Category Archives: Mobile

 
Nov 28 0 comments
Email Marketing, IT & Application Development, Mobile

You’ve got one shot to get your message read - think Mobile First

If your email isn’t mobile-optimized, will it still be read? Probably not. 63% of mobile email users delete or ignore emails that aren’t optimized for their smartphones. (Source: Return Path) That means that if your email isn’t mobile-optimized, you may have lost your chance to get your message across to that viewer.

Emails designed for desktop viewing typically require panning, zooming and scrolling on a mobile device in order to read the message or find the call to action. It’s a misconception that a user will save an email on their mobile device for desktop viewing later— 97% of emails are opened and viewed only once (Source: Return Path), with about 35% of the opens occurring on mobile devices. (Source: Knotice)

Mobile_First

So how do you create an email that provides an optimal user experience, regardless of the type of device used to view it? Enter Mobile First.
The term Mobile First means that the mobile use case is taken into account first and foremost when developing any digital customer touch point—website, landing page, email, etc. This practice forces a focus on simplicity, from both a design and content standpoint, enabling the experience to scale effectively from device to device. Adherence to this discipline translates to more streamlined messaging and, ultimately, more effective communications.

Applying Mobile First thinking to email design requires the inclusion of small-screen-friendly design elements, such as one column layouts, large fonts, prominent calls-to-action that don’t require a lot of scrolling, and the use of large buttons made to accommodate finger taps instead of mouse clicks. When you follow these design rules, your emails can be viewed on any size device screen—smartphone, laptop, or 30” monitor.

Keep in mind that mobile email optimization alone is not enough to drive direct marketing success. All digital destinations, regardless of entry point (email, QR code, direct traffic, etc.), must be optimized for the device in order to create a seamless, end-to-end user experience that will ultimately improve conversion.

If you’d like to learn more about applying Mobile First thinking to your marketing and technology initiatives, follow us on twitter @trellist or connect with us via info@trellist.com.

 
May 21 3 comments
Consumer Goods & Services, Mobile, