Why You Need to Advertise to Mobile Users
PPC advertising has become the most cost-effective digital marketing platform, but gone are the days when most people do their web surfing, product research, and purchasing primarily on desktop PCs. Beginning in 2014 the trend has been that more users are using their mobile devices to surf the web than their desktop counterparts. This trend has grown steadily and now 63% of all web traffic in the US is on mobile devices (Source Stone Temple).
Add to this the dominance of mobile phones when looking for local businesses, restaurants, services, and shops. As a result, focusing on mobile advertising simply can’t be ignored.
Considerations for Local Businesses
It’s undeniable the importance of appearing in map listings, Yelp reviews, and mobile searches for reaching customers who are already on the road, but did you know that mobile screen real estate is becoming increasingly critical for advertisers? Showing up in the regular organic search results is less important for mobile users while doing a local search as the screen is dominated by ads and map results.
Local businesses without a PPC advertising campaign targeting mobile users may be missing out on over 60% of potential customers.
Considerations for Mobile PPC advertising
Mobile Ready Ad Text
As any experienced copywriter knows you have a very short window to catch the interest of a user and this is even more critical for mobile search. When creating ad text, titles, descriptions, and calls-to-action, be sure to create variants for shorter ad versions. Always proof your ads in the format they will display on a mobile device and with different browsers and devices if possible.
Having ad titles that are engaging, easy to understand, and motivate action is always the goal, but doing so with limited characters takes a little more effort. A good place to start is looking at your analytics and ad campaigns. Make sure you are using the same words your audience is to find you.
Data Mining
Another important aspect of preparing your PPC advertising campaigns for mobile users is observing the paths mobile users take through your site. Do mobile users have a higher bounce rate from landing pages? Maybe there is an issue with the page as displayed on their phone? Use your data to identify bottlenecks and potential opportunities.
Are mobile users more likely to buy? If so consider adding bid adjustments for mobile users as these visits are more valuable to your business.
Showing up in the Map Results
Having a complete Google My Business listing with reviews can help your site appear in the map results, which is critical for mobile search, but did you know your ads can show up there too? In order to have your ads appear in map results, you will need to enable location extensions and link your Google My Business account and Google Ads account. This can be a bit more work if you are managing the PPC campaign for a client, but it is crucial for a business that depends on local search.
Conversion Optimization
Getting a client to click your ad is only half the battle. Your landing pages must be optimized for mobile display and conversion to turn them into a lead. Test your landing pages on mobile devices and make sure your page has the following features:
- Header text on the page matches your client’s search
- Location and contact information is prominently displayed
- Call to action is clear and simple
- Form, phone number, or any other method of conversion is clearly visible above the fold
- Page loads quickly – critical when users are relying on their mobile data plan
A best practice in conversion optimization is to test different elements, calls-to-action, header text, etc. to evaluate their effectiveness. Identify a few elements to test in each experiment and keep a log of what worked and didn’t. This will give you a roadmap for future tests and valuable conclusions you can apply going forward.
Creating Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency is even more important when trying to convert a mobile user. In addition to testing a call-to-action, an offer can help a user decide to become a buyer. You can include specific offers in your ad text and then repeat them on the landing page. This helps the user to decide to convert and reassures them that the offer is the same in the ad and landing page.
Future of Mobile Marketing
Advertising to mobile users will continue to dominate advertising platforms, and their developers are investing in that future
Contextual Search Advertising
Google Ads already tailors its result based on a user’s interests, demographic, and location, but with contextual search, this is getting more sophisticated. Using machine-learning technology search and map results are being served up based on other recent searches, user intent and other factors to serve up the most relevant result.
Location-Based Advertising and Push Messaging
Text messages and special offers based on your proximity, time of day. and recent shopping habits are becoming more common and sophisticated. An important consideration with these is how intrusive your potential customers will find these methods and whether they can help boost business or spark a backlash.