Commentary

Need Stats To Sell Your CMO On Mobile? Here's Five

As an email marketer, you know that getting mobile right is essential for an effective digital marketing program. But maybe your boss still isn't convinced. How about a few numbers to show why mobile matters -- and why email should own it?

The list below can help you argue the benefits of investing in mobile-related initiatives, whether you need to redesign your email templates, expand your email program into mobile Web and apps, or solve other challenges that prevent you from making mobile work.

1. Mobile traffic and sales surged in the November-December 2104 holiday shopping season: 22.6% of all online sales came on smartphones and tablets, and mobile drove 45% of all online traffic. (Source: IBM)

Mobile traffic also hit two all-time highs: 52% on Thanksgiving Day and 57% on Christmas Day, when mobile sales hit 35% of all online sales. Don't go unprepared this year.

2. More than half of all opens happened on a smartphone or tablet in 2014, compared with 30% on webmail services (Gmail, Yahoo) and 20% on desktop systems (such as Outlook). (Source: Litmus)

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I can't think of a better argument for investing time and money to make sure your emails look and function right on every screen size. Your customers’ journey begins on mobile more often today. You don't want to lose them at the start.

3. Mobile app users are opening apps more often -- an average of 10+ times a month in 2014, up from seven monthly opens on average in 2012. (Source: eMarketer/Millennial Media/Localytics)

Apps have become part of everyday life for typical mobile users, but those engagement numbers can get better. Email is your missing link. Promote the app to your email subscribers, and send a how-to reminder to those who download but don't register activity.

Further, mobile push notification boosts app opens. That’s another email opportunity. Who knows how to message customers better than the email people? Remind your boss that you're the best person to optimize the marketing message mix.

4. Mobile users in the United States and Britain use an average of 24 apps per smartphone each month, but spend 80% of their time on just their top five, most time-consuming apps. (Source: Forrester)

This is a good argument for using email to boost your app's engagement:

  • Add benefit-based content to broadcast emails linking to your app location on your website, the iTunes Store or Google Play Store.
  • Use your email savvy to create useful, timely push notifications, and explain on your app download page why new users should enable push.
  • Deep-link email content to open automatically on your app.

Additionally, use email to drive users to engage with popular apps like Pinterest and YouTube -- where your company may have a significant presence.

5. Mobile payments accounted for 17% of transactions in 2014, with an estimated value of $37 billion in the U.S. alone; 24% of Americans have used a mobile payment system. (Source: MobileFOMO and PunchTab)

Your killer mobile website or gorgeous responsive-design email is missing something if you don't have a one-click mobile payment system like Amazon Pay or PayPal. Consumers having to type in billing address, credit card number and many other fields of information in public on a small screen is a significant barrier to conversion.

Why the Push for Mobile?

Because it's where your customers are going. The traffic is there, and sales and conversions are following in greater numbers.

Integrating mobile more deeply into your other marketing programs breaks down the traditional channel silos and moves you closer to a true 360-degree view of your customer.

Until next time, take it up a notch!

2 comments about "Need Stats To Sell Your CMO On Mobile? Here's Five".
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  1. Jordan Cohen from The Fox Hill Group, March 5, 2015 at 12:35 p.m.

    Great round-up of stats Loren. One stat I'd add into the mix though is from Fluent's recent survey of over 5K American adults: they were split 50/50 when it came whether they made most of their mobile purchases via mobile apps or mobile websites. M-sites are a lot better than they used to be, and many are "app-like" in their experiences. Our other key finding is that people ARE, finally, shopping on their phones! More than 50% of Android users and nearly 60% of iPhone users made at least one purchase through their smartphones last year. More info here: http://www.fluentco.com/has-m-commerce-finally-turned-the-corner/

  2. Allan Hoving from Verve, March 12, 2015 at 12:41 p.m.

    Soon nearly all purchases will be made on mobile, whether on mobile-optimized sites or within (social) apps. The mobile moment is now. Are you mobile-ready?

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