RCS and other mobile trends in 2017

Mobile technology trends

Mobile technology has seen significant growth in the past decade. And it’s no surprise as communication moves more towards the always-on, mobile-first era. 2017 will be no different. In fact, it’s been earmarked as a watershed year for mobile as even more innovative technologies emerge. Any business owner, or indeed, any human, who cares about the way the world’s going, should consider these key mobile trends for this year and into next.

Mobile first search rankings

In November last year, Google announced that it was shifting to mobile-first indexing in 2017. Sure, it’s still a few months off, but if you run a business or even a personal blog, then you want to make sure that your precious information is all readily recognizable by Google’s mobile ranking algorithm. Otherwise, you’re going to be all but invisible when the tech-giant does make the switch. With this switch, you’re going to need to pay a bit more attention to how your customers’ behavior and expectations change as this will affect key mobile word searches. And that’s something that your content must incorporate.

You should also make sure that your website is as responsive as possible. It should automatically adjust to the device it is being viewed on, especially mobile.

Engaging with customers via messenger

Despite mobile app fatigue being rampant, interest in mobile messaging apps is stronger than ever. The likes of WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Facebook Messenger have hundreds of millions of people use them every day. It’s how we communicate with each other in the modern era. It follows then that businesses should interact with us in the same way.

And for a long time, Google seemed to be a little lost in its messaging strategy. There were so many different chat apps available on Android that it was all a little overwhelming. Rich Communication Services (RCS) is the next generation of mobile messenger apps and it finally seems that Google’s playing in the right space again.

But the messaging app world poses a dilemma for marketers. They must successfully navigate a knife’s edge if they are to deploy effective communication with their customers using messaging apps. It’s a highly personal space. Customers are accustomed to connecting with their inner friend and family circles on these channels. The introduction of brands can certainly be met with hesitancy or distaste. Businesses should identify the most fundamental need of their customers and make that their entry point. The clearest example of this is customer service. Giving customers a channel to ask questions or resolve issues can build trust and open the door to further interactions.

5G is still a distant dream, but we can start preparing

As the world becomes increasingly connected, the need for a connected infrastructure grows. 5G is set up to be the mobile internet’s savior and will pave the way for unprecedented growth in the Internet of Things. Everything will be more connected because of it, but predictions place the earliest release of the technology in 2019. As we recently highlighted, the GSMA, a governing body that represents the world’s mobile operators, recently released a report targeting 2020 as a breakthrough year for 5G. So, what do we do until then? Well, start preparing. Businesses should be thinking about how 5G will enable everything from communication to content. And adapt accordingly. A small example of this might be in the content that’s being produced. Previously, connectivity infrastructure only allowed for text-based content to be deployed. With 5G, HD video and voice-enabled content will be easily digestible.

As consumers grow into the mobile-first era, businesses will learn how mobile best fits their markets. Quality data will be more readily available and businesses will be able to customize their communication accordingly. All in all, 2017 is set to be an exciting year for mobile progression. If you’d like to learn more about other ways that technologies like RCS are shaping our world, then read our latest article. It’ll whet your appetite for these technologies by outlining why you should care about Google’s latest communication platform. If you're interested in implementing RCS messaging for your business, read more and sign up for early access to our RCS business messaging solution.