The latest data from Pew (a notoriously conservative research house) finds that over 1/3 of us (38%) use our cell phones to access the internet. That's up 52% from last year. If the trend continues, over half of Americans will be using their cell phones to access the web a year from now.
That's a surge of change. The next big move in how we connect and communicate.
Here's the question: Are you still designing for the big screen?
Those websites that offer amazing experiences at 17 inches are downright painful to view and navigate on the little screen. That's led many consumer brands to optimize their sites for mobile - either as a m-site (that detects that the user is accessing the site from a mobile device and automatically directs them to the mobile-friendly version) or as an app. Earlier this summer, Google evened the playing field between those two choices by showing both sites and apps in its mobile search results.
Not mobile friendly? If you answer yes to any of the five questions below, it's absolutely time to start thinking about that little screen-
Is your brand WOM worthy? Here's what happens at happy hours, dinner parties, offsite lunches and other causual encounters today:
Person1: Have you seen [this cool thing]?
Person2: No, I haven't heard of that
Person1: Let me show you (pulls out iPhone, iPad, blackberry, etc., and dials up a site or an app to share)
Today, WOM is technology enabled. We expect to be able to instantly share not only ideas, but experiences. If you think your customers are talking about you, it's time to make it easier for them to show you off.
Is your audience uber mobile? Some audiences are more mobile than others. Teenagers, sure. But also doctors (72% of them use smartphones) and IT professionals. What do you know about how your audience uses the computers in their pockets?
Are you advertising in public places or on outdoor boards? If you're seen by people on the go, you want them to be able to access you on the go. Make it clear that there's an easy mobile experience and give them a memorable URL. Who knows - they could be headed to the bank or Starbucks where they'll be waiting in line with plenty of time to visit your site. Great example is the Best Buy minonator app. It was advertised largely onscreen and in theater displays. Call to action was to download an app that would decode the squeeky little credits at the end of the Despicable Me movie. Something fun to download and play with while you're waiting for your popcorn (or for all those turn of your cellphone PSAs to play through :).
Do you have a salesforce? If you have people out in the field or on the salesfloor, chances are they're going to want to share some aspect of your site with a customer. How can you make it easier (faster to load, easier to read, more relevant)? Go mobile. The initial interaction is better and the customer knows they can access that same content on their own any time from any device.
Would you like to make more immediate calls to action? A lot of brands are experimenting with fast calls to action. It could be putting a QR tag on a print piece or a bit.ly URL on a TV spot or even a single click from a Facebook status update. People who use those immediate technologies? Mobile people. If you're on a social network, the chances are about even that someone is accessing your updates via mobile device. And, if you're using a QR tag, it's more like 90%.
Next post: 5 tips for optimizing the experience (not just the content) for the little screen
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