Today, we can access just about anything from the palm of our hands thanks to smart devices, from booking travel and retail shopping to banking and even running entire businesses. As our society advances technologically, more industries note this shift in consumer and brand interaction. Adopting more mobile-first communication solutions has become key in meeting the challenges of this new age.
Initially, the concept of mobile-first simply focused on ensuring websites and web content worked seamlessly with mobile devices. With 21% of Millennials checking their phones over 50 times a day and billions of mobile phone users on this planet, society quickly learned that responsiveness was just one benefit of mobility. Mobile-first communication opened a world of opportunities for businesses to connect and collaborate with ideal consumers, international partners and even facilitate communication among their employees. The latter proved essential amid the global pandemic.
“Due to the pandemic, it has become even more evident that in very uncertain times, having fast access to information and feedback from the company and employees has become more important than ever,” said Cristian Grossman, CEO of Beekeeper, a communication and operations platform for frontline workers. “It’s a matter of trust, engagement and reliability if you can get everything you need in a simple manner where you probably spend most of your time when you’re not at work, which is your mobile phone.”
Benefits of Being Mobile-First
Beyond increased effective employee engagement, taking on a mobile-first approach to business operations has several other benefits:
- It keeps you ahead of the game. Two-thirds of the world’s people now connect via mobile devices. Businesses could miss many leads if strategies cater to the desktop experience alone. By 2023, mobile ownership is expected to increase to 33 billion individuals worldwide.
- It builds relationships. That’s why mobile devices exist, after all. Now, of course, this includes more than just phone calls. There are social media and chat applications. Taking on a mobile-first approach ensures that you not only speak your ideal consumer’s language but that they hear you, too.
- It improves communication across the board. Employees and consumers alike can benefit from mobile-first communication, especially as businesses continue to maneuver the effects of a global pandemic.
How Do Businesses Get There?
Mobile-first communication defines the present and the future of business operations, but implementing effective strategies requires mindful diligence. Here are a few tips for success:
- Assess where you are first. Take time to analyze the business’ mobile maturity level. If companies have not altered processes and systems for decades, the odds of effectively integrating or interacting with a new mobile product are slim. Confirm that your current processes align with your new mobile initiatives and apply necessary changes before making any investments.
- Focus on creating a mobile-first culture. Creating a mobile marketing tool makes a mobile company. Shifting past simple mobile development and adopting a culture that meets the consumer on their mobile journey while pushing valuable strategies that drive business makes a trustworthy mobile-first company. Take a step back and study your ideal consumer’s digital behavior, then build your system around creating a satisfactory experience from end-to-end.
Mobile matters now more than ever, with rapid developments in mobile technology changing the global marketplace. By being ready for digital transformation, companies can enhance their own viability and longevity.
Universities attuned to market trends create curricula that prepare future leaders to navigate the challenges posed by digital transformation. The University of Southern Indiana’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, for example, equips future leaders for these changes with skills in innovation, change management, information and communication technology, and data visualization. Such programs enable business leaders to feel prepared for whatever might come next in this mobile age of business.
Learn more about the University of Southern Indiana’s online Master of Business Administration program.
Sources:
Forbes:
How to Become a Mobile-First Agency
What Does a Mobile-First Digital Transformation Strategy Look Like?
Leftronic: 29+ Smartphone Usage Statistics: Around the World in 2021
BenefitNews.com: How Mobile-First Communication Benefits Frontline Workers
