Melanie followed a really strong presentation by Russell McAthy on marketing attribution. Mel’s focus is on what’s definitely one of the most prominent topics in search today – device shift and the associated attribution.
Mobile device usage is growing (obviously!)
Melanie noted the shift in device usage and spoke of how her agency’s data shows conversion rates on desktop might be going up, whilst it’s not improving on mobile. This isn’t something I haven’t heard before – often mobile devices are used for research but transactions still commonly take place on desktops. At Impression, we only foresee mobile transactions increasing.
Stats about mobile usage
Continuing that notion, the two part research and sales process taking place across devices. The key issue facing marketers is cross device attribution. It’s very hard to make these sorts of statements with good data. Russell mentioned Google’s match rate is still less than 40%, so there’s a lot we still don’t know.
Melanie also said ‘search is the most common starting point for mobile research’, which we definitely agree with. Some stats from her presentation:
- 33% of mobile searches start on branded websites
- 26% of mobile searches start on branded apps
Retail in a mobile world
Brand loyalty is very strong on mobile. Consumers are spending on mobile, even if data shows it’s still less than desktop (for now) – something that’s not matched by the efforts of major retailers. Less than 3% of retailers believe their business is mobile ready, and a further 70% said they don’t offer a mobile app.
Sales made through apps now account for a third of retail spend on mobiles, despite only 10% of retailers offering them.
Mobile consumer spending expectations that 42% of all retailers will involve a mobile device in some way.
What does this means for advertisers?
- It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to track a consumer’s activity across device.
- It’s harder to make informed decisions on where and how to target consumers.
Key things that can help you maximise the potential of mobile traffic
1. Think mobile first
Every stage of the optimisation. Not enough action here, especially in certain sectors.
2. Understand the attribution
- Many tools and many suppliers are out there to help with attribution
- Target people more effectively
- Email match
- Consider cross-device tracking
- Remarketing and retargeting across device
3. Use all the data you can
- Match CRM data to audience lists
4. Watch Google product launches.
Google knows the importance of lcoal search and they’re innovating in this space. Recently, they’ve launched a number of better ad formats for mobile advertisers.
5. Consider intent across devices.
Nearly a third of all mobile search is used for local store search
Mobile is used when out and about. Looking for stores, for example
Target these users differently! Ensure you have location extensions. Push apps when appropriate. Be relevant.
Summary
You’re probably not yet fully understanding what your data means so spend some time looking into it to ensure you’re acting on the best data you can get. Then act.
