We hope Part 1: Time to Fall Back in Love with Email got you thinking about your mobile email strategy for 2014, but we have some more things for you to consider…
Be Responsive with your Email (and Website)
Responsive Design hit the scene back in 2010, making it easy for anyone to have a mobile presence. The good news is; it is now available for email! In a nut shell, it dynamically renders and optimizes your content for the device it is being viewed on. So if your customers are on a PC/Mac, then go to their favorite tablet or hit the road with their preferred mobile device; your message is always optimized. An additional benefit is that responsive is future proof, so if a new device hits the marketplace, you will be good to go from day one.
Depending on how you currently deliver your mail (more on that later) you may have options that are native to the platform you are using. In some cases you may need to “break up” with your current email solution, so that you can take full advantage of all the benefits of responsive mail. We would recommend that you start with a seasoned list of well nurtured contacts and bring them over to the new platform for a test. An excellent vendor is ExactTaget (recently acquired by Salesforce), as they provide both templates and deliverability. For additional options, Website Magazine recently published a list of vendors for your consideration.
Website
If you currently do not have a mobile website or responsive design, then 2014 is certainly the year to make this happen. A Forbes article on online marketing trends for 2014 stated. “Whether it’s creating an alternate mobile version of a website or utilizing responsive web design, it’s important to provide a positive experience” for mobile users. If your current Content Management System (CMS) does not provide these options; it is definitely time to make a move to something prettier. Are you using WordPress as your CMS? GREAT, because your move could be as simple as choosing a responsive theme. We recommend you hit the dating scene at ThemeForest to view vendors vying for your attention.
Consider the Cloud
This may be the biggest break up you need to make and may hurt the feelings of those closest to the heart beat of your organization – your IT department!
As we have mentioned, some of these changes do require the latest in technology and the support needed to execute your vision. We have worked with many small to medium sized businesses (all the way to large brands) and we often hear; “I checked with my IT guys and they said “it” couldn’t be done. Well that may be true in the environment they have set up, but you do have options.
Question: Can your current infrastructure support your mobile and email goals for 2014?
If you are not sure, we would recommend you get educated by evaluating a few vendors that offer web based platforms that specialize in email, databases, deliverability, mobile and responsive design. Here is a short list to get you started:
All have videos, demos, articles and free trials that will allow you to experience how easy it can be to fall back in love with email and achieve your vision for the future.
Download our most recent guide:
Search Today and Beyond - A Guide to Optimizing Digital Marketing for the “Semantic Web”
Written by: Greg Gossler, Director of Marketing, NTENT
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