While mobile websites can be just as useful as the sites we visit on our laptops and desktops, there are some major differences that you must keep in mind when creating your mobile site. If the design and functionality of your mobile site is not appealing, people will not visit your web page. The same is true of a customary Internet site yet an entirely different set of rules apply when talking about mobile web design. If you’re planning on building your own mobile website, make sure you follow these basic guidelines…….
The first thing to think about when designing your mobile website is size. Your job is to utilize the small space of the mobile device to deliver the best possible mobile experience. Instead of the small monitor size being a detriment, think about ways to use it to your advantage. When many people think of mobile websites, they think of miniaturizing their existing Web page. While this may be an easy solution, it is not the best approach. A site designed for a PC is not meant to be viewed on the tiny screen of your mobile phone. It is hard to navigate and the overall design is not appealing to users. As you design your mobile Web site, make sure it is rendered for varying screen sizes. Mobile sites that are not built for multiple screen dimensions can appear off-center or bleed off the page. Currently, 240 x 320 (QVGA) is the most common screen size on the market.
In combination with the screen size itself, the layout of your mobile website is a very critical factor to consider as well. As much as possible, you want to eliminate the use of a horizontal scrollbar. It is much better to create multiple pages and tabs than to have your users scroll right to left to view the information on the screen. Additionally, it is your job to make the screen size appear larger than it actually is so the user doesn’t feel like they are navigating on such a miniature screen. Use techniques like zooming and panning to trick your users. This will enable them to get the most out of the mobile web experience.
While the size is a key component to building a user-friendly mobile site, the site flow is just as important. Keep in mind that people don’t use their mobile phones to “surf” the Web. They use it to find what they need in as “few clicks” as possible because they are often on the go. Therefore, don’t bombard them with long articles and un-timely information. Users should be able to find what they need within three clicks and it should only take them two seconds to download. Additionally, you want to make it easy for users to navigate back to the home page. There always needs to be a way to back track.
As mobile websites are becoming more popular among users, the design and functionality of your mobile site will become even more vital. According to studies done by Juniper Research, “… the number of mobile web users will grow from 577 million in 2008 to more than 1.7 billion in 2013.” Soon users will start to expect a certain level of quality and you will want to make sure your site meets their standards. In addition to the overall increase in mobile Internet users, people are starting to use the mobile Web for multiple purposes. According to M:Metrics, “Consumption is quickly evolving from brief transactions, such as checking the weather or flight status, to time-intensive interaction with mobile websites.” Thus, as time goes on, people are depending on the mobile web for more. You need to make sure your mobile website is designed in a way that promotes the user’s overall mobile internet experience.
If you’re thinking of diving into mobile, one of the first things you should do as soon as possible is to develop and build a mobile website. Sticking to the basics, a mobile website is an internet site that can be accessed via a mobile device. While you may not think there is an audience for the mobile web, according to eMarketer “There are 405 million mobile Internet users worldwide, and within four years this number is expected to double.” As the price of data plans continue to decrease and advanced mobile devices like the iPhone become the norm, people will become addicted to the mobile web much like they are to the World Wide Web. Thus, creating a mobile web presence now will likely lead to more success in the future.
Although the mobile Internet has been around just over 10 years, it has grown at an increasingly steady rate. Many believe this growth is due to three primary factors: the development of high-tech handsets, the establishment of base rate unlimited data plans, and advances in mobile applications, services and carriers. Without handsets that support advanced operations, the increased development of the mobile web would be pointless. Since handset manufacturers are able to build devices that enable users to experience rich media content, the proliferation of the mobile Internet has and will continue to grow.
In addition to the handsets themselves, another factor that has helped increase the use of the mobile Internet is that networks are moving away from variable priced data plans and closer to flat rate plans. With an unlimited economic price, consumers are becoming more and more likely to subscribe because they know exactly how much they are paying each month for the service. Lastly, the development and build of various applications has enabled users to engage with their phones more than ever before. These applications can make the user’s mobile internet experience more meaningful and keep them coming back for more.
