It’s been a fairly recent development that in order to have a company, you must have a website for that company before all else. However, we’ve now hit the time when, in order to have a company, especially a scalable company, you need a mobile responsive site and possibly even a mobile app. And a smooth interface is a must.

On average, users carry out 221 tasks on their smartphones per day, compared to 140 on a desktop or laptop. For the first time, Google is getting more mobile search requests than desktop searches, and this is only an indication of the greater trend that other media-savvy giants have been anticipating for some time. This migration to mobile also presents new opportunities for companies to market their products.

By using time and location-based targeted ads, investing in placements that potential consumers can access on-the-go, taking advantage of mobile social media growth, using innovative new services to present your message, and being able to sell products and services with apps like Apple Pay and Google Wallet, mobile marketing can be much more effective (and fun!) than it’s ever been. Here’s what you should know about mobile marketing.

Related Article: 80% of Consumers Are On Mobile. Where Are You Reaching Them?

Now Is the Time to Build a Mobile App

Mobile apps are a fun and exciting marketing tool, but they can also be expensive. Some businesses have felt that a mobile app may not worth the effort.

For startups and businesses which cater to a specific niche, mobile can offer a unique experience by providing regularly updated information that people can keep referring back to, and a mobile app can enhance company image exponentially which gains loyal followers.

One example for use is a chain of wine stores with an app that alerts users to special sales, suggests food and wine pairings, and allows users to scan and tag favorite labels for later reference. This business will have put themselves above and beyond their competitors rather quickly.

Related Article: Six Reasons Your SMB Needs Its Own App

Take Advantage of Available Apps

Particularly useful for brick and mortar shops and restaurants, directory services with location-based functions such as Yelp, Urbanspoon and Google Places can direct an amazing amount of walk-in clients to your door.

After all, it’s become de rigueur to research the restaurants in the neighborhood you’re in on a mobile phone, and then decide where to go. A little more visibility might make all the difference to getting more customers. Advertising with Twitter or Facebook can also net more potential customers from the mobile crowd.

SEO Still Reigns Supreme

As mobile searches become more ubiquitous than desktop searches, it becomes imperative to play nicely with Google’s ranking algorithms to drive more search traffic to your site.

Getting acquainted with the traditional SEO methods, and having a responsive website design (which Google favors when supplying search results for mobile searches) can put your company ahead of the competition.

To get ahead of the game, use Google Adwords to boost your brand’s visibility.

Related Article: M-Day is Almost Here: Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly Yet?

Consider the User

More than anything else, a shift to mobile is an excellent opportunity for creativity, and this is heavily inspired by the true personalization offered with a smartphone. We are now realizing that nothing is more personal than a mobile device.  

Companies have been able to create remarkable campaigns just by being aware of the habits, location and interests of their customers. The current dominant mobile apps vary by country across the world: in North America, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook still rule the mobile landscape.

In China, Weixin is the mobile chat network that is taking over the corporate and retail landscape with exclusive advertising campaigns from luxury brands, global news outlets and restaurants. In staying current and mindful of the habits of their consumers:

• Coca-Cola has been able to boost sales and stay relevant by their Share a Coke campaign
• Nike earned more customized shoe orders from a campaign that urged users to take inspirational photos
• Ikea lets people visualize their dream living room with an augmented reality app

More and more, large corporations are experimenting with personalization tools, hyper-localization and the technological freedom inherent with smartphones and tablets.

Consider that you will not want to be left behind the mobile app movement. If you are not working on this now, you are already behind in the game. Think how much you, yourself, use your mobile phone.

Watch those around you, with their phones, especially the millennials. The millennials are now the largest population, and the most diverse generation in the U.S. Watch how a millennial will rarely even buy a package of gum (slight exaggeration) without checking online to see who has the best price, and what kind of gum everyone else is buying.

You need a good, responsive mobile app, and you probably need it now.