Is your ad mobile-friendly?

It’s now common to see consumer searches for retailers coming via mobile rather than desktop. And sales and conversions are on the rise through those channels as well. It’s a reinforcement of the importance of mobile optimization.
 
Properly optimized mobile sites are easy to navigate, fast to load, and friendly on the eyes, but this shift away from desktop to smaller screens is creating challenges for businesses trying to reach consumers.
 
There has been some backlash against having the traditional go-to banner ads on mobile. The trend has shifted away from banner ads towards using “native advertising” – essentially camouflaging your advertisement with the content on the website. Native advertising is shown to have a positive reception by consumers.
 
However, banner ads can still work, as long as they are designed for mobile or tablet. Samsung, for example, utilized the touch screen capabilities to create a 3D advertisement for their products. Being creative and taking advantage of mobile and tablet platforms for your advertisement will attract more people to click than using the same advertisement that is used on a desktop.
 
So with limited screen space and consumer attention spans, how can companies ensure their advertisements still reach their target audiences?
 
It’s critical that you preview your ad before giving it the green light for mobile devices. There are different ways to do this. The simplest way is to pull up the site or ad on your phone and tablet and experiment with the navigation. Is it intuitive to use? Does it load swiftly? Does it bring you to purchase points or the call to action with zero hassle?
 
To preview content and find out more details, try using Google AdWords Preview Tool. The Ad Preview tool can be used without having to sign in, but if you want to view the effectiveness of the keywords within the tool, you need to sign into your Google account. Once logged in, you can find the ad preview and diagnosis tool under the ‘Tools’ tab. After you finish completing the required fields and click preview, you’ll be able to see all of the information regarding your ad status and a preview of how the ad actually looks in the results.
 
The tool allows you to see whether certain search terms lead browsers to your content in different locations. What’s nice about the Preview Tool is it allows you to see the ad or site without increasing the number of impressions. As the divide between number of impressions and click through rate (CTR) increases, Google’s algorithm will reduce the quality score of your ad, which can lead to a compromised ad positioning and a rise in cost per clicks (CPCs). In addition, the tool identifies which keywords lead consumers to your ad and explains why your ad may not show up in results as expected.
 
Optimizing your ads and sites for mobile and tablets will not only make your company more visible as consumers shift their search habits, it will make your brand more likeable without intrusive ads. The last thing you want is to give potential consumers a reason to complain, or even worse, just pass you by.
 
Jeff Quipp is an expert on digital marketing.
He is the founder and CEO of Search Engine People Inc. (SEP),
Canada’s largest digital marketing firm, which has been on the
PROFIT 100 ranking of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies
for the past five consecutive years and named one of PROFIT
Magazine’s 50 Fastest Growing Companies in the Greater
Toronto Area.
You can follow Jeff on Twitter and
connect with him on Google+.