child with mobile phoneDid you know that 7 out of 10 UK consumers now have smartphones? That statistic is probably no big surprise in itself – after all, how many people out and about do you see using them these days – but what is surprising is that 83% of smartphone users still use them primarily as phones (I know, I know, just call everyone old fashioned!).

Recent research (December 2013) by digital experts Econsultancy has thrown up some interesting statistics about the use of smartphones:

  • 67% search for information on the Internet
  • 62% take photos
  • 57% use their phones for social media

So surfing the Internet and using Facebook both figure quite largely, and that would suggest that all the talk about how people are spending more and more time on social media is absolutely true. Wrong! Coming a close second to using smartphones to make calls is checking email – 73% of users read their emails on their phones.

More people use their smartphones for checking emails…

That one statistic speaks volumes to me. It means that businesses should be ensuring that marketing emails are designed to be responsive and easy to read on a smartphone. If customers can’t read your emails because there is just too much information on such a small screen or get fed up of waiting for images to load you are automatically running the risk of losing them. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes – or think about your own experiences as a customer – and imagine the frustration of not being able to read an email that might potentially contain a fantastic offer or valuable information.

If they can’t access emails from one business they will most likely buy from another business that has taken the time and trouble to ensure they can engage with customers on all devices. And here’s the killer statistic: only 25% of marketers (and probably even more small business owners) actually optimise their emails for smartphones.

But how do I get a mobile optimised email template?

Us small business owners don’t have squillions to spend on fancy responsive design mobile email templates but fear not! Many of the email marketing service providers are now providing email Responsive design mobile template exampleoptimised emails templates making it even easier for you to ensure your emails can be viewed easily and used by your ‘on the move’ audience.

Mail Chimp (my small business email marketing weapon of choice!) provides some great off-the-shelf templates that work very well. Custom designed templates may be the ideal but these are a good workable solution for small businesses.

I’m loving how my new mobile responsive email template from Mail Chimp looks on my iPhone (shown left). Really easy to read.

Try it for yourself! Mail Chimp is free. 🙂