Your customers do not know how to use a mobile phone to make a purchase. Or so it would seem. You run the exact same ads on mobile devices that you run on desktop computers and yet the results are dramatically different. What is the problem here? You check the Analytics and it is clear that they are in fact clicking on the ads and you are certainly paying Google for them to do so. Why do they not buy on mobile? Is it a problem with your site? Is it a problem with people? Are they using a rotary phone? You are frustrated and you want to quit mobile Internet marketing all together. Maybe you could buy a nice billboard.  Except you won’t because you know you reach many more people on their mobile devices. At every Starbucks you see entire lines of people on their mobile phones clicking away, not buying your product. There is something incredibly important about mobile marketing, and they don’t teach you it in business school.

Users On Mobile Act Differently Than Users On Desktop

The issue that you are running into is that users on mobile devices act differently than users on desktop devices. They respond differently to your ads, search for different questions on Google, and as you noticed they buy at different rates. It is your job to keep up with the mobile revolution. There are those companies who will bury their head in the sand and hope that everyone simply goes back to using a desktop or pretend that people use mobile devices in the same way that they once used desktop devices. If your company thinks like that, they are in for some real problems.

People Use Mobile With Different Motivation

One of the amazing aspects about Internet advertising is that you get real insight into people’s psychology. You are able to see the exact words they searched, what they clicked on and how they interacted with your site. If you pay attention you find that people use mobile with vastly different goals than they do when they are searching on their desktop. As an example, if I were to search for sandwich Philadelphia on my desktop my motivation is probably that I am looking for reviews or that I am looking for a place that delivers. On the other hand if I am on a mobile device and I search for sandwich Philadelphia I am probably looking for a place nearby to get a sandwich. If I am your ideal customer you would want to tailor your strategy to my searches to best match my motivation. On the desktop ad you may want to offer free delivery, while on the mobile device you may want to offer an in store coupon.

Tailor Your Mobile Offer To Mobile Devices

Instead of treating mobile and desktop the same it is best to think of them as two separate entities. I split my advertising campaigns off and run separate ads specifically for mobile, that go to specifically optimized mobile landing pages. Most importantly, my mobile ads have different offers than my desktop ads. You want to create an ad that is appealing to someone searching on their mobile phone.

How to Create Offers For Mobile That Resonate With Customers

Step One: Visualize Your Ideal Customer The first step is to figure out who your ideal customer is. Answer this question: if you could only market to one person, what would that look like? Think about what their motivations, demographics, and psychographics would be like. You want to come up with as complete a picture as possible so that you will be able to get in their heads. This step is important because while you may be the one marketing the product or service you may not be the ideal customer. Your ideal customer may think different than you, use different vocabulary, and have different needs and you want to be aware of that. Step Two: Figure Out Why Your Ideal Customer Would Use A Mobile Device The next step is to imagine you are your ideal customer and think about why you are searching on your mobile rather than your desktop. There can be a variety of reasons such as:

• You have a time sensitive question and do not have time to get to a desktop (for example you are in the car)
• You are on a walk and looking for something close by

Why your ideal customer is using a mobile device is important because this shines light on their motivation. For example if it is a time sensitive question, be sure to put an expiration date on your offer and note that expires soon. Step Three: Create The Offer Now that you know what your ideal customer is like and why they are searching on their mobile devices rather than their desktop it should be relatively easy to come up with some offers that will entice them. Some examples that I have seen work include:

• Coupons that have limited time offers
• Call for more information
• Call to order with a discount

The keys are to not make them invest too heavily in terms of typing or reading. Though typing has gotten significantly easier on mobile devices, it still presents a barrier. If you can have a customer simply call you or just type in their email address to receive a coupon you are in a much better position than companies who are asking for credit card information over the phone. What is the best mobile offer you have created?