by Scott Howard | Feb 1, 2012 | ScLoHo's Web World
A few years ago I mentioned to a friend that I was concerned about a division between the “have’s” and the “have not’s”.
The “Have’s” were the folks who had access to the internet.
The “Have not’s” were either to poor to own a computer or pay for an internet connection.
Those issues don’t exist anymore.
I know people who live on the street who have a prepaid smartphone with data access. All they need is plug to keep the battery fresh.
But it’s a different issue now.
As more mobile devices replace bigger screens, is your website mobile friendly?
Contact me for help creating a website that is visible on every screen, big and small.
Here’s why you need to do it now, from Mediapost:
Mobile Shopping Insights For The Future
“It’s by no means a representative sample of the overall consumer population,” says the author, Bill Siwicki, Managing Editor, Mobile Commerce, but certainly useful as a harbinger of mobile shopping in the future.
According to a December survey of a sample of TechBargains.com visitors, reports Internet Retailer, among smartphone owners in this survey, 32% of women and 25% of men made half or more of their holiday purchases via mobile phones. Overall, 34% of iPhone users and 20% of Android users who made purchases using their phones say half or more of their holiday purchasing was done via their smartphones. Among tablet owners, 35% of women and 21% of men made half or more of their holiday purchases via their iPads and other tablets.
58% of mobile phone owners have made purchases via their devices compared with 94% on laptops and 75% via tablets, says the survey of TechBargains.com visitors, who skew tech-savvy. For those who shop with their phone:
- 79% use it to research products,
- 77% to compare prices
- 73% to browse stores
Of the 58% percent of shoppers who make purchases via their mobile devices:
- 69% use both the mobile browser and apps to buy products;
- 18% only use apps
- 13% only use a mobile browser
On mobile phones,
- 70% of shoppers purchased digital goods,
- 60% purchased physical merchandise,
- 46% purchased services and
- 38% purchased consumable goods, the survey finds.
- 76%, say ease of use is the reason they would buy on
- 34% cite price point as the reason why they would buy
75% of tablet owners use their devices to make purchases;
- 90% use tablets to browse stores,
- 89% research products and 85% compare prices.
- 86% of iPad 2 owners make purchases via their tablets while
- 74% of Kindle Fire owners make purchases via their devices.
Yung Trang, president of TechBargains, said “… results strongly indicate that mobile devices are currently much better for window shopping than for buying… tablets are widely used for research and shopping… “
59% of men and 54% of women in the survey made purchases using their mobile phones. Of those who didn’t use their mobile phones to make purchases, 42% of men and 38% of women cited security concerns, and 54% of men and 59% of women cited difficulty completing purchases, notes the report. 74% of men and 77% of women made purchases using their tablets.
At the same time, a Prosper study suggests that 40% of mobile users use their smartphone or tablet to compare prices while in the store and purchase from another retailer’s physical store… .
| Used Smartphone Or Tablet While Shopping In A Store (multiple answers OK), And: |
| Action |
% of Respondents |
| Compared prices and purchased from another retailer’s physical store |
40.6%
|
| Compared prices and purchased from another retailer’s website using my device |
25.6%
|
| Compared prices and purchased from another retailer’s website using my laptop/desktop after leaving the store |
23.1%
|
| Compared prices but still purchased from the same retailer |
30.6%
|
| Compared prices and purchased from the same retailer’s website using my device |
13.3%
|
| Compared prices and purchased from the same retailer’s website using my laptop/desktop after leaving the store |
13.3%
|
| Requested a price match |
26.4%
|
| “Checked in” for a discount |
26.7%
|
| Read product reviews to decide between products |
5.8%
|
| Scanned a QR code to get more information about a product |
29.7%
|
| Source: Prosper Mobile Insights, Mobile Survey, December 2011 (totals may be greater than 100% because the respondents can select more than one answer) |
For more information about the TechBargains report, please visit here, and to the complete Prosper Holiday Mobile Survey, go here.
by Scott Howard | Jan 20, 2012 | ScLoHo's Web World
I’ve watched it with my own eyes.
The 20-something women in my family, 2 of 4 are in Mommy Mode, are also Mobile Moms as described by Mediapost:
It’s A Mobile, Mobile, Mobile, Mobile World!
When I wrote the very first Engage:Moms column in 2009, the headline was “It’s a Web, Web, Web, Web World!” and the focus was how to engage today’s online mom. Fast-forward three years, and mom is now hyper-connected. She’s still online – a lot. However, today’s marketers need to focus on reaching mom on the go – on her smartphone or tablet. As I’ve mentioned before, a recent EMarketer study found that moms are spending significantly more time browsing on their mobile devices than on their PCs, 6.1 hours a day vs. 4.1 hours day, while the general population is spends about 2.1 hours a day on the mobile web.
Moms are the world’s best multi-taskers, and when it comes to her smartphone and tablet, she’s found the perfect companion that can keep up with her. So, how is mom using her mobile companion?
Moms are comparing prices while in stores using apps that find the best prices – and she’ll often walk out of a store if she can buy something online for a better price. More than 50% of moms have purchased a product using their mobile device – mobile shopping will be among the top trends for 2011.
- Organization and Multi-Tasking
Between work and family, mom has a lot to keep organized. She keeps schedules, shopping lists and even her important documents on her trusted, portable devices so she can stay organized and multi-task better than ever before.
- Games and Apps for Her Kids
I’ll say it: Sometimes, mom needs the kids to have a distraction when she’s trying to get something done. Apps on phones and tablets are not only fun and engaging for kids, but many offer enriching content and can be homework helpers.
It’s not all about work and no play for mom with her mobile tools. “Words with Friends” and “Angry Birds” are among mom’s favorite apps, too, and her phone or tablet gives her moments to wind down and take a break.
