Small business is the engine of the South African economy with over 60 percent of jobs being generated by SMEs. Recognising the power of small, medium and micro-enterprises to make progress towards the country’s developmental goals, government fairly recently established a small business ministry for the first time, while SMEs are receiving more attention in successive State of the Nation Addresses.
It’s not just government, but business, too, seems to be customising products, services and tools towards the needs of SMEs. Today, any would-be business owner with limited funds and a great idea can register a co.zadomain and build a website in 15 minutes for just R80. Banks are offering ridiculously cheap SME accounts for the equivalent of a cup of coffee. Mobile marketing tools also represent a highly-affordable way for start-ups to get their businesses going in a flash – for little cash.
Bearing all of this in mind, let’s take a look at some expected mobile marketing trends for 2017 that are particularly relevant for small business.
These days, it is not enough to just be “mobile friendly”. Because the number of consumers accessing the web via mobile devices now outweighs desktop users, your SME definitely needs to be visible via mobile search in 2017. Simply confirming that your SME’s website is “mobile responsive” (automatically adjusts to the device being viewed on) will immediately help your rankings with Google, ensuring you don’t lose potential customers by not appearing in Search results.
SMEs should identify key mobile word searches relevant to their industry. It is imperative to figure out what potential customers are typing into their mobile searches, and how your small firm can fulfill those expressed needs.
The local and global banking industry has spent billions making sure mobile users feel secure using mobile payment options. The result is that consumers are now more comfortable than ever using mobile payment options. Making sure your business is set up to accept mobile payments for goods and services is obvious. However, what you really need to ensure is that your website has a “BUY” button that makes purchasing a breeze.
To conclude, marketing trends will come and go – it’s not about specific trends, but about staying current. The leanness that comes with being a small business means it is perfectly-positioned to always be on top of the next big mobile thing.
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