While Twitter asks, “What are you doing?”, location-based apps like Foursquare and Gowalla ask users to “check in” wherever it is they’re doing it.  They show users’ friends where they are, provide venue information, and integrate “gaming” elements – users can earn both virtual and tangible incentives for particular actions. Because of their social qualities, checking in to a location is also a new way for users to make recommendations to their friends.

Location-based apps have opened up a new channel by which marketers can communicate with consumers.  Here are some examples of companies that have worked with location-based applications to develop unique interactive campaigns:

Gowalla and Incase

When a Gowalla user checks in to an Apple Store, they receive a virtual prize—an item that’s part of Incase’s line of bags, cases, and other gear (much of it designed for Apple products). After six Apple Store check-ins—by which time users acquire the entire line of virtual gear and an accompanying familiarity with the Incase brand– they receive the “Incase Pin of Glory.”

Foursquare and AJ Bombers

AJ Bombers, a restaurant in Milwaukee, WI, also utilizes the “game” aspect of location-based apps for marketing purposes. After noticing his Twitter followers’ interest in Foursquare, AJ Bombers’ owner, Joe Sorge, began planning Foursquare parties to give attendees chances to earn rare badges- and draw crowds into his restaurant.

Foursquare and Tasti D-Lite

When customers at New York dessert chain Tasti D-Lite swipe their frequency cards, an automatic update shows up on Twitter and Foursquare (for those who have chosen to link their accounts). Users who opt in to this program gain additional points towards purchases – while sharing their affinity for Tasti D-Lite with their friends.

So, what do these examples illustrate about how location-based apps can be using for marketing?

• Narrow your marketing focus to people who are likely to make purchases. For example, Incase targets users who are already at an Apple Store. They probably own products for which Incase makes gear, and they could purchase an Incase product right now.
• Use the “game” aspect of the apps to engage users. Both the Incase and AJ Bombers campaigns provide virtual incentives that entice heavy users of location apps to perform real world actions.
• Use promotions - like the events at AJ Bombers - to draw new customers.
• Use check-ins to track and reward frequent customers. Tasti D-Lite chose to combine this with a current promotion and simply update its frequency card program.
• Tie them in with other social media. Share your location-based campaign with your Facebook and Twitter contacts.
• Take advantage of their flexibility. Foursquare and Gowalla worked closely with Incase, AJ Bombers, and Tasti D-Lite to ensure the success of their campaigns. Since these young companies are still tweaking their apps (and determining how best to monetize their services), they’re open to ideas as to how to appeal to marketers.

As a very new marketing channel, location-based apps are changing and evolving quickly. Getting involved early gives you a chance to get creative, take advantage of innovative opportunities and ultimately lead in this emerging field.

If you’re out in an unfamiliar city, desperately craving a particular food, what’s the logical next step? For most people, it’s consulting a mobile device. You might use a general app to browse reviews of area restaurants, use a particular chain restaurant’s app to find their nearest location, or simply search for what you want on Google.

Whichever approach you take, though, you’re seeking a specific thing (a particular type of restaurant), in a specific place (wherever you are), right now. This increased desire for immediacy and specificity is a major factor differentiating mobile users from people seeking information via computers. To get the maximum ROI out of a mobile campaign, marketers must ensure they’re properly appealing to it and thus enabling users to find exactly what they want as soon as possible.

In terms of mobile site design, SEO and usability are key. A mobile user is seeking information fast, and, as a result, is even less likely to scroll through search results or wait for Page 2 to load. Small screen sizes augment the importance of mobile SEO, as fewer search results are going to show up “above the fold.” For these reasons, marketers need to ensure that their mobile sites are optimised in order to maximise rankings.

Once a mobile user has reached a site, they are usually seeking a specific type of information: reviews, recommendations, contact info, facts about a particular topic, etc. A website should load quickly, boast simple, intuitive navigation (users should be able to find what they’re looking for in one or two clicks), and illustrate knowledge of what visitors would be looking to find there. Since mobile users are generally seeking information that can be utilised right now, features like “click-to-call” links and store locators can make a huge difference in terms of encouraging transactions.

Native apps, if integrated into a mobile campaign, should also be carefully designed to give users as much practical utility as possible. Apps can add convenient user benefits by moving beyond what a browser can provide to work with a device’s other features. For example, several banks have designed apps allowing users to deposit checks via iPhone camera, and integration with a smart phone’s GPS capabilities results in apps that locate what users want and instruct them as to how to get there.

Like mobile websites, well-designed mobile apps – and even more so location-based apps – encourage users to take immediate action. As a result, the best mobile marketing campaigns provide marketers with a great ROI while they provide users with what they want from a company, where they are, right now.

More and more people are accessing the Internet via their mobile phones. Have you recently checked your website on a mobile phone to see how it renders?   Is the mobile version of your website easy to navigate and can it be used to find information related to your brand, or does it look all jumbled and distorted?

How do you know if people are using mobile devices to view your website?

If have Google Analytics installed it is easy to check.  In your Google Analytics dashboard, go to Visitors > Mobile > Mobile Devices.  Here you will find metrics regarding the mobile devices and operating systems that visitors used to access your website.

Most website owners will see that they have a fair number of mobile visitors, and if they take the time to analyse this data over say a year, they will undoubtedly notice that mobile traffic is increasing.

Below are a few things you can do to ensure that these visitors have an optimal mobile browsing experience on your website.

Perhaps, most obviously, create a separate mobile site. When a user visiting a mobile device lands on your website, they will be redirected to the simpler, cleaner mobile version.

Many platforms allow you to convert your site quickly and easily. On your mobile website, use as few images as possible.  If you have to include images make sure they’re the smallest size possible.  Avoid animation or fancy roll-overs.

The biggest limitation for mobile users is the size of their screen.  Navigation should be kept very simple. Also keep in mind that mobile visitors are more likely to be actively seeking content like your contact number or physical address. Visitors should be able to get to what they are looking for within a single click, so bear this in mind when planning your mobile site’s structure and navigation.

Read more about Optimising Your Website for Mobile Devices on TipsBlogger.com.