Mobility changes marketing’s rules of engagement

Mobile technology seems to change daily and we anticipate this will be an exciting year for mobile innovations. Here are some of our predictions for what is going to happen next:

* Improved coverage and capacity

As each country continues to develop, more and more people own mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) and there is much more demand for coverage. With this trend on the rise, consumer and government sectors, networks will need to become even faster and stronger to handle the increasing demands of big data.

In addition, initiatives such as Dubai’s ‘Smart City’ are pushing the development of a great variety of applications and further demand for high-speed, high-performance public wi-fi. As popularity grows for data-hungry applications and services, these will contribute to an exponential surge in data traffic. In response, this year will see an improved service with regards to coverage and capacity of mobile devices. Service will be stronger and more reliable.

* Variety of devices

Users of mobile devices are finding that they enjoy using different devices in different situations and it will be important for businesses to modify their business apps to each device. They even have a disorder now named Nomophobia, which is the fear of losing battery on your phone and being disconnected. New devices such as the smartwatch will be available to keep people constantly connected.

* Social Media will become more mobile-centric

Users are increasingly using their mobile devices to check social media and social media companies will adapt to suit the needs of their audience. Businesses will need to prioritise with a responsive design and to think about how consumers interact with them via mobile devices. Also, mobile advertising will become more widespread and tailored towards each individual person.

A recent survey by IDC revealed that 70 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement, “I plan to use my smartphone more to help my shopping experience in the coming year” compared to only 11 per cent of respondents who disagreed. As many consumers reach out to their trusted social networks via their smartphones while shopping, they are able to feel more confident and informed in their shopping decisions, thus increasing their spending. Social apps will have to be even more competitive and innovative, striving to find more ways to engage.

* Cloud will be irresistible

Cloud technology will become irresistible to users in 2014 as they use more apps and data on their devices. Currently cloud storage is available but not a necessity. However, as cloud technology links files to each one of your devices eliminating the need for hard drives and so on, users will want this technology.

* Emerging markets

An increasing number of people in emerging markets will be in a position to acquire their own mobile device and expectations will shift as these markets grow. It is not necessarily clear how to deliver customer experience on each device and businesses will have to test and try many approaches.

Screen size may not be as helpful as once thought to engage audiences. However, business analytics and location-based services will be seen as key growth areas and opportunities for businesses and end-users alike. These will become more and more significant as they will provide the opportunity for enterprises and service providers to offer value-added services to their customers and gain valuable business insights into their customers.

If a company can engage its customers in their exact moment of need with the right services, content, or information, mobile can be transformative. Businesses not only need to understand the context of the consumer’s needs in that moment, but need insights collected from data over time to know how to best serve them in that moment.

— The writer is CEO of Prototype Interactive.