The evolution of technology in recent years has meant more people are using their mobile phones to access the internet. Accordingly in 2005, the .mobi domain – a domain designed specifically for access by mobile devices – was approved. So what does this mean for your business? What exactly is a .mobi domain? And do you need one?

            The idea behind a .mobi domain is to create a website that can be easily accessed and viewed by a mobile device. If you already own a phone with internet access, you know that you can already view pretty much any website on your phone (.com, .net, .org, etc.) regardless of the domain. A properly-designed .mobi site simply makes the site easier to use and navigate; the site is intended to be viewed on a smaller screen with a mobile connection.

Once advantage to .mobi sites is that search engines know if you’re searching on a mobile phone, and will give preference to sites using the .mobi domain. This means the search results are more likely to include a .mobi site than a non-.mobi site.

So do you need a .mobi site? It depends on your current website and your business, and will take some research to figure out.

First, try visiting your current website from a mobile device. How is the experience? Is it difficult to navigate? Are you able to see things clearly enough? If it’s an awkward experience (and feel free to enlist friends to do the same thing) you have a few different options.

1. Maybe you don’t do anything. Look at your target demographic; are a significant portion of them using mobile devices to access your website? How much revenue do you think you’re losing by not having a mobile-friendly site? If you’re not alienating a key demographic, you probably shouldn’t worry about it.
2. Maybe you try to improve your current site. Like was mentioned, mobile devices can already access your .com site, but maybe it’s just a little cluttered. Try some design changes, or have contact information prevalent so they can call you (you know, use the “talky” part of their phone) if they have questions. But keep track of the data; if the changes don’t bring greater revenue, you may want to stick with what you had before.
3. Maybe you invest in a good .mobi site. If your customers need a better experience when visiting your site on their mobile devices, and your current site is hurting the bottom line, you should probably make the investment. Plus, this may give you an advantage on your competition when people search for your product on their phones.

Weigh the pros and cons, then make an educated decision about creating a .mobi site. If it’s not going to directly help build your business, there’s likely not a pressing need to create one.

If you don’t have an email list for your online business, it’s like someone taking the time to build a beautiful brick and mortar store and then not having a cash register. A solid email list is an incredible asset that helps your sales go through the roof! Did you know that most people don’t make a purchase from a website until they’ve visited it at least five times? This means that when a potential customer visits your site, it is likely that no matter how long they spend, they are not going to make a purchase during that visit. By collecting their email you have the opportunity to stay in contact with them and market to them in the future. If they visit your website once and then leave, they may never return again. In that case, you’ve not only lost a sale, but the potential of continued business from that customer. This is why an email list is so crucial. You simply can’t effectively market without it!

Every person on your email list is a potential customer. You need to tell them why they need your emails and how it will benefit them. Doing so will help you build a loyal email list of people who understand who you are and what you will be providing them. A huge benefit of having an email list is that you can be proactive with information. For example, you can send out an email to new signups that answers a handful of frequently asked questions. This allows you to give them the information they may have been wondering about and also answers questions they didn’t even know they had! Taking this approach provides them with helpful information and drastically cuts down on your incoming calls and emails.

When it comes to their personal information, most people are understandably protective and wary of giving it out unnecessarily. Be absolutely certain that you clearly state your privacy policy. Everyone hates spam. In fact, many people are actually afraid of it, because it can be accompanied by viruses and other nasty things. Let your subscribers know from the get-go that their information is safe with you. Your policy could state something like this, “We will never sell, trade or share your email with a third party.” Make your privacy policy easy to see – people shouldn’t have to click a link to see it. For one thing, linking to it may lead people to think that you have something to hide. Additionally, some states actually require you to put include your privacy policy right at the point of opt-in, so you should stay on the safe side and make it obvious. This transparency and openness will help people trust you and boosts your email marketing success!

When you purchase computer software from a store or download it from a website, it comes in a “compiled” format. This means that the source code created by the developer has been run through a program which translates the code into a format your computer can understand. This compiled code is nearly impossible to modify, which protects manufacturers from others stealing their products. Another name for such software could be “closed source,” because the source code is protected and inaccessible to common users.

