going to be reaching the people that you need to reach. It goes without saying that without reaching people, you can’t build a successful brand, let alone make any profit. So if your business isn’t on a mobile phone, it’s basically irrelevant. No one will of heard of your business, you won’t be able to successfully build brand awareness, you can’t communicate and build a relationship with your target audience, and ultimately, you won’t be generating any sales.

Sounds as though by neglecting mobile-first strategy, you’re signing your businesses death certificate! But wait, there’s more.

2. SMS open rates are much greater than email open rates

Don’t get me wrong, people still use desktop devices. And they use them to open emails and to watch videos and read content and do Google searches. However, they also do those things on mobile. And they do them more often and for longer periods of time.

As reported by Forbes, SMS has an open rate of 98%, which well exceeds email marketing and other channels used in digital marketing.  And according to Smart Insights, mobile users are consuming more time than desktop users, which is great news for businesses that want to keep people engaged.

Kind of obvious when you refer to the first two points, but more people are also accessing their favourite social media channels through mobile more than any other device. And we know that social media is how brands create relationships with their consumers and facilitate two-way communication.

So if you’re not thinking about how people are using social media on mobile phones when you form your strategy, this will have an impact. Think about how people scroll on their mobile, whether a video will autoplay with sound for them or whether they will ignore it without subtitles. Think also about what type of device and operating system they may be using and how their screen will look when they navigate to your website. All of these things are integral when it comes to today’s day and age. Without thinking about these things and taking them into account in your strategy, your business is basically irrelevant.

3. Social media is more mobile

Kind of obvious when you refer to the first two points, but more people are also accessing their favourite social media channels through mobile more than any other device. And we know that social media is how brands create relationships with their consumers and facilitate two-way communication.

So if you’re not thinking about how people are using social media on mobile phones when you form your strategy, this will have an impact. Think about how people scroll on their mobile, whether a video will autoplay with sound for them or whether they will ignore it without subtitles. Think also about what type of device and operating system they may be using and how their screen will look when they navigate to your website. All of these things are integral when it comes to today’s day and age. Without thinking about these things and taking them into account in your strategy, your business is basically irrelevant.

4. Without mobile, you can’t remain competitive

The majority of businesses are now optimising things for mobile over desktop, and especially prioritising digital over other forms of media. This means that your competitors are likely already playing the mobile game, and if you don’t join the party, there’s no way you can hope to remain competitive in your market.

Mobile marketing is essential in gaining a competitive edge. By integrating your business on mobile-ready platforms like social media, jumping on board SMS and MMS marketing, and even investing in the possibility of a mobile app, you can compete against other businesses in your niche.

5. The future is mobile

If you haven’t yet gathered, the future is mobile. It doesn’t look like we will be ditching our beloved handheld devices any time soon. According to Statistica, the number of mobile phone users in 2019 is predicted to reach 4.68 billion. So as long as the trends keep up, you need to get your business on mobile if you hope to survive. I mean, it’s basically irrelevant if you don’t optimise for mobile.