Finding recipes, keeping them organized and managing the family’s meals has never been easier. Apps like Pepperplate let mom store her favorite recipes in a single click, put together a calendar of meals and instantly create shopping lists based on the day’s or week’s menu.
Like the web did, mobile devices and the apps available for them are making mom’s life easier. Smart marketers will continue to create mobile tools that help her save money, say organized and manage everything on her plate.
 |
Lolita Carrico is a mother of two, the original founder of ModernMom.com and myGLOSS.com and a pioneer in the “word of mom” space. |
by Scott Howard | Dec 23, 2011 | ScLoHo's Web World
Take a look at this report from Mediapost:
Consumers Looking For Seamless, Pervasive, Wireless Connectivity
According to a new consumer poll by Broadcom Corporation, exploring technology trends on the go, in the home, and on the road, 32% of those who own a capable mobile device say they consume more than 10 hours of content a week while on the go, and 51% say they consume more than five hours a week.
Survey highlights:
- More than one-third of survey respondents experience “connectivity withdrawal” when away from technology.
- More devices than ever are competing for wireless connections in the home. Nearly four times as many respondents have six or more wireless devices today than just two years ago.
- Two-thirds of respondents said they would stream video content to multiple wireless devices if their cable or satellite provider offered the service.
- Almost 90% of respondents would prefer to connect devices like digital music players to stereo systems wirelessly rather than using a cable.
- Navigation systems, driver safety features and online entertainment are top considerations for automotive purchases.
Consumers are connecting more devices to the Internet and to other devices than ever before, and want to spend less time configuring those connections and more time enjoying them. The demand for seamless, pervasive connectivity will be possible with new technologies. Based on survey findings:
- The survey explored the notion of “connectivity withdrawal,” the feeling of stress or anticipation of not being able to get online with a mobile phone, laptop or tablet. 35% said they’ve suffered from connectivity withdrawal, while 30% said it happens at least once a week
- 22% of those surveyed claimed to have six or more wireless devices in their homes. Compared that to just a couple of years ago, the change was staggering. The percentage of people with six or more devices has almost quadrupled (from 6%) in the last three years.
- More than a quarter of those surveyed said that they’ve had to wirelessly configure and connect a device in the last month (28%). Less than half (46%) found the experience a pleasant one, so there’s room for simpler connectivity technology, says the report.
Consumer demand for entertainment and safety features in vehicles is high, increasing the need for auto makers to include more complex networks in cars they produce. Ethernet technology is set to become the standard for in-car connectivity to help address consumer needs while reducing cost, complexity and weight.
Based on survey findings, the importance of features in vehicle purchasing decisions are as follows (percentage ranking as important):
- Driver safety features such as automated collision avoidance: 70%
- Navigation system, GPS: 69%
- Real-time access to traffic reports, other downloaded data: 52%
- Easy attachment point for iPod or other MP3 player: 50%
- Easy attachment for smartphone or tablet: 43%
- Surround view park assist: 41%
- Automated park assist system: 35%
- Infotainment (Rear-seat entertainment, etc.): 33%
- Internet access: 31%
In the home, multi-screen home entertainment is becoming a reality with the benefit of new technologies and standards. Based on survey findings:
- 68% of people surveyed say they watch more than two videos a day, while 24% say they watch at least five videos a day
- 87% estimated that they consume more than 10 hours a week of digital content. 54% of all respondents consume more than 20 hours a week.
- 62% said they would stream content that can normally only be watched on their TV to wireless devices such as laptops, smartphones or tablet PCs throughout the home should their cable or satellite provider offer the service.
- 67% are more likely to purchase a new HDTV that can easily connect directly to wireless devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptop PCs and the internet vs. one that cannot.
For additional information, please visit Broadcom here.
by Scott Howard | Nov 21, 2011 | ScLoHo's Web World
A few years ago a friend of mine who was a website designer said to keep an eye out on mobile.
I recall the conversation because it struck me as odd since this guy had difficulty designing websites that would render correctly in Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Chrome.
He was a marginal website guy, but he knew what to keep an eye out for.
Mobile is NOT a fluke.
With the growth of Social Media services and the blending of websites with social, here are some tips from MarketingProfs.com:
Four Tips for Mobile SEO
“Despite some predictions that mobile SEO will be of negligible importance, mobile search has grown 5x in the past 5 years—far outpacing PC searches—and the growth is only set to continue with the rapid uptick in smartphone sales,” writes Lior Levin in a guest post at HubSpot.
That means if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to develop a unique SEO strategy for customers out there who search for content with iPhones and Androids—and all things mobile.
To help you optimize your efforts, Levin offers pointers like these:
Create mobile-formatted content. That is an obvious suggestion, Levin allows, but one that is still worth making. If you choose not to format for mobile users, your content will hold less on-the-go appeal, and Google might take unfavorable notice.
Research keywords for mobile searches. When people search with a smartphone, they often use different keywords than they would use at a desktop. For help choosing better keywords for mobile searchers, Levin suggests you use the “Advanced Options and Filters” link at the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. Choose “All mobile devices” under the “Show Ideas and Statistics for” option.
Optimize for predictive text. Mobile visitors are far more dependent on predictive text than their desk-bound counterparts—so structure your keywords in a way that anticipates common predictive phrases.
Avoid anything that interferes with viewability. Levin issues a specific warning against the use of Flash and large images. “You’re best off building your mobile site in HTML5, keeping your images a reasonable size, and shortening your ALT tags to ensure they display neatly,” he advises.
The Po!nt: Think small in a bigger way. While most rules for desktop SEO still apply to mobile SEO, a few key tweaks can keep your content at the top of smartphone search results.
Source: HubSpot.
And Mobile versions of websites is one of our areas of expertise at Cirrus ABS. Contact me for an evaluation of your site.
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