On the flipside you have open source software, which makes the source code available to the public. This means that users can modify it and distribute it freely. In fact, this interaction is encouraged by the creators. So why would anyone take the time to create software and then give the public the opportunity to alter it and distribute it free of charge? Software developers who support the open source model believe in a collaborative effort and welcome the improvements and corrections that will come from the technological community. In this way, open source software is a direct response to the tightly guarded, and often flawed, software created by commercial companies like Microsoft.

Although some people might fear rampant abuse from such free reign, open source software is valued and respected by the programmer community. Contributors aren’t motivated by financial gain and sincerely attempt to improve it for others. This peer review system produces bug-free products that rival commercial software in their design and capabilities.

All companies know how expensive it is to market themselves to new customers.  TV spots, print ads, web space, and radio ads are some of the most popular, effective, and expensive ways to get the word out about a new company.  Retaining customers once they are found, however, is an inexpensive and proven way to build business.  One of the best ways to market a business to existing customers is through email marketing.

Many companies that have email lists use a voluntary double opt-in system that allows customers to sign up for email newsletters.  This way, companies can be sure that they aren’t pestering customers when they send email messages.  Also, by making email newsletters an opt-in feature, companies develop a list of engaged and interested customers that will be receptive to email marketing and could potentially become their most valued and loyal patrons.

With a focused list of interested customers, email newsletters are a great reminder in a personal venue (their inbox) to valued customers that the company is still there, still offering great products.  Newsletters are great places to announce sales and provide links to new products or special offers.  Companies that reach out to their customers build trust and brand loyalty. 

Email marketing is extremely cheap and very easy to gather information from.  There are programs that companies can download for free or for a small fee that allow marketers to track how many of their delivered emails were opened, which links were clicked, and ultimately how many sales were made from the email.  With this kind of information, sales campaigns can be focused and strategized with ease.

If you aren’t taking advantage of the inexpensive and focused marketing opportunity that is email, you are doing your company a disservice.  Start designing, sending, and tracking marketing emails now and reap the benefits of building relationships with your valued customers.

Is it possible that less is more? In the case of traffic for your site, the answer is yes! Rather than focusing on getting massive amounts of traffic, PMI Coaching recommends that you shift gears and focus instead on attracting qualified traffic. Here’s the difference: general traffic includes all kinds of people, most of which have no interest in your products or services. Qualified traffic, on the other hand, is comprised solely of those who are potential customers and familiar with your niche. By seeking qualified traffic, you’ll make more sales and enjoy overall customer satisfaction. Your visitors will appreciate the relevancy of your site to their search or need, and leave happy.

The good news is that contextualized advertising has made it easier to attract qualified traffic than ever before. In its simplest form, contextualized advertising is advertising that is specifically geared toward individual users based on their preferences and online history. For example, if you search for the phrase “bass fishing” on Google, the ads you see displayed on the page will be based on that term in order to provide you with ads that stand a good chance of appealing to you. In this case, the ads on the page might be for a new Abu Garcia bass reel, a Rapala crankbait or even a new bass boat. For more information on how contextualized advertising works, refer to this article.

Social media services like Facebook also play a strong role in attracting qualified traffic by providing incredibly accurate targeting tools. For example, if you were selling jazz music collectibles, you could type in the names of artists like Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane into the keyword box provided. Facebook would then target their users who have these words appearing in their profiles or group lists. Facebook would also suggest related keywords for you to use. In the case of this jazz music example, Facebook might suggest other famous jazz musicians whose names appear on users’ pages, such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. In addition to providing you with keywords, Facebook also has ten elements which allow you to target your marketing: location, age, birthday, sex, education, workplace, relationship, interested in, languages and connections. A successfully targeted ad uses a combination of five or six of these elements to find the most likely potential customers.

Remember, getting thousands of random people to visit your site is not going to result in the conversions you want. Success comes by bringing the right people to the right part of your site. By utilizing contextualized advertising and the advantages of social media, you can operate within your niche and find people who are happy to buy from you.