BUSINESS - SMARTPHONES - 05.07.2018

Think of your mobile customers

“Mobile first”

The best way to design your website is to start from the “mobile first” principle. This means that its layout and content should be designed for the size of a smartphone screen, and only later adapted to desktop users. After all, in 2018, the majority of consumers are using their mobile devices for surfing.

Because your customers are always connected, you can inform them more easily and rapidly about, for example, the status of their order or an upcoming meeting. This can be done via a text message, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. But what do you have to take into account for this approach to be successful? Here’s our checklist.

Recognisable and consistent

Marketing experts recommend using the same “tone of voice” in all your communications. Regardless of the channel you use and the message you want to spread, it’s a good idea to stick rigorously to the same style. This consistent approach will enable you to develop your own image which will clearly distinguish you from your competitors. This recognisability of your messages will help you gain the trust of your customers and therefore to build a closer relationship with them. Even without seeing the sender or your company logo, they should be able to recognise you in your communication.

Tip. It’s not so much what you say, but how you say it. It is important that this fits in with the DNA of your company as well as with the characteristics of your target group. Therefore, always place yourself in the position of the reader for every message you want to send.

Personal

As a result of the wide range of mobile communication channels available these days, people make fewer phone calls to customers, while they will appear less frequently in your physical shop. You therefore run the risk of losing all personal contact with them.

Tip. Stick to the personal approach. If you don’t know or explicitly mention the recipient’s name, it is better to start your message straightaway, without any salutation. Since the general rule is that mobile communication must be compact, getting rid of superfluous openings and salutations is good idea anyway.

Use active language

Don’t use passive sentences in the messages you send to smartphone users, and avoid auxiliary verbs as much as possible. So, it’s better to write “your parcel is on its way” than “your order will be delivered by the deliverer today” . In short: make your messages direct, compact and powerful.

Analyse the results

Nielsen Norman Group ( https://goo.gl/7usQGw ) and Affinio ( https://goo.gl/pSXi2z ) give more tips on how to optimise your tone of voice. It goes without saying that the style with which you ultimately score best with your mobile customers will vary depending on your audience. Try to use A/B tests in order to find out which mobile messages achieve the better response, and build on these results for future mobile communication.