Mobile marketing might feel like a bit like the latest over-hyped thing, but it has actually been around for a long time.  Smart mobile devices are becoming ubiquitous and growth shows no sign of slowing down as people enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes from accessing the internet from anywhere, any time.
If you are planning a mobile campaign or want to optimise your site for mobile, you should be aware of the most common mistakes that people make. Here are some of them:

1. Treating desktop and mobile users the same.

Mobile marketing works best when you take a different approach and provide shorter, more focused content that takes into account the context in which the mobile visitor is in. The mobile version of your website should be more than just a shrunken version of your desktop.

2. Failing to consider what's different

Failing to take into account the limitations of mobile devices such as:

• bandwidth limits
• small screens
• no mouse
• no printer
• no hover ability.
• Fingers are a blunt instrument so links and buttons too close together will lead to frustration as the wrong one is clicked on.
• Forms are hard,so don't ask for a lot of information to be typed (or more correctly pecked) into your order or registration forms.
• And just because everyone has a mobile device, remember it's not the same device.

3. Failing to consider what they can do

Conversely, failing to take advantage of mobile devices capabilities.  In particular the location awareness ability and the increased likelihood that the user is looking for instant gratification.  Whether it is to find out a departure time, a handy cafe or to buy something - they want it then and there.

Calls to action and ways to help them achieve these goals are a must.

4. Not optimising your website for mobile

Having your QR code, app or mobile ad link to the desktop version of your website (either due to lack of planning or lack of a mobile version of your site) is a mistake.

The visitor is on a mobile device – they don't want to struggle their way around a full-screen website, scrolling forever to find what they want, after waiting for what seems like forever for the page to load. Even worse if your site uses a lot of Flash, as this won't work on most mobile devices.

5. Jumping too quickly onto the mobile marketing bandwagon.

There is a lot of advice about how your website should be optimised for the mobile user, how you should be targeting Adwords etc.

But don't jump in and start developing an app or launch into a responsive re-design of your site without knowing what approach you are going to take and why.

What percentage of your market accesses your services via mobile device? For us (as an example) only 3% of visits over the last 6 months have been via a smartphone, and this is not that different from many of our client's websites, who are predominantly service based businesses.

Mobile has more advantages for some industries than others, so think what is going to best achieve your objectives by meeting the needs of your audience.

6. Buying into QR code mania

QR codes get a special mention in this post QR Codes – when they work, and what mistakes to avoid

And the rest

There are many others, including not promoting your mobile offer, failing to test and forgetting about privacy and security.

Mobile marketing is everywhere and you could miss out on some huge opportunities if you aren't or don't embrace this channel, so don't let this list stop you doing it, particularly if it makes sense for your industry. 

Just don't jump straight into the execution without a plan that includes what, why, how and when.