5 Mobile Trends Predominate in 2015

Mobile has gone from the next big thing to businesses finding themselves in a position where if they are not mobile ready they run the risk of rapidly becoming irrelevant to the marketplace. You don’t need to do much more than walk down the sidewalk one day and spend some time dodging the people looking at their mobile phones to realize just how big mobile is right now.

If you want to connect with your customers, mobile is essential in the modern marketplace.

If you want to get the most out of your mobile application development makes sure you look at the latest trends before speaking with an iPhone application developer or Android application developer. Here are 5 mobile trends predominate in 2015:

Data is key

Data not only helps target ads and increase conversions but allows you to deliver personalized content that is relevant to your users to increase engagement. You have no doubt seen how Google and Facebook use data to try and deliver the most relevant ads possible. The same type of logic can be applied to the content on your application.

Mobile applications that do not take advantages of the opportunities presented by using data are essentially throwing darts in the dark and not delivering content to an established target. Content and ads that are delivered based on the interests of a particular user catch the interest of users and improve engagement.

Leverage location

Utilizing location in your mobile program is a must. Adding location data into your program will allow you to add context into your marketing program. Tracking location on a mobile device is simple so there is no reason not to be leveraging location data. Studies have shown mobile messaging and ads are most effective within 5 miles of a businesses location so make sure you take this into account when you start developing your mobile application.

Interactive ads improve engagement

With the mobile market maturing we are seeing interactive ads starting to stand out and increase user engagement and acquisition. There is a sense that interactive ads are fresh and new. Additionally interactive ads can give users a feeling of being in control, engaging the user on a personal level. Compared to static ads, interactive ads are shown to increase a drive in sales, which means this trend is likely to stick around.

Native ads continue to grow

If you haven’t heard the term, native advertising describes a trend where ads emulate the look and feel of the apps or mobile websites where they appear. These ads typically are displayed as blogs, videos and infographics that are designed to entertain and enlighten the viewers without expressly promoting a particular brand. Native ads usually discuss topics related to products or services the company is offering and provide valuable information to users.

Video ads are popular

As the size of phones increases and cell phone service improves we are seeing video ads getting more popular. Video is more engaging than text or image based ads. They let advertisers tell a compelling story to entice customers in a way that other ad formats cannot match. Additionally video is a hot trend in general in the mobile world so video ads fit within a media format that is rapidly increasing in popularity.

While these trends are hot across the industry as a whole, make sure you analyze you brand and apps to see how each of these can fit in and remember that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work with mobile. Find the opportunities in your trends that will for for you and your users.

Photo: Sharon & Nikki McCutcheon (Flikr) http://bit.ly/1AFxqtz