If your site doesn’t meet mobile users’ expectations, they’ll find ones that do, says Steve Haroutunian of Mullen
Editor’s note: “Mobile Matters” is our ongoing series that features advertising industry leaders sounding off on the top issues, challenges and opportunities in the fast-moving world of mobile marketing.
In this week’s edition of “Mobile Matters” we hear from Steve Haroutunian, Vice President, Digital Production, for Mullen, who oversees all staffing, scheduling, daily operations, and the overall quality and quantity of work for the agency’s clients. Steve tackled this question: What do marketers often overlook when creating a mobile campaign?
One thing that’s often overlooked is the user’s experience on the other end of the ad. Marketers will sometimes assume that just because they are physically near potential consumers, or they have a compelling offer, that those consumers will engage. There’s some validity there, but will that consumer return?
Their mobile experience should be as deep and well thought-out as any desktop experience, but not the actual desktop experience. Mobile ads should be accessible on all devices and varying screen sizes, and engage the consumer with simple-to-use navigation. And if they act on a specific message, it should always allow for the ability to easily follow up and convert on it.
Even marketers that do not have current mobile budgets and ad buys need to be aware of the mobile users’ experience. Just because a brand is not trying to reach consumers via mobile doesn’t mean consumers aren’t trying to reach them.
Through social connectivity and/or location-based services, consumers are now much more likely to learn about a new brand, product or service via mobile than any other medium. A lack of a mobile-ready site, or a site that does not meet the consumer’s expectation, will likely make the consumer seek out the competition.
