It should come as no surprise, mobile marketing is here to stay. Through its surging number of users and wide breadth of coverage, it is now a vital part of any company’s marketing strategy. The only question is where to start, with a mobile version of your company website or with the development of a dedicated smartphone application. If you are getting ready to embrace these new methods of customer interaction but are still wondering what the best approach would be, here are a few tips to help you make up your mind.

Should you rely on search for people to find you, provide a place for people to shop, or offer some form of entertainment consider starting with a mobile-optimized website. It is easier and more cost effective to optimize an already existing website for mobile devices as opposed to building a smartphone application from scratch. Also, a website does not need to be approved by a third party (in this case, the application providers like the Apple app store or the Android market). Focusing on SEO and mobile design should increase traffic to your mobile website as well.

When you act as an information source, aid navigation or help people connect with each other a mobile app may be the route you should take. Though they are more expensive to develop, require installation on devices and may need to be approved before being put on the market, smartphone applications also have many advantages. First, they are usually significantly faster than websites. They are available offline and therefore not limited by the presence or quality of an internet connection. Additionally, the interface encourages interaction and you have the possibility of using the phone’s other features such the camera or geo-location services. Applications tend to be more user-friendly and make it easy for users to get what they want. It is also a great way for your company to brand their products and services, allowing your customers to carry your with them everywhere in their smartphones.

Still stumped on which option is best for you? ARTÉMIA Communications can help you determine the best solution for your business and how to obtain the best outcomes for your new mobile strategy. We should know, we’ve had our own mobile site since 1996!

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