INTRODUCTIONEarlier this May, our team was invited to attend Google Partners’ Event: Ready to Rock Mobile 2015. Along with amazing Google branded cupcakes, we also were presented with insights on the present and future of mobile.

• What are the general trends regarding mobile?
• Why is mobile advertising vital for companies willing to grow their business?
• How can companies improve their customer experience and increase conversions?
• How to provide better reporting and accurate performance analysis?

This article will first present key points presented at the event, followed by Stellar Search’s reaction on their presentation.2015 – THE YEAR OF MOBILE 2015 is the year of mobile for the UK: Mobile search traffic are expected to take over Desktop traffic as it already has in more than 10 countries.Businesses are still reluctant to invest in mobile advertising. Here are the most popular given reasons:

• TV is more important than mobile in the UK
• Only young people access mobile contents
• Mobile phones are just for Fun, Social and Entertainment
• Mobile website are not user-friendly, nor functional
• Measurement of mobile performances is not easy

HERE ARE THE FACTS

• 74% of UK consumers have a smartphone (Expected 90% by 2020)
• On average, people spend 147 minutes per day on their smartphones, and only 113 minutes watching TV
• Mobile devices are with us constantly when PC, TV & Tablets are left at home during the day: advertising opportunities
• 90% of users move across & use multiple devices

It is important to understand how & when mobile devices are used. In the last few years, there has been an important increase in Multi-Screen usage of technology.E.g. Watching TV and searching on smartphone or tablet simultaneously

• 78% of UK internet users watch YouTube videos every month
• 45% of YouTube traffic comes from mobile devices
• 30% of British people check their phones within 5 minutes of waking up.

• 40% of UK Online Sales happen on mobile
• 66% of Commercial tasks are performed on the mobile web
• 40% of UK smartphones users search for products at least once a week on mobiles

• Increase in Cross-Device conversions: Search products on mobile and purchase on desktop

• Decrease in desktop duration & pages viewed per session
• Mobiles are not only for search: Emails, Financial transactions, Social, Advices, Entertainment, Compare Prices, Find Routes…
• Trend in physical stores: - 55% in store foot traffic, however, +100% in amount spent on transaction.

ATTRIBUTIONHaving a mobile presence is vital to any business.

• 65% of online buying decision start on mobiles & end somewhere else.
• 70% of Mobile users have used a click to Call button
• 87% of buyers use smartphones before visiting a store
• Increasing usage of Store Locator, Click to Call, App, Mobile Web

KEY FEATURES OF MOBILE ADVERTISINGBuy now, Find nearest store, CTC (click to call), Add to wish list, Email product, Add to Basket….It is important for clients to understand that mobile users experience is key to conversions. Improvements in Mobile design & User-Friendliness are therefore the most important aspects of mobile campaigns.The available advertising space on mobile being smaller than on a desktop browser, it is key to invest in mobile advertising not to appear bellow ads your competitors.The number of pages viewed before conversion and the amount of research done through desktop is decreasing. Mobile now has this key role in the research process: fulfilling pre-conversion research process.MULTI-DEVICE CONVERSION RATEThe general In-device CvR is often misleading: Multi-Device Conversion Rate is much more accurate. It allows CPA measurement across all devices.Therefore, campaigns & ads have to be optimised to maximum conversion across devices. Their performances can be checked through AdWords cross device conversionANALYTICS FOR MOBILESGoogle Analytics is a key tool to better understand the Nature of traffic & mobile performances. Generally there has been an increase in mobile friendly webpages and a decrease of bounce rate. However companies still have to invest to create a better customer experience and improve stats.DESIGNING MOBILE USER EXPERIENCEThe number of possibilities for using mobile devices is endless. However, the time taken to interact is very long and there are many distractions on the way: pick up the phone – unlock – open an app & everything in between.The most important feature for a mobile-site is to set up a Call for Action. It has to be visible straight away and always present on the page so that converting can be done easily.E.g. Buy Now, Call Now, Add To Basket, Book Online, Get Direction, Subscribe…

• Avoid long hidden menus
• Reduce extra information to a minimum
• Prefer buttons to clickable text
• Keep visual clean and minimal
• Colour sequence on important buttons and features of the page

It’s also important to keep consistent with desktop website in terms of colour & style, but also to respect colour sequence and drive the visitor’s attention to the key elements.

A good point of explanation for clients is to screenshot every step it takes to convert on mobile, add them in a list and compare it with main competitors or best practice.Here is an idea of presentation template:

• Respect the structure in terms of “Thumb friendliness” (where you can click on the screen just using your thumb),
• Buttons are better than linked texts. They are easier to spot and click on.
• Test on many devices to make sure everything stays coherent (Software exist to compare the layout of mobiles on a desktop computer).
• Understand that a mobile website isn’t an App.

“Good design is doing as little design as possible” Dieter RamsTOOLS & STRATEGIESRe-think – Re-launch – Measure“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”Preparation & understanding the industry you evolve in are critical points: Review, compare, benchmark, test, get vertical trend reportsEvaluate your mobile website through mobile design principles surveys (25 best practices), & Mobile ScoreCard.Nowadays, mobile have to be the foundation of AdWords Campaign featuring as many ads-extensions as possible to increase your conversion potential, decrease bounce rate and increase quality score.STELLAR SEARCH’S INSIGHTAs previously discussed in our article “Analysis: Retail Review – How Device Splits Have Changed for Retailers in the Run Up to Xmas”, we have all witnessed the significant growth of mobile interactions & usage over the past few years.Along Google’s line of thought, Stellar Search’s team believe that 2015 will be a turning point for mobile advertising.Thanks to Google’s research & development in the mobile sector over the past few years, we are now able to track, measure & review mobile performances, in a much easier way, throughout our accounts to ensure best performances for our clients.With constantly improving technology, customer experience on mobile websites, and with the growth of features such as Call Extensions, Store locators, Google Business Profiles and more, we believe that businesses should invest more in mobile advertising in order to remain competitive on all channels.Brought to you by the Stellar Search Team