It is really encouraging to read the results of this case study involving Buffalo Wild Wings. Not because their wings are the best (Wing Stop has them hands down), but because they are engaging their customers in the proper place in the sales funnel.

Last year was a banner year for mobile development, if only because it was the first real opportunity to gather data on how people use their mobile devices and how marketers can properly engage them. Many in the biz know that desktop users are classified in the “research” stage, highest in the funnel (meaning farthest away from a purchase). They are gathering information, mostly to bookmark or come back to for further investigation.

Tablet users, once thought to be akin to mobile phone users, are almost as high in the funnel as desktop users. Nearly three-fourths of tablet users engage their device in the home. While there is a little bit of difference between the two, there’s not much. It makes sense to make the tablet version of your site alike to desktop since the use is almost exact.

Phone users, however, are much further down the funnel. Users search and seek on this device when they are out and about, ready to make a purchase. I found myself in this particular situation recently when I found that the walk-in clinic I used my desktop machine to locate was not for walk ins. I had to then use my phone to locate the closest acute care clinic.

Buffalo Wild Wings realized that their customers would be checking scores on their phones on NFL Sundays, and the best way to reach them for specials would be on that screen. Because of this study, they found that purchase intent rose at twice the rate of desktop site advertising.

While this will not be the case for every product category, there is going to be a mobile application. The campaign can be customized for the place in the sales cycle your users reside in. If you can catch them right before they are ready to purchase you will see a huge return on your marketing investment.