True or false: most ads perform better on mobile devices than desktop computers. The answer, of course, is false. While people may spend more leisure time on their mobile devices than on desktop computers, the average conversion rate for mobile advertising is lower than its desktop comparison. But if your ads aren’t being seen by folks on their mobile devices, you’re missing out on premium exposure!
Mobile Advertising vs. Desktop Advertising
First of all, you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than converting a customer from a display ad. It doesn’t even matter if the customer sees the ad on a tablet, mobile device, or desktop computer; display ads, in general, are highly ineffective. But what about search ads? The overall conversion rate for search ads is roughly 4.2% overall, compared to 3.48% on mobile. While those data suggest mobile ads are less effective, the difference isn’t significant.
Again, most people spend more time on their cell phones than on desktop computers. But how often are those people “ready to buy” in general. Customers at brick-and-mortar stores are more often than not ready to buy. When was the last time you went to a physical store and didn’t bring your wallet? In comparison, mobile shoppers aren’t always ready to buy. While a customer might be browsing your online store, he or she might not even have his or her wallet nearby-or even be able to afford the product in question.
At the same time, you should be conscious of what’s known as alternate mobile conversions. You might not get the customer to buy right then and there, but if you can secure their intent to purchase, they’ll come back later. And while they might not come back and purchase on a mobile device, if they come back at all, you still generated the lead through mobile advertising. Most importantly, if you can capture their attention and stay in their mind, you’re more likely to eventually garner a conversion.
How to Make Mobile Ads Work
The most important step to optimizing your mobile advertising strategy is to optimize your digital content for mobile use. Poor mobile optimization will lead to a lower conversion rate from mobile users and eventually render your website obsolete to mobile users. Make sure your website’s content and graphics are mobile-friendly, and more importantly, make sure it’s as easy to buy online as it is in-store.
As mentioned, some visitors to your site-mobile or desktop-may have low purchase intent. Even a perfectly-optimized mobile site isn’t going to convince them to buy. However, if you make sure your ads are narrowly targeted, you can narrow your reach to a more specific subset of customers. To that end, you need to decide which KPIs are most important for your strategy. Are you looking for more conversions or more impressions?
Before you overhaul your mobile ads, take a look at how they’re performing. There are many reasons for low performance, but in most cases, you either have the wrong audience or the wrong content. If the right people aren’t seeing your ads-or if they don’t care-you’re wasting ad dollars. Remember, you’re literally competing for their attention.
Is Mobile Advertising The Future?
Even though mobile ads have a lower average conversion rate, mobile devices aren’t going out of style any time soon. In fact, technological advancements mean cell phones have more capabilities than ever. Because most phones can securely store their users’ financial information, it’s becoming easier than ever for customers to buy products with them. Combining the ease of mobile accessibility with the comfort of online shopping means its more likely than not that mobile shopping is the way of the future.
The better geared your digital marketing strategy is towards mobile users, the more potential customers you’ll be able to reach!