It’s no surprise that more and more people are turning to the web to do their holiday shopping, but it might be a surprise to know that a lot of this shopping is taking place on people’s mobile phones.

In fact, prior to Thanksgiving, Digitas did a study that determined 28% of smartphone or tablet-owning adults planned to shop for the holidays on Thanksgiving Day with their mobile devices—double the percentage from 2011.

And according to a report from IBM, mobile had a record-setting influence during this year’s Black Friday event. Mobile traffic to retail websites grew by 67% and online sales grew by 20.7% from last year.

So what does this mean for small businesses?

It means that it might be time to think about ways you can capitalize on this trend and the resulting sales.

Here are three ways you can use SaveLocal to “get in on the deal.”

1. Create a deal to drive impulse sales

In general, people who purchase a smartphone do so because they want to be “connected.” They want to be able to check their email, see who’s on Facebook, check the latest sports scores and—shop online.

It’s this last task that small businesses need to focus on. They need to figure out ways to be where their customers are, capture their attention, and get them to make a purchase.

One way to do this is to create a one-day SaveLocal Deal that requires the recipient to “BUY NOW!” By creating a deal with a sense of urgency—and a great discount—holiday shoppers who are looking to wrap up their shopping  will be tempted to seize the day—and the deal!

2. Create a deal for people on the go

Smartphone users are frequently walking around town with their phone in hand, especially when they’re in an unfamiliar area and they’re trying to find “stuff”—like a restaurant, clothing store, or anything at all.

So, what do they do to find this “stuff”? They head to Yelp, SinglePlatform, Foursquare, Twitter Facebook, or other sites that will give them the answer they’re looking for. The job of small businesses is to get there before the customer does so they can be “found.”

One great way to do this is to create a SaveLocal Deal that is geared for the mobile phone user. If they find you on Yelp or Foursquare, you can include a link that drives them to your SaveLocal Deal.

You can even create different deals for each social media platform and note them separately in your account so you can tell where the people purchasing the deal vouchers are coming from. This information alone will give you insight into where people are finding you and cashing in on your deal. It is also a great way to reach people you might not normally have access to.

 3. Create a deal that converts lookers into buyers

Say you’ve already got a potential buyer in your store. How can you turn this “looker” into an actual buyer?

How about creating a postcard that includes a QR Code (tied to your SaveLocal Deal) that you can hand to your customers as they walk through the door? You can either create a deal with a set amount off every purchase or mix it up so it’s a “surprise” when they scan the QR code at the register.

Either way, it’s a fun way to build excitement and provide an incentive for customers who might have otherwise walked out the door without making a purchase.

SaveLocal is ready for mobile — you can be too!

SaveLocal is already optimized for mobile users so you don’t need to do anything special to adapt the technology for your customers’ devices.

There’s even a SaveLocal app just for you—the merchant—so you can easily track and redeem coupons by scanning the QR code or entering the coupon code for your deal. Redeemed deals are synced back to your Constant Contact account, so you can keep track of the status of all your coupons at any time.

All you need to do is create a deal using one (or more) of the methods above and you’ll be ready to go, too!

Happy Holidays!