Catching Fire
Flathead Valley “Catching Fire”
That headline may seem a bit peculiar as we are experiencing the first snowfall of the season, but I am not referring to the weather or the movie bearing the same name. By “Catching Fire”, I am referring to local Flathead businesses responding to their greatest marketing challenge in decades.
The abrupt conversion from desktop PCs to smartphones and tablets in accessing the Internet signals a paradigm shift that will forever change the way companies interact with their customers. What was once a convenience has evolved into a lifestyle change that involves 24 hour connectivity to the Internet via mobile devices. Good, bad or indifferent - and regardless of whether you personally love it or hate it, this is the new marketing reality.
“Catching Fire”, the movie sequel to “The Hunger Games” (due to open in theaters November 22nd) and it embodies a central theme of survival, and the conflict between interdependence and independence”, according to Wikipedia. Interdependence is a relationship in which all parties are mutually dependent on the others, and that actually describes most business relationships in this age of smartphone connectivity.
Your customers are searching for your products and services on their smartphones; they want it now and they demand to have it formatted to fit their mobile device. If your website is not mobile-friendly, they will abandon your site and you will lose another sales opportunity.
Is your business “Catching Fire”
I am seeing it happen more every day. Local businesses are becoming aware of this smartphone revolution and responding; almost every phone call and email I receive is related to mobile marketing. People want to know what must be done to make their website smartphone-friendly and how the Flathead Guide can help them attract more customers.
Every business participates in “The Hunger Games” in that if a business is not successful, many people (you and your employees) could go hungry. Ignoring what is happening in the mobile marketing arena is the one sure way to ensure that your business will not survive.
This is not science fiction
This is TODAY! It is “responsive” marketing in that your website must respond (be formatted) correctly when viewed from any device; a desktop, laptop, tablet PC, smartphone or even a widescreen TV. This age of responsive marketing is changing the way your customers connect with your website and interact with your business. This is how business is being done today and into the foreseeable future.
There is no silver arrow (bullet)
Hiring Jennifer Lawrence to be a spokesperson for your business will not be as effective as making your website mobile-friendly and responsive to all viewing devices. Advertising will not affect your rank in search results and that is the most important factor in expanding your business reach and attracting new customers.
Millions of people visit the Flathead every year to experience all that northwest Montana has to offer. They no longer haul their laptops with them; they rely on their smartphones and tablets to find what they are searching for. Add to that the tens of thousands of local residents who shop here and hire local services, and our potential market exceeds that of many large metropolitan areas.
Maybe you know this…
The Flathead Guide is the official “Flathead Valley Business Directory” hosting business listings and local informational for all of northwest Montana. The Guide is an exclusive digital directory that is optimized for all mobile platforms.
What Flathead businesses may not know
Search engines display unique results for different devices; mobile searches see different results than those performed on a desktop PC. This means that your primary website may not be included in a smartphone search, but your listing in the Flathead Guide is accessible to all search queries. Thus, you can increase the chance that a customer can find your business if you have a listing in the Flathead Guide.
Additionally, the link from the Flathead Guide pointing to your primary website will help to increase your primary website’s rank in search results.
So, even if your website is not yet responsive, you can help to increase the odds by having your business listed in the Flathead Guide. The official Flathead Valley Business Directory is “Catching Fire” and your business should be part of this revolution.
“Every revolution begins with a spark.” Join the smartphone revolution - add your listing to the Flathead Guide and start “Catching Fire”, http://www.flatheadguide.com/submit-listing/
* All references to “Catching Fire”, and the “Hunger Games” are trademarks of their respectful owners, All rights reserved. Motion Picture Artwork © 2013 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc
