Local Searches from Smartphones Lead to In-Store Purchases

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Local Searches from Smartphones Lead to In-Store Purchases

Mobile marketing is becoming increasingly important for retailers looking to capture sales from smartphone users. Smartphones have become an active part of people’s lives and searching for things online is now second nature. As a business owner you can use this to your advantage by using mobile marketing and local search to capture more in store sales.

Nielson has recently released more information from its research on mobile devices being used in retail shopping. The study found that 42% of participants exclusively used their smartphone to research something prior to making a purchase. Nearly half of participants did not use a PC at all, relying only on their phone. For retailers this makes mobile marketing combined with local SEO extremely important.

Leverage Mobile Marketing

• Responsive Website Design – Your website should have responsive design that can tell whether someone is looking at it from a PC or mobile. If you don’t want to go through a redesign simply make your website mobile friendly by converting it online.

• Local SEO – Make sure that your website is optimized for a local search. If you have a store front in Santa Barbara your site needs to be optimized for your geographic location. You can do this by incorporating keywords onto your website.

• Ads & Local Search – Make sure that your pay per click advertising campaign is optimized for local search. If someone is researching new couches in your area you want an advertisement for your company to pop up. It won’t do you any good to advertise to people across the country if you don’t sell online. Make sure your ad campaign is set up for local search from the beginning.

• Directories – Make sure your business is listed with various directories so that you show up on places like Google Maps. The study found that people doing a local search want to go somewhere that is within five miles of their location. Being listed on Google Maps will let a consumer get turn by turn directions from where they are to your doorstep.

The Neilson study found that over half, 55%, of mobile retail shoppers made a purchase. Further digging found that 30% of smartphone users wanted to make a purchase within the hour. That is fantastic news for local businesses. By optimizing your website for mobile marketing you can advertise to people that immediately want your product or services. Since they are making instant purchases you can capture this business by using local search to your advantage. Have someone run you campaign that understand the effective use of keywords and geographic location in online marketing. This will ensure you are exposed to consumers that are looking to make immediate purchases in your general area. Leverage mobile marketing and grow your business by reaching consumers that are looking for products and ready to buy.