Everyday, more consumers are purchasing Internet-enabled handsets, so having your brand available on the mobile Web has become essential. So how can you optimize your presence in this quickly emerging channel? Five experts offer tips on how to beef up your mobile Web offering.
Use coordinated focus to build brand awareness
Immerse customers within the brand, providing value and utility while linking the unique capabilities of the mobile device (such as location-based services) with the customer’s behavior. Adopt an integrated approach including hyper-targeted mobile ads, a mobile site with click-to-call or service locator (as applicable), supported by mobile search. Work with your online agency to support mobile with other digital paths. Establish success metrics, with the ability to measure against a control group to learn exactly which campaign elements are most successful and which audiences are most affected.
Frank Desiderio, director of technology, Agency.com New York
Help the user find you
Indexing of mobile Web sites is far behind that of the regular Internet, so don’t assume that consumers will automatically find your mobile Web site. Discoverability is still a challenge. Stack the odds in your favor with a mobile friendly URL, listings on search portals and mobile advertising campaigns on the mobile Web and via SMS. Established mobile ad networks enable advertisers to set up an advertising sandbox that marketers can use to test out different mobile programs and creative before launching full-scale campaigns. Inventory is cheap enough at this stage of the market that it is possible to turn a test campaign into a serious traffic driver in a short period of time.
Kirsten McMullen, marketing director, 4INFO
Keep user needs front and center
It’s not about scaling down a Web site to fit a two or three-inch screen. It’s about recognizing that mobile users have needs and interests that are different from those of desktop users. In designing for the mobile Web, evaluate the interplay of context and content. Where will users be when they access the mobile site? What will they want to accomplish? What will they consider essential? Then reinvent the traditional Web site experience and deliver meaningful and relevant mobile interactions that maximize the value exchanged between users and the brand.
Rita Wheat, SVP, strategy and research, G2 Interactive
Leverage the mobile Web for research
In years to come, mobile will be seen like any other Web device. Now its big plus is in research. It offers access to groups of consumers that are difficult to reach, such as inner city males, under 25 year-olds, and business men who have constant access to their mobiles but who won’t open e-mails any time, any location. Add to that speed of survey completion and high response rate to surveys compared to some other research approaches and we see why mobile market research will be the fastest growing part of the research industry for the immediate future.
Liz Nelson, Q Research
Offer a 30-second brand experience
Mobile Web sites are only a peek into your brand’s service, so consider what kind of useful experience you can deliver in about 30 seconds. When it comes to mobile, speed and local relevancy will lead to habitual consumer use, which ultimately spells success. The site should load quickly and have minimal clicks to give the user a delightful mobile brand experience. More importantly, think about how the experience can be localized for a consumer. Consider what types of useful interactions you can create knowing exactly where they are at the moment they are accessing your mobile Web site.
David Link, founder, creative director, The Wonderfactory
