According to Google Research, nine out of ten people are "cross-device" Internet browsers and researchers, using multiple devices sequentially. Smartphones are by far the most common starting point for sequential activity: 65% of users start their research on a smartphone and 60% continue on a desktop device.With so many consumers making the shift to mobile, marketing plans must follow or risk losing sales. Here are the five mobile trends for 2015 that definitely should be on the radar of hospitality businesses everywhere.
- Responsive design: Before Google’s new mobile algorithm update in April, the tech world was abuzz with concerns as to how this would affect search rankings. It turns out, it went off more as a whisper than a bang, but that doesn’t mean that mobile friendliness should be swept under the rug. You website is essentially the window to your brand’s proverbial soul. By ensuring UX across platforms, you are creating a welcoming environment for customers to spend time on your site, learn about your business, and convert into sales. Responsive web design eliminates the need for separate mobile and desktop site, and actually adapts across all platforms, creating an optimal online experience for your visitor.
- Mobile ad opportunities: Recent data from BI Intelligence finds that US mobile ad spend will top nearly $42 billion in 2018, rising by a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43% from 2013. With the unlimited amount of data pouring in, mobile advertising gives marketers unmatched opportunities to pinpoint their audiences based on location and past behaviors. Mobile also provides the perfect platform for creative advertising and interactive media across traditional, rich, and video formats.
- iBeacon technology: Imagine providing personalized messaging for a hotel guest that is pushed to their mobile device based off of their location? Now it is possible for hoteliers to create advertisements for specific services that are triggered by a guest passing by new technology known as iBeacons. If the guest has location services enabled on their phone, you could push them a spa discount when they walk past the spa, or a free drink offer when they are on the same floor as the restaurant.
- Apps: Travel is a vertical ripe for technological advancements, and business is booming in the startup sector. Some of our favorite apps that are new on the scene can do everything from acting as a virtual valet (DUFL), unlocking access to airport lounges (Lounge Buddy), or booking multi-city trips with ease (Vamo). There are even apps that work as social apps for travelers that also offer data-rich benefits for hotels that promote them (HelloTel/ProximiTel).
- Mobile payments: The day is almost upon us when credit cards will become obsolete and handling cash will be reserved for rare occasions. Today, people are able to pay bills, transfer money to friends, and even pay for their coffee using only their phones. This means that hotels and resorts must create easy ways for people to find and book rooms using their phones. Companies like Jumio are working on technology that allows mobile bookers to simply scan their credit cards and IDs to complete payments rather than tediously inputting data into fields.
By staying ahead of the curve in the realm of mobile trends, hospitality brands can make sure that they are converting on mobile, desktop, and tablets while meeting the needs of younger travelers. Mobile is ever evolving, and new apps and strategies are developed on what seems like a daily basis. Staying on top of what’s new can seem overwhelming, but as marketing goes mobile, those who are thinking “mobile-first” will likely come out on top.
According to Google Research, nine out of ten people are "cross-device" Internet browsers and researchers, using multiple devices sequentially. Smartphones are by far the most common starting point for sequential activity: 65% of users start their research on a smartphone and 60% continue on a desktop device.With so many consumers making the shift to mobile, marketing plans must follow or risk losing sales. Here are the five mobile trends for 2015 that definitely should be on the radar of hospitality businesses everywhere.
- Responsive design: Before Google’s new mobile algorithm update in April, the tech world was abuzz with concerns as to how this would affect search rankings. It turns out, it went off more as a whisper than a bang, but that doesn’t mean that mobile friendliness should be swept under the rug. You website is essentially the window to your brand’s proverbial soul. By ensuring UX across platforms, you are creating a welcoming environment for customers to spend time on your site, learn about your business, and convert into sales. Responsive web design eliminates the need for separate mobile and desktop site, and actually adapts across all platforms, creating an optimal online experience for your visitor.
- Mobile ad opportunities: Recent data from BI Intelligence finds that US mobile ad spend will top nearly $42 billion in 2018, rising by a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43% from 2013. With the unlimited amount of data pouring in, mobile advertising gives marketers unmatched opportunities to pinpoint their audiences based on location and past behaviors. Mobile also provides the perfect platform for creative advertising and interactive media across traditional, rich, and video formats.
- iBeacon technology: Imagine providing personalized messaging for a hotel guest that is pushed to their mobile device based off of their location? Now it is possible for hoteliers to create advertisements for specific services that are triggered by a guest passing by new technology known as iBeacons. If the guest has location services enabled on their phone, you could push them a spa discount when they walk past the spa, or a free drink offer when they are on the same floor as the restaurant.
- Apps: Travel is a vertical ripe for technological advancements, and business is booming in the startup sector. Some of our favorite apps that are new on the scene can do everything from acting as a virtual valet (DUFL), unlocking access to airport lounges (Lounge Buddy), or booking multi-city trips with ease (Vamo). There are even apps that work as social apps for travelers that also offer data-rich benefits for hotels that promote them (HelloTel/ProximiTel).
- Mobile payments: The day is almost upon us when credit cards will become obsolete and handling cash will be reserved for rare occasions. Today, people are able to pay bills, transfer money to friends, and even pay for their coffee using only their phones. This means that hotels and resorts must create easy ways for people to find and book rooms using their phones. Companies like Jumio are working on technology that allows mobile bookers to simply scan their credit cards and IDs to complete payments rather than tediously inputting data into fields.
By staying ahead of the curve in the realm of mobile trends, hospitality brands can make sure that they are converting on mobile, desktop, and tablets while meeting the needs of younger travelers. Mobile is ever evolving, and new apps and strategies are developed on what seems like a daily basis. Staying on top of what’s new can seem overwhelming, but as marketing goes mobile, those who are thinking “mobile-first” will likely come out on top.
