Why Mobile Ads May Be Worth Considering for Your Small Business

Mobile is the new frontier in advertising, with a monstrous 27.8 billion more search queries than desktop searches by 2015. Pew Research tells us that that 74% of smartphone owners use their phone to receive real-time location-based information, such as directions, which is acted upon typically within an hour.

These facts, along with the prediction of double digit growth in mobile advertising during the next five years are sending a transparent and unmistakable message to business owners: mobile is where the people are!

So with all this growth going on, how does a small business use this opportunity to drive customers to their doors? We’ve outlined a few ways your business can profit from mobile ads.

How to use mobile ads in your small business

• Make sure your site is mobile friendly – consider revamping its design now. Ideally move to a responsive design that automatically resizes the screen and provides the optimal user experience for your visitor.
• Optimize for local keywords – This could kill two birds with one stone. Ranking organically to show up on mobile search, in addition to advertising for those terms can give you a double dip. With GPS and Google Maps keen to help its users find you locally, who are you to deny them!
• Look into various ad platforms – There are more and more mobile ad choices now, and the big dogs have started to make their presence known as well. Facebook and Google are devoting increasingly more resources to mobile, and don’t neglect looking into platforms like Jumptap, mMedia, Mojiva, and Foursquare.
• Investigate Native Advertising – A term that’s having a lot of play these days is native advertising. This means simply that the ad complements the content on the site it is running on, thereby improving the chances of consumer interest. This will help keep you more in control of where your ads are showing.

Research firm IBISWorlds tells us that sometime within the next five years, the geolocation in these ad platforms is going to be able to pinpoint consumers as they pass by your place of business, inviting them with ads and coupons. Shouldn’t that be your store!