Katherine Haine
Mobile has taken over desktop in terms of overall web traffic. This is no surprise with 68% of Canadian now owning a smartphone (Catalyst 2015).
Marketers need to make sure they are thinking about mobile as an integral part of their plans. If your website isn’t mobile friendly then start thinking about how it can be.
There are two types of mobile users depending on how and where we are using our phone. The At Home user and the On the Go user have very different ways of interacting with their mobile device and it is important to keep both of these consumers in mind when evaluating the mobile presence for your business.
Since most of us easily connect to wireless at home, At Home users are less concerned about bandwidth and battery power than when we are On the Go. At home, our phones travel from room to room with us, playing music, podcasts, videos and more. We are watching Netflix, shopping for products, looking for recipes, helping with homework and paying bills on our phone at home.
On the Go users have limited bandwidth, are using their phones looking for directions, weather and important information that cant wait till they get home
Understanding these two mobile consumer types can help you improve communications with customers online. Marketers need to make sure they are thinking about mobile as an integral part of their plans.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when going mobile. Keep content short so it can be read quickly – anything over 250 words is too much. When displaying products, use long pages so the viewer can scroll down for more information. Busy consumers wont wait for a second page to load – especially if they are On the Go. Use videos and images that are optimized for mobile so that a busy customer (who is probably multitasking) can learn about your product or service quickly. Offer lots of calls to action and never have your phone number as a graphic on your website. It should be an active link inviting people to call you – remember they have a phone in their hand!
Consumers are not looking for special apps but with the exception of banking and specific niches. Smartphone owners will not tolerate or retain apps that take up space on their device without providing significant value in return. They want to keep valuable memory space free for photos and music. However, they will leave your site if it isn’t mobile friendly.
In an increasingly connected world, competition is rife and attention is at a premium. The brands that succeed will be the ones who have a clear idea of who their target market is, and how to provide them with a convenient and hassle-free mobile experience that takes into account their ever-evolving habits.
Katherine Haine is a Digital Media specialist and founder of City Media and ShopLocalNow.ca. Learn more at learn.citymedia.ca.
