Many businesses are increasingly adopting mobile-first mentality, which means favoring mobile digital marketing tactics above traditional ones. And there are staggering numbers behind such a decision:

• The Internet boasts over 3.5 billion unique mobile users

• Nearly 90% of users grab their smartphone within an hour of waking up

• People spend an average 69% of their media time on smartphones

Indeed, mobile is an important business asset set to engage clients and drive sales. If your customer journey doesn’t rely on mobile yet, you’re probably missing the mark. To shape a reliable, compelling mobile experience, consider taking these four steps.

Facilitate payments

If your business revolves around selling goods or services, mind the fact that mobile payments are finally gaining traction after years of hype. US shoppers are actively using mobile wallets, such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Walmart Pay, and Google Pay to purchase items on the internet or at physical stores.

But Starbucks seems to be winning the competition. In US brick and mortar stores people pay with their smartphones and even earn credit for future purchases. The app’s popularity is staggering: Starbucks admits its mobile system accounted for 12% of all US transactions in Q2.

In China, the leaders of the mobile payment market are Alipay and WeChat, with 350 and 200 million users accordingly. Both providers extend their services to restaurants, retailers, e-commerce websites, and even let their clients pay parking tickets and utility bills.

To accommodate your clients in a similar way, think integration with the most popular cashless payment systems. This will make the checkout process easier and faster, while significantly improving shopping experience.

If you want to go even further, apply biometric payment technology. You can take Mastercard as an example. Its biometric app Identity Check Mobile spares users the need to remember passwords. Cardholders can verify their identity by scanning fingerprints or taking a “selfie” on their smartphones. With such a solution, Mastercard makes great progress in speeding up the payment process and strengthening security.

Introduce mobile loyalty programs

With a huge amount of buying options today, consumers are becoming choosier than ever. And before making a purchasing decision, they want retailers to demonstrate care. This leads to a soaring popularity of loyalty programs aimed to satisfy customer needs and reduce churn rate.

To notably improve your mobile marketing strategy, you can follow the example of big brands that take advantage of this trend. Here are some success stories for your inspiration.

Walgreens

This second-largest US pharmacy store launched a mobile app that serves as a purchasing tool and a reward program at the same time. Users get points not only for buying products but also for making healthy choices, for instance, exercising, giving up smoking, testing blood pressure, and more. With such an incentive program, Walgreens aims to promote a healthier lifestyle among their customers.

Ritual

Ritual is a service mobile app that allows ordering food from 1,600 different restaurants across the USA. By using this app, consumers can skip the line — a benefit that drives true loyalty. With every purchase, users get points that can be redeemed at any partner restaurant. Ritual Elite members receive early access to bonus points and exclusives like member-only events or secret menus.

Bet on location-based marketing

If you’re still out of the loop, location-based marketing (LBM) is a strategy honing in on a mobile phone’s location to inform its owner of nearby business offerings. Alerts usually come in the form of SMS messages or in-app notifications and include a discount coupon code or information about daily deals.

A growing opportunity for businesses of all sizes, such geofencing mobile marketing helps drive more traffic to stores, which positively affects the bottom line.

American Eagle is among the retailers that leverage mobile in-store. It’s Shopkick-driven app uses geofencing and beacon technology to track clients’ locations and engage them with gamified purchasing incentives. Namely, consumers are given kicks (a reward currency) for walking in, visiting the fitting room, and purchasing items. Shopkick’s users can also bookmark products online and get alerts when they’re in the shop that sells these items.

Another LBM example is the “Hijack” campaign by Meat Pack, a Guatemalan shoe shop. Powered by GPS technology, its mobile app spots potential clients at  competitor stores, like Nike or Adidas, and launches “a discount clock”. The countdown starts from a 99% discount and drops it by 1% per second, forcing users to virtually rush into a nearby Meat Pack’s store. The company reports to have enticed about 600 shoppers, with one of them getting a 89% discount.

Invest in Augmented Reality

From education to banking, AR continues to forge ahead. In 2016, the global revenue from AR-enabled mobile apps reached $725.4 million dollars, and there are all signs of further growth.

Indeed, AR shows great potential, and many businesses are already putting this tech to innovative use and reaping the benefits. For instance, L’Oréal Paris Makeup Genius app lets clients virtually try on about 4,500 products from its cosmetic brand’s catalogue — by using a smartphone or a tablet. This way, L’Oréal not only intends to provide customers with a new, powerful way to experience products, but also to generate more sales.

Sport is another sphere where AR could shine. To wit, FC Bayern launched a mobile app with AR functionality to allow users to “meet” their favorite players. Football fans just need to activate their phone’s camera to enjoy a mixed reality experience with Manuel Neuer or Arjen Robben standing in front of them.

According to the club’s Director of Media, Digital and Communications, Stefan Mennerich, such an app is a good way to boost user engagement. “It is important to us that we continue to offer these innovative experiences, not only to ensure that we are connecting with our family of fans on all levels but also to continue advancing digital technology used in the sport sector,” he said.

Summing it up

More and more people are shifting their focus from desktop to mobile. Whether they’re searching or shopping, mobile has become a critical player in their daily interactions, and your digital presence should correspond to this trend.

To help you with that, we’ve outlined a four-step recipe for mobile-first success. And depending on your specific business needs, you can capitalize on cashless payments, loyalty programs, geomarketing, AR, or add some other tactics to your marketing arsenal.