• by Scott Anderson , Op-Ed Contributor, May 22, 2017

 To say that today’s consumers are mobile is an understatement. When consumers started shopping online, desktop was the only option but in 2015, time spent on mobile devices surpassed time spent on desktops.

Now, a new wave of consumers is entering the market, and their fingers rarely, if ever, touch a traditional keyboard.

According to Harvard Business Review, the next billion people to become connected will do so using only mobile devices. The emergence of the mobile-always consumer presents both opportunities and challenges for brands.

To meet the mobile always customers’ needs, they need to rethink the entire mobile experience.

When marketers think of the mobile customer experience, they typically think of device-specific notions that include things like responsive design and mobile apps. There is an endless array of content around these types of mobile strategies.

However, the majority of information is focused on the devices and the new technology that is on the horizon. While this can be effective, it’s only one part of the equation. Mobile is no longer just about the device; it’s a state of being. Now, marketers must refocus mobile strategies around the entire user experience and serve up content that is relevant along every touch point.

Delivering relevant content starts with understanding consumer habits and preferences. Consumers want marketers to deliver what they need in a way that directly relates to their activities, and they want it in real-time.

Here are three ways mobile leaders can effectively connect with their customers in context:

Get the Right Information

On average, per eMarketer 93% of consumers access their digital device within an hour of waking up in the morning. Their devices are the first thing they turn to every day, and it continues as they move throughout the day.

Their needs are changing by the hour, and even by the minute.

In the morning, a consumer may be frantically checking emails and ordering coffee using a mobile app but, no longer in a hurry, that same person may go to a coffee shop later that day and order from the register. Every bit of information – whether online or offline – is imperative for brands to meet the expectations of the mobile always customer.

Deliver a Relevant Experience

For many consumers, personalization is at the top of their wish-lists. Consumers are more empowered because technology has made it easier to take business elsewhere, so the customer experience has never been more important. In fact, 52% of consumers will switch brands due to lack of personalized communication.

To keep up, brands need to stitch together an understanding of the whole person across all touchpoints and realize that, because they are mobile all the time, they are constantly living between the digital and physical worlds.

To be effective, marketers must be able to transition from digital to physical and deliver a relevant experience anytime, anywhere.

Close the Gap

Previously, marketing messages were broadcast to a wide audience in hopes that the message would resonate. Now, marketing has moved beyond broadcast and is all about delivering value — and delivering value is about giving customers what they want at exactly the right moment.

For example, RiteAid, recently announced it they will install beacons in all 4,500 stores to combine mobile device with physical location to deliver tailored experiences to customers while in the store.

Or, a brand may recommend a nearby pop-up shop or restaurant via a mobile app based on a consumer’s location and purchasing history. By dishing up offers, recommendations or information that is relevant to a consumer’s location and preferences, marketers can capture the loyalty – and business – of the mobile always customer.

As marketers start to experience this new demographic of mobile always consumers, they must be prepared with mobile strategies that go beyond simple site and app design.

Integration, relevance, and personalization are the keys to mobile only success, and by rethinking existing strategies, marketers can build long-lasting, loyal relationships with these on-the-go consumers.