Optimize B2B Content for Mobile: 8 Ways to Gain an Edge Over Competitors

Do you recall about a decade ago when smartphones were steadily becoming the most essential device in our lives? 

Back then, the prevailing expert guidance was that optimizing content for mobile devices was critical for consumer brands, but it was less urgent for B2B companies.

That time has passed.

You must optimize B2B content for mobile in order to effectively compete for customers online. 

Consider the following:

1. People perform business research via mobile more than you might think.

A survey recently published by BCG predicted that up to 70% of B2B searches are now made on smartphones.¹ In fact, according to Aumcore, 20% of mobile searches are made with voice control features.”² So, when you consider how practical voice search can be through a smartphone, the case for optimizing B2B content for mobile becomes even more compelling.

2. Reach B2B buyers where corporate IT has less sway.

Marketing to other businesses used to be a bit easier. Now, heightened corporate security and formidable firewalls have complicated that. As Ray Kingman writes in DemandGen Report, “The practical challenge of marketing to B2B decision makers on desktops means you face pushback from the IT department.”³

But there are ways to find an edge via mobile. 

Have you noticed a significant increase in B2B brands targeting you via Instagram ads on your smartphone? We have, for sure. While the platform might not seem like the ideal place to publish business-related ads and content, you may actually reach your audience more directly there. 

3. Make sure your website is fast and mobile responsive.

With 70% of internet traffic coming from mobile phones,⁴ B2B brand leaders must make sure visitors can access their website on their smartphones and tablets without discernible loading delays. That means working to make sure your mobile-responsive website is light enough to render pages quickly – even when there is limited bandwidth for users.

Also, according to a researcher for Review 42, “sites optimized for mobile receive 15% more unique clicks.”⁵ That may seem small, but can you imagine the advantage that gives you over competitors who aren’t as proactive?

4. Adjust email marketing tactics for prospects accessing them via mobile.

We know that at least 86% of mobile phone users access email accounts via their mobile device.⁶ It doesn’t require a massive leap to assume a good percentage of those emails come from B2B brands.

Though it’s a more popular B2C tactic, consider making it easier to reach your business by phone through those emails. Google says that “60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results (like the “click to call” option).”⁷

5. Video is a popular format on mobile devices as well.

While more critical for consumer brands, video has gained traction in the B2B arena for years. When you know that 60% of all videos are watched on mobile phones⁸ and 92% of mobile video users share videos with others,⁹ it’s easy to see how vital video and mobile are for B2B companies.

Perhaps the most compelling evidence is linked to the return video can deliver. One industry blog cites that 73% of B2B marketers reported videos positively impacting their ROI.”¹⁰

6. Optimize your blog posts for small screens.

With 71% of B2B buyers saying business blog posts factored into their purchase decision process, you’ll want to make sure they can access and consume that kind of information from your website with ease.

Break text into shorter sentences with more paragraphs and white space – and make sure images display optimally no matter what device your reader uses.

7. Attract more mobile device-based traffic with SEO tweaks.

Above, we established that voice is driving a growing number of online searches. When you know a significant number of these searches are posed as questions, it should impact the approach you take to content development, long-tail keyword research, and your SEO meta tags.

8. Consider a mobile app or progressive web app (PWA).

Some might say mobile apps are a more natural fit for consumer brands and social media than for B2B. And honestly, we tend to agree with that. 

But according to Business of Apps, “61% of companies believe that if a brand hasn’t deployed any enterprise mobile app, they’re at a competitive disadvantage.¹¹

And there’s evidence they’re right. A growing number of B2B technology companies have released hundreds of apps in recent years. 

If you can find legitimate ways to deliver value for your audience through a mobile app, you may want to test one out. Because if you can indeed meet customer needs that way, it will help you forge closer relationships that increase loyalty, advocacy, and CLV. 

But, what’s a progressive web app?

A PWA is essentially a website that behaves a bit like an app on mobile devices. This could be a great option for B2B brand teams who believe showcasing the benefits of their offerings could be done more effectively through an app-like interface – but who also want to avoid creating a barrier (downloading and installing an app) to deliver that experience.

Other benefits to the PWA approach include speed, visibility, and cross-platform accessibility.

Summary & Takeaways

The bottom line is that no matter what kind of organization you oversee marketing for, you’ll want to optimize B2B content for mobile. “If a website isn’t mobile-friendly, 50% of customers will stop visiting it, even if they like the business.”¹²

Mobile has increasingly impacted B2B buying decisions over the last few years. In a survey published by BCG, 60% said they have used their mobile device to help make a business-related purchasing decision, and that mobile-friendly content can expedite that decision by 20% and reduce the sales cycle by about 35 days.¹³

Help more prospects become customers, boost ROI, and deepen the relationship with existing customers by optimizing your B2B content for mobile.

Sources include:
1. Prediction by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) cited in “B2B mobile buyer behaviour research,” Dave Chaffey, Smart Insights, December 2018
2. “Mobile Marketing Trends and Stats Marketers Should Follow in 2020,” Therese Palmere, Aumcore.com, January 2020
3. “It’s Time For B2B Marketers To Disrupt The Funnel & Build The First-Party Data Pipeline,” Ray Kingman, DemandGen Report, July 2019
4. “70% of internet traffic comes from mobile phones,” Samantha Ann Schwartz, CIO Dive, November 2017
5. “The Most Relevant Mobile Marketing Statistics in 2020,” Teodora Dobrilova, Review 42, August 2019
6. “Inbox Evolution: Consumer email marketing trends and behaviors,” The Relevancy Group, 2018
7. “B2B Search Statistics,” Think with Google, 2020
8. “Study: Mobile devices snag 60% of all video views worldwide,” Robert Williams, Mobile Marketer, March 2018
9. “37 Staggering Video Marketing Statistics for 2018,” Mary Lister, WordStream, February 2020
10. “73% of B2B Marketers Say Video Positively Impacts Marketing ROI,” Carla Marshall, Tubular Insights, November 2015
11. “5 Ways B2B Companies Are Using Mobile Apps to Get Ahead of The Competition,” Ross Brown, Business of Apps, March 2017
12. “Think With Google, “What Users Want Most from Mobile Sites Today,” 2012
13. “Mobile Marketing and the New B2B Buyer,” Robert Archacki , Kate Protextor, Gaby Barrios, Nicolas de Bellefonds, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), 2017