Consumers, not just marketers, are shaping the evolution of commerce marketing. The adoption of mobile devices by consumers in previous years has required marketers to find new ways to reach customers and get them to buy.
The Marketing Strategists from Bronto’s Professional Services team are on the front lines of digital marketing; they help clients drive sales by optimizing and evolving email, mobile and social programs. We asked the strategists to look at the market and discuss what they see as some of the most important trends and tools for building successful, revenue-driving campaigns and programs.
Mobile Pushes Desktop To The Side
Mobile has overtaken the desktop as the primary point of contact with consumers. Commerce marketers are responding to this shift in viewership by adopting responsive design templates, which automatically renders and displays properly across multiple devices. Success depends on an early start – it can take extra time to set up the template for the first campaign – and ample testing to ensure that spacing and rendering across devices works flawlessly. Smart marketers also approach responsive design with a complete understanding of which parts of their emails generate the most response.
Q&A With Emily Keye
How have your clients already started to design emails for mobile devices?
Many of my clients have designed emails that will render and function properly on multiple devices. However, in 2013, many of them transitioned to responsive design templates, which automatically adapt to the device on which the email is being viewed.
Does this mean more work for the marketer and designer?
It may take more time for some folks to set up the templates for the first time, but once they are done, much of the code can be reused. Testing is also important for things like spacing and image rendering across devices.
What’s a marketer’s first step to getting started with a mobile-friendly design?
Review your current email design and determine which areas of the email are most popular, engaging and leading to sales. These are the areas that will need to be clickable with the tap of a finger.
Does seasonality factor into how mobile openers should be targeted? Summer? Black Friday?
If you have someone who is opening your messages on a mobile device, it doesn’t really matter what time of year it is. Their device of choice will be consistent even if they open on multiple devices. There’s more that you can do during peak times like Black Friday and the summer when you know there’s more foot traffic in stores especially if you don’t have the resources or time to build out these templates during the rest of the year.
Are there certain situations when the desktop should be a primary consideration?
It’s the whole email philosophy in general. What’s working for everyone else may not work for you. It should be tested, but your audience may not respond. Perhaps if your customers are older or less tech-savvy, the desktop experience may be a higher priority.
How has this evolved in 2014?
The rate of mobile opens will continue to increase. More consumers are getting access to smartphones and consumers are more tech savvy. My mom, for example, can’t use her DVD player, but she sure as heck knows how to use an iPhone and iPad to check email, browse and shop.
If you walk in any room where anyone is waiting, they are on their phones likely checking email. While there was a bit of a learning curve in 2013, as people got used to the process are starting to fall into a more streamlined process of content development and strategic optimization of messages.
