TOP 3 MOBILE TRENDS - WebLink International

TOP 3 MOBILE TRENDS
To Improve Your Association’s Marketing Strategy
WELCOME
Associations are no stranger to ever-changing
landscapes, and they have witnessed first-hand
how technology has changed member preferences
over the years. Those organizations who have
embraced it have learned to use technology to
their advantage. Those who thought the Internet
was a fad quickly learned their lesson.
Today, having a website is like having a college
degree. It’s a minimum requirement. To keep up
with the fast-paced business environment, it’s
essential to up your game. You must always be
looking for tools and trends that will make your
association competitive.
This worksheet uncovers ways that you can stay on
top. Understand why these trends are important,
and use the data and tips to improve your
marketing strategy.
TREND 1 « MOBILE OVERTAKES DESKTOP USE
WHY MOBILE-FRIENDLY WEBSITES ARE ESSENTIAL
TOTAL DIGITAL MEDIA TIME SPENT BY PLATFORM
»»Time flies. comScore reported that in a four year period,
time spent on smartphones increased 394 percent, and
time spent using tablets jumped up 1,721 percent while
desktop use only increased by 37 percent. Smartphone and
tablet usage together make up 60 percent of overall digital
media time spent.
»»Mobile mixes with business. According to the IDG Global
Mobile Survey 2014, executives frequently use smartphones
and tablets to research products and services for business
purposes at all hours of the day.
IDG GLOBAL MOBILE SURVEY 2014
»»Google acts on it. Because mobile use has skyrocketed,
and Google is committed to continuously improving user
experience, it has implemented an algorithm that gives
higher search result rankings to mobile-friendly websites.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR MOBILE-READINESS
»»Look for the label. Perform a site:domain.com search in
Google on any mobile phone to see if the results display
Mobile-friendly around your web pages.
Trend 1 « Mobile Overtakes Desktop
TREND 1 « MOBILE OVERTAKES DESKTOP USE
»»Compare device views. If you want to see what your current website looks like on mobile devices compared to the view
on a desktop, use an online tool such as mobiReady. You simply type in your website url, and you will be able to see how
your website appears across various devices along with test results describing your mobile-readiness.
MobiReady is a free
tool that lets you
test your website
performance on
mobile devices.
.
»»Zoom on your desktop. Type your website in a browser on your desktop. Grab the right side of your browser window with
your mouse and drag it to shrink your browser. If your site is responsive, the various page elements will adjust so that the
user can read and navigate your website without pinching and zooming.
DESKTOP SIZE
TABLET SIZE
SMARTPHONE SIZE
Trend 1 « Mobile Overtakes Desktop
TREND 1 « MOBILE OVERTAKES DESKTOP USE
»»See what Google sees. Google provides a tool to help you test your website’s mobile-friendliness. Simply type each
webpage url that you wish to check into the box and click ANALYZE. If the webpage is mobile-friendly, you’ll receive a
message of congratulations. If it does not appear mobile-friendly to Google, you will see reasoning and possible ways to
fix the issues.
STRATEGY TIPS
Make any changes that you can to improve your website’s mobile-friendliness in the short-term. It is usually easier to
adjust your current website than it is to create a completely new, separate mobile website. If your AMS offers a content
management system (CMS) that is responsive, you may be able to get a discount on a bundled software package that
includes a website CMS.
Trend 1 « Mobile Overtakes Desktop
TREND 2 « MOBILE APPS ARE POPULAR
ABOUT MOBILE APPS
»»What are they? Mobile apps are software made to run on mobile devices such as
smartphones or tablets. They are often accessed and downloaded from the Apple App
Store, Google Play Store or Amazon App Store. Mobile apps can be free, or there may
be charges associated with their download or use. Examples of popular free mobile
apps are Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
»»Why are they important? According to Adobe Digital Index, users not only access
mobile apps more frequently than mobile websites, they spend three to four times
longer in an app session. Because users are so engaged with apps, organizations
should investigate whether an app would fit into their marketing strategy.
»»What to consider. Although mobile websites and mobile apps both give your audience a way to experience your content
through mobile devices, apps can provide more convenience for both the user and app owner. For the user, access to a
mobile app is achieved with a single tap as opposed to opening a browser and typing in a url. Additionally, if a user closes
the mobile app, the app can still send notifications such as news updates or coupons to the user while also gathering data
about the user’s preferences and behavior.
Trend 2 « Mobile Apps are Popular
TREND 2 « MOBILE APPS ARE POPULAR
»»Event apps. Because member-based
organizations typically hold a number of
events throughout the year, apps that help
you run smooth events are convenient
for you and your attendees alike. Look
for event apps that will integrate with
your AMS and can manage attendee
information, check-in and on-site
payments.
»»Local apps. According to comScore, 78% of
Instant Commerce,
the industry’s
first credit card
reader equipped
app for iPad, helps
associations manage
events and conduct
onsite business.
local searches from mobile phones result
in a purchase. Local apps that encourage
users to visit member businesses can be
an excellent tool to increase and retain
members.
STRATEGY TIPS
Regularly search Google for new apps that
may help your association be more efficient.
If you want to offer your members an app to
download, note that developing your own
proprietary app can drain your resources
and may not be worth it. However, there
are opportunities to “white-label” apps that
already exist. Simply put, you pay to put your
name and logo on an existing application.
