Consumers are spending more and more time on phones, and most have a hard time going longer than 7 minutes without interacting with their devices throughout the day. In turn, marketers want to make the most out of these multiplying touchpoint opportunities they may have via mobile. But, here’s some advice: It’s not all about mobile. There are four key ways consumers typically interact with a business: an old-school phone call, in-store visit, a traditional website, and mobile. Often today, one medium will lead to another. For example, mobile search will lead to a brick-and-mortar visit or a phone call will drive a shopper to an eCommerce site. However, if a consumer has a bad experience with any of the other three channels, then chances are they will not be interested in the business’ mobile site, app or loyalty program. Consumers can join the unordered system at any time. They can also leave at any time. With this in mind, marketers must adapt a mobile strategy that works seamlessly, regardless of where a shopper may be in the sales cycle. Keeping a cohesive strategy across all channels is the most important part of a growth-producing mobile strategy. The next way to capitalize on mobile is to keep it simple, pretty and available. Maintain systems and programs that talk to one another internally. This will keep retention rates up and eliminate frustration for your consumers across multiple devices or programs. A mobile marketing strategy should also make the most out of the time spent on that small screen. Do this by creating the fewest number of “clicks” to arrive at destinations and taking advantage of the screen with clear and easy-to-read images, correct sizing, vertical video, functional barcodes/scanners, etc. Availability means maximizing the time consumers spend on mobile by creating influential moments that lead to impulse purchases. A great example of this is Pinterest adding “Buy” buttons to pins. Offer as many influential moments as possible and power up your purchases by making it quick and easy to say “Yes!” Consider which fields you can help populate and what keyboards will streamline the process. Finally, don’t get hypnotized by the latest and greatest technology while trying to stay ahead of the curve. Very often new tech promises increased revenue and a “cool” consumer experience, but in reality it is dependent on adoption and ease of use. Set marketing objectives, identify potential challenges and find the solutions to help you meet your goals. From localization to payment processing to text campaigns, any strategy should involve vendors that have a strong track record. When to take a risk on shiny new things? Try new technology out on short campaigns, so the benefits and value can be quantified before buying and implementing them for the long term. At the end of the day, remember that mobile is a key component to a marketing strategy, but it cannot be the only one. Simplicity, ease of use, and dependability are what are important to your consumers. Buying something should always be the easiest thing to do. Base the majority of your marketing strategy on proven technology and concepts…but top it off with a little sparkle when you can. This article appeared on the CommPRO site on July 14, 2015. http://www.commpro.biz/marketing/mobile-marketing/take-a-spa-approach-wi...