Mobile Marketing Strategies For Retail Businesses

According to a study performed by Strategy Analytics, there are now over a billion smartphone users throughout the world -- and this number continues to grow with each passing month. Retail store owners can take advantage of this massive, ever-growing market by incorporating mobile advertising strategies into their portfolio. But how exactly can retail store owners promote their products through mobile devices? And what kind of return on investment can retailers expect from this type of marketing? To learn the answers to these questions and more, keep reading.

QR Code Marketing

QR codes have become one of the hottest tools in modern-day mobile marketing. These otherwise ordinary barcodes allow business owners to build a stronger online following with minimal effort. If this is your first time hearing about QR codes, let me give you a quick breakdown on how they work: QR stands for Quick Read, and that's exactly what happens. Business owners spread through QR codes on flyers, mail advertisements, cards, posters, banners, or even fast food beverage containers. When someone scans the QR code with their smartphone (all major smartphone platforms have this feature), they'll be taken to the company's website.

As a retail store owner, you can build more traffic to your website through the use of QR codes. You can launch promotional material with QR codes that link to specific in-store coupons. With the holidays upon us, you can expect plenty of users to take advantage of these coupons. QR codes are a nifty little invention that all business owners should take advantage of.

Build an App

Of course, retail store owners can also build an official smartphone app for your retail store. I know what you're thinking -- how am I supposed to build an app without any prior coding knowledge or experience? While having this type of knowledge would certainly help, there are dozens of companies out there whom specialize in mobile application development. You simply convey your objectives and they'll take care of the rest.

If you need a little inspiration on designing an app for your retail store, check out some of the other apps for the nation's leading retailers. Browsing around on the Android and Apple marketplaces will reveal plenty of store apps. While some of these are based around simple games, others are designed with news and/or coupons.