Always check first with your AMS vendor to
see if they have a white-label app that may
meet your needs.
WebLink offers a
white-label app,
Destination Mobile,
that drives local
visitors to frequent
your members’
locations.
Trend 2 « Mobile Apps are Popular
TREND 3 « SOCIAL NETWORKING CONTINUES TO GROW
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
»»It’s a mobile thing. According to Adobe’s Mobile Consumer Survey, accessing social
media is the top activity of mobile users. In fact, 71 percent reported using their
mobile device to check social media. Social networking will continue to be a
mobile trend in the coming years, and its importance should be recognized.
»»You don’t outgrow it. Social media is not just for young people. As demonstrated
in Pew Research Center’s Internet Project Library Survey, every age group has
a significant percentage of internet users who take part in social networking.
Employees of all ages, from the Baby Boomers to Generation Y, are using social
media, so this remains a good communication tool for any organization trying to
reach a wide audience.
»»Everyone is doing it. Social networking is not just for personal use. 84 percent of
business-to-business marketers use social media in some form. Eight out of ten
small to medium-sized businesses use social media to help grow their business, and three in five report gaining customers
from social media.
As of June 2014,
Facebook led the
social networking
sites for the most
monthly active users.
Trend 3 « Social Networking Continues to Grow
TREND 3 « SOCIAL NETWORKING CONTINUES TO GROW
»»Count on it. People most trust their friends’ recommendations on products and services. In fact, according to Neilsen’s
global online survey, 84 percent of respondents reported to trust recommendations from family and friends while 69
percent trust brand advertising.
»»Social is influential. According to Hubspot, social media has a 100 percent higher lead-to-close rate than outbound
marketing. Data collected from Vision Critical shows that approximately half of social media-influenced purchases are
made within one week after sharing, and within three weeks after sharing, more than 80 percent of those purchases are
made.
E-COMMERCE CONVERSION RATE OF SELECTED SOCIAL REFERRERS AS OF MARCH 2014 (IN U.S. DOLLARS)
Social media
should be a piece
of any marketing
strategy. This
graph indicates the
highest performers
with respect
to e-commerce
conversions.
Trend 3 « Social Networking Continues to Grow
TREND 3 « SOCIAL NETWORKING CONTINUES TO GROW
STRATEGY TIPS
No one social media platform is going to reach your entire audience at once. It’s a
best practice to have a blended social networking strategy. For example, you may
want to use Facebook to build awareness, communicate with members, promote
events and make special offers. Twitter is great to engage your members with
sharable hashtags and to get out breaking news. Share industry tips, testimonials
and fun behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube or Vimeo. In addition to managing
your social media networks, you should promote your members’ social media
profiles by adding them to their listings in your online directory.
Consider advertising on
social media. Adweek’s
Social Times offers a
cheat sheet to help keep
all the ad specification
information in one place.
Trend 3 « Social Networking Continues to Grow
BONUS TIP « CHECK YOUR DATA
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Use Google Analytics on a regular basis
to monitor how your website is being
accessed. Do you have a significant
amount of mobile traffic? If so, be certain
your website is mobile friendly. Check
your acquisition reports for patterns
in your referral traffic to measure the
effectiveness of your social media
marketing efforts.
With more traffic
coming from mobile
and tablet users, it
is crucial that this
website is mobile
friendly.
Google Analytics
confirms that social
media is the number
one referral source to
this website during the
specified time period,
signaling successful
social marketing
campaigns.
Bonus Tip « Check Your Data
WEBLINK IS A SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE COMPANY,
providing membership management software to organizations. Based in Indianapolis, WebLink empowers providing membership
management software to organizations. Based in Indianapolis, WebLink empowers hundreds of trade and professional associations, and more
than 650,000 small and medium businesses, to acquire and retain customers. With a 94 percent retention rate, we are recognized for taking
care of our customers.
WebLink’s comprehensive association solution includes membership management software, responsive website design and development,
non-dues revenue programs, and the industry’s only card reader ready app for iPad®. As an added benefit, we regularly offer valuable
business resources such as free demos, webinars, eBooks, expertise and advice via social media channels, and remarkable customer support
from day one.
HIGHLIGHTS
WEBLINK IS AN INTEGRATED
AMS SOLUTION
WEBLINK SPECIALIZES
IN WEBSITES
WEBLINK INNOVATES TO
MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER
»»WebLink features ONE central web-acces-
»»WebLink’s Local Online
»»WebLink Instant Commerce app for iPad®
sible database.
»»Current members, prospects,
non-members and all reps are
in the same system.
»»Integrates financials, events, email, committees, website and reporting.
business directory combined with a WebLink website drives a 67% increase in
organic search traffic.
»»Add value for members while
increasing your non-dues
revenue.
»»Stay fresh and relevant with
makes eCommerce instant and easy.
»»Conduct onsite membership sales
and event registrations.
»»An integrated credit card reader
records and instantly uploads
transactions to WebLink Connect™.
responsive, SEO friendly designs.
MEMBERS
FINANCIAL
SOLUTIONS
WEBSITE
CENTRAL
DB
EMAIL
MARKETING
EVENTS
PROSPECTS
All companies and brands mentioned are registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries. Other than using these services, WebLink International
is not affiliated in any way with these organizations, and WebLink received no compensation for creating this worksheet or mentioning any of the brands herein.