While the mobile Internet is still a fairly new phenomenon, it is a vital piece to your mobile campaign. Currently, people expect a company/business to have a Web site. In the not so distant future, this expectation will also apply to the mobile Internet. Now is your chance to create a mobile web presence before your competition does. According to IDC, a market intelligence and research firm, it is conjectured that mobile devices will surpass PC’s as the primary tool for accessing the Internet by 2012. Therefore, in just a few short years, the mobile Internet is projected to gain a considerable audience. If you want to set the curve in mobile Web site development, now is your chance.
As you begin to develop your mobile campaign and strategy, consider how a mobile web site could help further your marketing agenda. In a report from Juniper Research, it is estimated that by 2013, the mobile web market will be worth $22.5 billion. Even though the mobile Internet is still developing, now is the best time to get involved. Consumers are steadily adopting mobile-Web accessible devices and subscribing to affordable data plans. Currently, we are on the cusp of a mobile Internet explosion where people will soon depend on the mobile Web for their day-to-day activities. If you want to run a successful, long-term mobile campaign, you will want to build a mobile Web site.
While we probably can’t imagine our lives without cell phones, the advent of the mobile device, as we know it, is a fairly recent phenomenon. In just a few years it seems the cell phone has morphed from a clunky, large device used only by a select few to an almost universal instrument that fits in our pockets.
When first introduced, cell phones served one function: to make voice phone calls. Now, mobile devices are designed to perform a number of advanced functions such as text messaging, taking photos, listening to music, surfing the mobile web, checking email, playing games, etc. As the mobile device has broadened its capabilities, it has also made the idea of convergence possible.
While nearly every other medium presents only one outlet for any given message, mobile makes it possible to market across multiple mediums that conveniently converge into one mobile platform. As you will see, integrating an effective mobile campaign should entail cross-marketing efforts that stretch across a variety of mediums.
First off, if you’re thinking of initiating a mobile campaign, you should use your current modes of marketing as a launch point. Advertise it in print ads, company signage, your brand’s web site, and anything else you use to promote your business. You want to gain people’s interests before you launch your mobile campaign so you must make them aware of it from the get go.
So now your audience is aware of your mobile operations, but how do you integrate it with your current marketing strategies? Mobile is a very dynamic medium. It can be used as a cross marketing channel, integrated with television, radio, print, billboards, and the Internet all at the same time. The mobile experience should be completely different than the experience one gets from reading an ad, watching a commercial, or listening to a radio spot. Mobile is an interactive medium so you have to employ this feature to your advantage. What’s even better about mobile is the rate at which people are adopting it. According to the Mobile Marketing Association, the “use of almost all mobile phone features is rising.” Therefore, use mobile in a way that furthers what a consumer gets from traditional marketing.
Because mobile serves so many diverse functions, it only makes sense that you should use mobile across multiple mediums and channels. For marketing purposes, mobile can be partnered with digital, print, television, outdoor and radio. While there are a number of innovative and creative ways to incorporate mobile with the above-mentioned mediums, we will use SMS as an example of how your mobile campaign can stretch across multiple channels. With each of these mediums, a marketer can use a simple call to action that will entice consumers to engage with your brand via mobile.
On the Web, a user could be asked to enter their phone number to receive a coupon. In a print ad, the consumer could be prompted to text to a short code to view informative product information. With television, viewers could be asked to text in to vote for their favorite contestant or enter a trivia contest to win a prize. In radio, listeners could text to receive a free download, request a song and even receive local traffic alerts courtesy of your brand. These are just a few ideas of what you can do with a simple mobile SMS campaign. The more creative and innovative you make your mobile campaign, the more ways you will find to interact with your consumers.
Ultimately, we see that mobile makes convergence possible. No longer does your marketing campaign have to be one-dimensional. Mobile provides you with an outlet that goes beyond one mode of communication and makes the marketing experience interactive. For the most success, mobile campaigns should be introduced in combination with existing marketing strategies to awaken your traditional marketing efforts. Because the mobile device has so many unique functions that go beyond simple voice phone calls, marketers need to learn how to adapt these qualities to benefit consumers. More and more, people are accepting mobile as a valid tool for obtaining information. According to the MMA, “Sweepstakes/voting and alerts about purchases and accounts are the applications with the most usage.” Therefore, there is a definite and attentive audience; they just need the right message. In essence, the mobile phone is like the ultimate medium, converging the roles and capabilities of all mediums into one.
