website design Archives | waveSpawn Marketing

August 28, 2014

Should you develop a responsive website or a native mobile application?

Mobile App Developer Many businesses will admit they need a better mobile presence. The question then becomes – how to best offer that mobile experience? Will a responsive website be sufficient or should you consider a native mobile application?

The basic question any business owner needs to ask himself is, “Do I really need a mobile app?” If you’re a dental office who primarily interacts via in-person consultations or over the phone, then no, you probably do not need a mobile app. The same is true for a restaurant owner with one or two locations.

If you have a physical location, your responsive site could leverage GPS and integrate with maps to quickly display directions. It means that phone numbers are click to call. It means that buttons and text entry fields are touch-friendly.

Responsive websites can be a great solution for smaller businesses looking to move into mobile. Responsive websites are generally less expensive and easier to maintain than a mobile app. There are many content management systems (CMS) that enable administrators to upgrade software and make edits to both the desktop website as well as the mobile or responsive site.

Mobile applications are versioned to be optimized for each platform and display size. For example, the display on iOS, Android and Windows devices are not exactly the same. The screen proportions vary as do the display behaviors. Furthermore, smartphones (such as an iPhone) generally have lower resolution screens than tablets (such as an iPad 3). To accommodate for various screen resolutions, developers have app versions that will display the appropriate graphics. On future upgrades, all app versions should be updated and published to keep consistent.

Mobile apps can be a robust solution for payment systems, user logins, customer service tools, customer loyalty programs, parts or inventory look-up, etc. There are many situations in which a responsive website will not replace a native mobile app. If you have questions or would like to discuss a potential project, please feel free to contact us.

October 30, 2012

Mobile commerce and marketing to smartphones

Smartphone shopping app As the number of consumers using smartphones and tablets continue to rise, businesses are incorporating new marketing strategies to reach these potential customers. In fact, a growing number of people no longer use the traditional desktop computer or laptop outside of the workplace.

What does this mean for a small business?
This shift in mobile technology doesn’t mean that consumers are no longer buying online. Quite the contrary – online spending is expected to rise for the fourth straight holiday season. “Online shoppers in the United States will spend $54.47 billion this holiday season, up 16.8% from $46.63 billion last year”, according to a new projection from eMarketer.

This tells us that more and more people are shopping online using their smartphones and tablets. Here are some additional statistics regarding smartphones:

4 out of 5 consumers use smartphones to shop. (Source: comScore, 2012)
74% of U.S. consumers use location based services on their smartphone and 46% of mobile phone users use location based services. (Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2012)
Mobile searches related to restaurants have a conversion rate of 90% with 64% converting within the hour. (Source: xAd and Telemetrics, 2012)
According to a recent Mobile Advertising Survey, 64% of survey respondents who have smartphones have made a mobile purchase after seeing a mobile ad.
3 in 5 Mobile Users Pay Attention to Mobile Ads While Visiting Social Media Sites (Source: Prosper Mobile Insights™, 2012)

Smartphone and tablet users are very active on the Web. This presents a powerful opportunity for businesses to engage with these mobile users through relevant and highly targeted advertisements. So just how are businesses marketing to mobile users? There are a number of tactics which can be customized and integrated into a business’ marketing strategy.

Mobile-friendly website – ensure your website is accessible through a mobile browser
Mobile advertising – include easy contact options in your mobile ads such as direct call buttons
Geo-marketing – reach a highly targeted mobile audience with a custom message
Social Media – integrate the appropriate balance of digital and social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, blogging, Google Local, foursquare, Yelp, Groupon, etc.
QR Codes – drive targeted traffic to unique web pages, specials, coupons, etc.
Mobile applications – create uniquely branded customer loyalty programs, payment facilities, notifications of appointments, services, directions, etc.
Mobile deals and coupons – if appropriate for your business, consider some of the deal sites which can generate a large amount of regional buzz and help your branding efforts.

These are just a handful of mobile marketing opportunities to consider. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each business will need to test and evaluate a number of these mobile initiatives to determine what works best for them. waveSpawn is always happy to discuss marketing strategies and help small businesses communicate better. Please contact us for more information.

July 24, 2012

Internet marketing starts with effective website design

Internet marketing optimization starts from the design of a website. Developing an intuitive and content-rich website takes planning. Focus on organizing your information in a clear and logical manner. The areas of importance should stand out and be readily accessible. Too often home pages are cluttered with non-essential information. This is generally the case when a variety of people voice their opinions or product managers are jockeying for prime real estate to promote their product lines. It’s like the old adage “too many cooks spoil the broth”.

Here are five tips for effective web design and Internet marketing:

Know your customers
You really need to understand your audience and the keywords they are likely to search for. Internet marketing is about better positioning your content to rank higher than your competitors when keywords are searched. This is often referred to as your organic search results. These are natural keyword searches without paying per click for traffic. For most small businesses this is the preferred method of increasing awareness. It’s a low cost and highly effective strategy to get your products and services in front of potential customers. Successful Internet marketing will drive highly targeted traffic to your website.

Keyword optimization
You could have an award winning website design and still not see the performance you seek. A sleek design that truly represents your brand is important, but generating meaningful traffic should be your top priority. Marketing your website is arguably more important than designing your website. For any business to be successful, they need to be visible. Prospects need to be able to conveniently find the information. This is why optimizing your site or SEO (search engine optimization) with the most relevant keywords is essential. You want people to find you based on phrases and buzz words that accurately represent your business.

Ongoing marketing effort
The most effective websites are those that are updated frequently with timely and relevant information. Ensure that your pages are optimized for search engines, primarily by focusing on keywords and topics your customers are likely to search for. Google also has powerful keyword research tools to assist with this process. Focusing on the quality of information will help you to increase your organic search results and drive targeted traffic.

Integrated social media
As social media feeds and posts are increasingly being indexed and returned in search results, good web design will include your social media and digital marketing initiatives. News, articles, blogs, and social media accounts are excellent methods of keeping current customers informed while reaching new potential customers. Internet marketing efforts can be strengthened with effective use of social media.

Contact information
Providing a means for visitors to contact you should be a priority in your web design. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to scour a website to find a phone number or method to reach someone. It can be frustrating for visitors and a quick way for them to lose interest. Have easy to access contact information and provide a few methods for people to reach you – phone, email, social media, etc.

The KISS principle (or keep is stupid simple) is generally good to keep in mind when designing a website. It can be easy to get carried away and lose focus of your business objectives. Technology like Flash and bells and whistles can supplement your site, but they shouldn’t be included without a purpose. You’ll also need to understand any optimization limitations that accompany plugins and third party software.