From silly mistakes such as linking mobile ads to non-mobile websites to fatal mistakes like placing a QR code on the far side of subway tracks (really it’s fatal), mobile marketers have made them all. Indeed the world of mobile marketing is treacherous and mistakes are understandable. But some mistakes are bigger than others. While some may render your company’s mobile marketing campaign unsuccessful, others can annoy your customers and damage your company’s reputation. While every mobile marketer will make some mistakes along the way, here’s a look at four big mistakes than can easily be avoided.

No mobile search optimization

An internet search is an internet search, right? Wrong. Searches performed on a mobile device are entirely different than searches from a desktop. A problem many small businesses make is failing to account for those differences. For instance, keyword optimization should be very different. At a home computer, people are more likely to perform generalized searches about a broad category or topic. On their mobile devices however, people have a destination in mind. They’re searching for specific thing and a specific company. If you want your company’s name to turn up in their search results, you need to optimize your website for location based search results. Make sure your business’s address and phone number are easy to find. Don’t embed them in an image. They should be in the form of a link that mobile users can click to call or see a map.

Build it and they still won’t come

Many small businesses mistakenly believe that by simply launching a mobile friendly site, mobile users will begin flocking to it. This isn’t the case. Businesses need to market their marketing campaigns. Whenever your company launches any new mobile content you need to make your customer base aware of it. Advertise the new content every way you can think of so you can give your new content the push it will need in order to be seen.

Mobile apps

Mobile apps are all the rage right now in the mobile marketing world. They probably shouldn’t be. For most customers, being asked to download an app is more than they’re willing to do. For those that do download your app, most won’t use it very often unless it’s unique and offers the customer real value. The types of apps that are successful are very expensive to design. Rather than waste a big chunk of you budget on developing an app, consider taking advantage of a third party app. If your business is a restaurant, for instance, work with apps like Urbanspoon or Yelp rather than trying to create your own.

Blocking mobile traffic

Another mistake small businesses make is blocking mobile customers simply because the website isn’t mobile friendly. While it is certainly better for mobile users to access a website that is optimized for mobile, viewing a website designed for PC is still better than being blocked out altogether. Many mobile browsers today are capable of making non mobile friendly sites display content in a way that is a little easier to read.

Source:  Forbes