Google peered into the future several years ago and predicted what is now a reality: we are living in a world that is more optimized for mobile than it is for traditional PC’s and laptops. Today, there isn’t much you can’t do on a mobile device, whether that’s emailing, playing games, texting, or updating sensitive data for work. In fact, millennials are the first generation to see computers as auxiliary – mobile is the tech king for them.
Mobile devices are the device of choice for almost any activity, from choosing a wedding venue to taking college classes online. The demand for the smartphone is expected to multiply in 2017 and beyond, so it is critical to know how to capitalize on our mobile-first generation.
Use Micro-Moments
Millennials – accustomed to research at their fingertips – research much more than previous generations. It is because of this search for info that we understand micro-moments, which are those tiny technological opportunities that don’t look like much but can expand into ongoing business success.
A recent study showed that one car buyer had 900 digital interactions before she bought a new car. When you understand these micro-moments, you can more easily target the mobile-first generations. Each micro-moment is its own digital interaction that you must take advantage of. With each interaction, ask yourself three questions:
- What matters to the customers using this site or technology?
- What’s working?
- What continually draws them in?
Once you know these answers, ask what’s possible. What could your website be doing to keep current customers and attract new ones?
Let’s return to the car buyer from the first example. Digital interactions will show what matters to her. Perhaps she is looking for an environmentally friendly vehicle. In that case, examine the digital presence of vehicles that fit her criteria. Do you have a wealth of information on hybrids or electric cars or just a blurb or two? Do your environmentally friendly cars come equipped with the same technology as traditional ones? Do their pages link to other useful sources? If yes, something is drawing that customer back to your site. If not, part or all of your site might need a digital makeover.
Grow Your Share of Intent
Many companies are falling behind in our mobile-first world because their share of intent is not growing. Your share of intent is how many times your brand shows up as a fraction of all category-relevant searches, and it matters a lot to capturing the attention of the mobile-first generation. Let’s say you’re a new horror author. Of course, Stephen King will get more hits than you as you grow your audience. But if you have written and sold 10 books and your brand only shows up in 10–20% of “new horror author” searches, you have a problem.
To grow your share of intent, perform some relevant top searches. Learn what keywords potential readers are using and if your website shows up when they are typed into a search bar. For example, horror readers might be looking for paranormal books, while you’re more a Gothic or psychological thriller writer. In that case, adjust your keywords and branding to let paranormal readers know how you can meet their needs.
If changing keywords and performing searches don’t work well enough, meet with an agency or account team to determine your share of intent metric. Numbers will tell you, in black and white, how you are doing vs. your top competitors and how to improve. A metric will reveal gaps you can fix to draw in more site users and clients. As your share of intent grows, you’ll have more micro-moments. As you learn to build on micro-moments, the small brand you started with might grow into the next top one on Google in your category.
Contact Zero Gravity Marketing to effectively reach your audience.
