Sponsored by News


competitive edge, they must now develop a fully optimised mobile site that incorporates next- generation features to offer consumers the best possible user experience. Here are eight tips to help design a mobile


strategy that drives traffic, engages users, and contributes to the bottom line.


1. Maintain a consistent brand experience Customers that are familiar with a specific


brand expect to see similar aesthetics and content on mobile as they see online and in- store. This means that brands must design a completely customised interface that reflects the overall brand and messaging. Additionally, it is essential for businesses to extend all key features and functionality from their existing website to mobile. The mobile sites of retailers, for example, should include a full product inventory with rich image gallery, comprehensive search functionality, suggested products, store locator tools, marketing campaigns, and more.


2. Create a device-agnostic mobile strategy A successful mobile experience is one that


works for all users, regardless of their phone of choice. Therefore, a device-agnostic mobile strategy is necessary for brands to ensure their ability to reach the entire market.


3. Full m-commerce capabilities Since more consumers are


purchasing goods from their smartphones, it is in a retailer’s best interest to ensure that its mobile site is fully functional and supports all payment options. These include standard options such as all major credit cards as well as more advanced methods of payment including support for PayPal’s Mobile Express Checkout. Further, account


login information and customer history


By Jason Taylor


The smartphone factor A


s consumers increasingly use smartphones for web browsing and shopping on-the-go, it is no longer enough for companies to reformat existing websites through cookie- cutter templates. To maintain a


must be consistently accessible across channels to ensure a seamless sales experience. For example, if a customer logs into the online store and begins the shopping process, he should be able to complete checkout later via his smartphone or tablet, and vice versa.


4. Incorporate SEO strategies As mobile increasingly becomes a primary


gateway to the internet, companies must incorporate forward-thinking search-engine optimisation tactics into their overall mobile strategy to ensure their sites are easily detected by search engines and found by consumers. Consider the following tips: • Device-agnostic: Factors such as download speed, usability and site performance all impact search ranking, making it critical for mobile sites to be fully optimised. To ensure the best results possible, brands must extend all key content and functionality from their existing website, and make sure that it is available to view on all internet-enabled mobile devices. • Traditional SEO practices: Well-documented techniques such as including keywords in headlines and text, standardised coding, outbound links, and page titles will help a mobile site rank higher. • Inbound links/digital newsletters: More than 20 percent of email marketing messages are read on mobiles, which is why it is essential for companies to test and support all incoming links from digital newsletters and other promotional materials.


5. Leverage next generation HTML5


features


By leveraging HTML5 for mobile web development, businesses can offer consumers a rich app-like experience that delivers faster speeds and more flexibility on next- generation broadband networks. HTML5 enables: • dynamic scrolling banners on the homepage that allow brands to further target mobile users with special offers and promotions.


• expanding navigation, collapsible menus and pop- up windows improve site navigation and maximise content on the smartphone’s small screen without sacrificing download time. • advanced GPS functionality can be used to customise the mobile site experience to the consumer’s location.


Tactics Views


Eight best-practice ideas for mobile site optimisation


• high-resolution image galleries enable retailers to display multiple, high quality product images that allow users to scroll, swipe and zoom in on selected products.


• predictive search cuts down the time it takes consumers to find desired search results on a branded page similar to the way Google delivers search results.


6. Use analytics A strong mobile platform should not only


provide businesses with robust analytics tools to track site performance, but also enable the site owner to integrate with leading analytics software such as Webtrends, Omniture, Coremetrics, Google Analytics, and others. Tracking is vital and can be used to refine future mobile strategies.


7. Engaging with brand champions Mobile apps should be used by retailers


to punctuate their overall mobile strategy. Using apps, businesses are able to implement the following interactive features that are inaccessible in the mobile web experience: • the smartphone’s camera: The camera can be used in-app to deliver experiences such as the ability to read QR codes and other barcodes. This enables companies to deliver unique, exclusive content to consumers. • push notifications: Push notifications— whereby messages and notifications pop up on the phone’s screen—should be incorporated into a native app strategy to ensure that brands remain in direct contact with their most loyal customers through an open line of communication. • Deliver brand-appropriate experiences: The app format allows brands to deliver unique, engaging features to their most loyal customers that are not available in the mobile web.


8. Create a comprehensive mobile solution No longer can businesses afford to rely on


basic mobile sites; instead they must design and implement a fully optimised mobile site that incorporates complete commerce capabilities and maximises their ability to reach both new and existing customers. Without a complete multichannel strategy, retailers run the risk of being left behind by competitors and miss out on a powerful new marketing tool and potential revenue stream.


Jason Taylor is vice president, platform strategy at technology provider Usablenet.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36