As half of Americans switch to using mobile sites to browse the web and an increasing number of tourists bring smartphones and tablets on vacation, it becomes clear that mobile sites and apps are not an option anymore – they have become a necessity. Mobile technology is everywhere and destinations and tourist attractions need to start embracing it to bring in business and satisfy consumers or else they risk falling behind.
Attractive Mobile Site
Connecting to an audience and appreciating their requirements is vital for tourism based mobile marketing and creating an effective mobile site.
There are many reasons why people use their smartphones but three that are common are browsing web content, using GPS and other mapping technology, and social media. These three functions need to be appreciated when creating a successful mobile site and this can be done by offering useful information on the destinations and local amenities, providing maps while they explore the area and helping them share their experiences with friends.
Engaging your target market is a must, whether this means providing them with an app to use during their vacations or giving them the chance to sign up for deals and newsletters. Providing deals and incentives is a great way of ensuring that you have a popular and effective mobile site and the use of quick response codes is a simple way to do so. Offering an app rather than just a mobile site is also beneficial because it can provide new experiences and help with augmented reality. This means overlaying information through GPS onto a real image and turning the phone into a portable tourist guide for the ultimate experience in destination interaction.
Promoting and Budgeting Mobile Marketing Tools
The need to create an efficient mobile site may be increasing but for some the idea of doing so may be daunting because of the obstacles of managing, promoting and financing the site. Mobile sites are difficult to budget for because of the differences between businesses and the uncertainty of success and many users prefer their apps to be free. Advertising revenue may be the answer and a good relationship with other local attractions and establishments can be good for site itself. Again, QR codes can be useful here because by adding them the flyers and other adverts users can be linked straight to the app or site. To judge the progress of a new mobile site it is worth using Google Analytics for Mobile.
Developing a mobile site and increasing mobile marketing strategies may be unavoidable but it is not impossible.
There is no avoiding the need to create a stand-alone mobile site to cater for the changing needs and habits of travelers but once businesses and destinations start to understand the preferences and habits of their users and the potential that mobile technology has then they can create a site or app that will connect with them and satisfy them in a productive and manageable way. With the right tools – such as QR codes, maps and newsletters – and the right attitude, it is easy to reach this ever-growing market through their smartphones and tablets and reap the rewards.