What to Consider Before Going Mobile

Kendrick Woolford — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:11:00 GMT

Last week I attended a seminar hosted by Google entitled “Engaging the Connected Consumer with Mobile”. Elliot Nix, who conducted the session, shared some insightful tips for meeting the emerging mobile phenomenon head on.

It’s undeniable that 2010 has been a transformative year for mobile. The spike in acquisitions of mobile advertising companies, like that of Admob by Google, suggests that mobile is a trend to be reckoned with. Additionally, the explosion of new devices and their rapid adoption into mainstream use in 2010 simply strengthens the case for investing into a mobile campaign. Currently, 10-17% of traffic is of mobile origin but it is projected that by 2013 over 50% of site traffic will come from a mobile device. Since 2008, there has been a 500% increase in mobile search. The numbers are pretty compelling; so what should you consider when thinking about going mobile?

Should I create an app or a mobile site?

As technology advances and we enjoy quicker load times the app becomes less relevant. Why? Apps were created in large part due to the lengthy browser load times available with the EDGE and first generation mobile technology. And while apps are undeniably an important step in the transformation of mobile use there will likely be a transition to the browser for search as we move beyond 4G speed.

How do I make a site ‘mobile optimized’?

First things first; look at how your site currently loads onto all the major mobile devices. Do you like what you see? What behaviors do you want your consumers to engage in by looking at your site on a mobile phone? How can you make it easy for them to do that?

Create a site that is simple and intuitive to navigate. Don’t make them think hard on how to purchase something or find the nearest store. Consider what you are selling and how to make your site relevant to both the product and the user. Perhaps your product isn’t appropriate to sell on a mobile device, but would a user like to research what you are selling? Make it easy for the consumer to get what they want out of your site. Create a site that is useful for a mobile device; think of the user first.

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What to Consider Before Going Mobile