Why retailers struggle to connect with Customers via mobile

Retailers find it challenging to connect with customers via their mobile devices.  One obvious issue is most are over complicating campaigns even though customer expectations are fairly low since their needs are immediate.  This article published on Mobile Commerce Daily.com is clear about the challenges of not over complicating the engagement process.   There are many ways to over complicate any campaign.  Plus there are many tools that without careful consideration of the user experience, create obstacles to participation.  However, by ensuring these two factors are addressed thoroughly, all complications and application inconveniences can be overcome.
1.  Know how to communicate with your customers and the language that resonates with them.
2.  The recipients feel what they are receiving is valuable.
I know it seems I may have just belittled your knowledge but I felt it was important to state because 95% of all our customers would have missed the mark if left unchecked.  Yes 95%, and that is just too high.
Once you have figured out the “why” and the language that excites your customers, if you are new to mobile or just trying to figure out where to start, the following technique will simplify your decision making.
Start your mobile initiatives somewhere other than in marketing.  Consider starting your first initiative in customer service by offering order status updates with text alerts.  Besides it immediately ceasing all hypothesizing and heated internal discussions founded likely on unknowns, it has been road tested with 15+ clients to ensure your success with mobile.  Chances are high you are already offering updates via email, so expanding your communication channel to include mobile and allowing your customers the choice of email or SMS updates, will provide immediate value.  By monitoring participation, in 30 short days will you will have a great indicator of how well mobile marketing initiatives will be received.  As a benchmark, most of the companies found 30-60% of their customer preferred SMS updates.   For all marketing and growth managers, I know this suggestion might be impossible because directive #1 is to spend only on items that generate sales.  If that is the case and a test is out of the question, comment below or email me I will send you a sweepstakes suggestion that includes a valuable technique  how to enrich engagement with you customers and have everyone on your board and your nemesis in eCommerce take notice.