If you’re in business, you know that mobile technology is exploding. Almost every industry is challenged with understanding the best ways to embrace the technology and use it to their advantage.

Mobile is changing the way we live and the way we run our businesses. But mobile technology is much more than the latest ‘app’ downloaded to your mobile device; mobile is actually many technologies that are impacting everyday life and every vertical doing business in a variety of ways. Mobile is here to stay.

Last month I asked the question “What do you need to “go mobile”? one of my readers said it best… “TIME”!
So, what can people do to get prepared for this new way of life? EMBRACE it!

Let me ask you, how long does it take you to notice when you have lost your cell phone? Statistics show that it takes an average of 15 minutes for most. That is less time that it takes for people to realize they lost their wallets. Smart phones have become an extension of individuals. It is their personality, their photos, their entertainment and their lives in one portable device.

As a business owner, you recognize that building relationships is the cornerstone to success. This concept is still absolutely true and will remain. Realize that mobile media is a powerful tool to build relationships. Listen to your customers. Use mobile as a resource to build connections with your audience. Respect your viewers, their information and their devices. Provide them with the resources they are asking for and learn from them.

As a business owner, use mobile to create another communication channel to customers. Once you unlock the “humanism” in mobile you will unlock a wonderful world of ways to listen to your clients and build long lasting relationships.

If you have been reading the latest news in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or Tech Crunch you know that the mobile world is here.  It’s everywhere!  The mobile space is SO big that to the average user it can seem overwhelming.

I’m going to give you a few “must haves”.  At some point most people have followed a plan to build something.  Whether it is your favorite recipe for dinner, or a building plan for a home improvement, you start with basic actions to build the “masterpiece”!  Think of the mobile industry as the masterpiece, you must start with basic steps to build upon until you have the twenty-layer cake or mansion of your dreams!

Step One: You MUST build an Optimized Mobile Site.

A site that is not optimized is often hard to read and is not organized in a manner that users can view “on the go”.

If your site is not optimized for mobile, your users can’t find you easily. A mobile optimized site allows customers to dial your business phone number and find you with one click from their mobile device without the stress of navigation.

Step Two: You WANT to build relationship with your clients through mobile.

You want to start building relationships with your clients by giving them something of value. Perhaps consider launching coupons to your mobile customers or sending out free information to those that access your mobile site.  Remember, you will want to ask your customers if they want to receive your promotions and adhere to privacy laws.  No one likes to be spammed!

Step Three: You CAN promote your business as a mobile contender.

Tell people that you are mobile!  Use your social media and traditional marketing to show your customers the “new you”!

Step Four: You WILL be able to see your mobile success and measure your growth.

You will want to see how you are doing in the mobile space through analytics and reports.

The best way to measure your success is to track it.  Make sure that you sign up your mobile site with analytical tools and compare how well your site is doing!

Marketers need to think about the variety of opportunities for mobile marketing: i.e., Location-Based services (like Foursquare), digital coupons, wireless advertising.

In order to conquer the mobile market you need two basic things:

1. a mobile enabled website that not only renders on a smart phone but can be navigated effectively and used for ecommerce
2. a marketing plan to include mobile marketing techniques and an execution strategy to communicate to your customers.

There are a few key things that a business must keep in mind when starting a mobile campaign:

First, a small business marketer must have a basic understanding of mobile and how their specific customers use it. They must educate themselves on their customer base and and how those customers interact with mobile devices. Businesses should be careful in deciding whether or not to create an app. This can be expensive and often not as effective as creating enhanced functions of their mobile site. Customers want mobile offers, they want them quickly and they want to use them while they are running errands.

Companies must also formulate a unique offering for their audience, then appropriately plan and brand their offer to allow their customers to easily access it. It is important that they brand their marketing consistently with their existing company brand. (i.e., No Angry Bird app if they sell car parts). Finally, companies can execute their strategy inexpensively by using well-planned text or mobile campaigns and integrate them with their social media. Many services are free or only pennies with a high return.

Do you want to take advantage of this new and exciting mobile market? Are you a little intimidated by the Mobile Web?Embrace my SPIN SERIES and change your life!

Did You Know That Mobile is Going To Be Bigger Than Radio, TV, and the Personal Computer-Combined?

Do you want to build a strong relationship with your customers?

With mobile marketing you can reach out and have more customer touch points to increase your business and profits.

I have dedicated my life to researching and creating simple tools for businesses to easily and cost effectively “Spin your mobile Web!”.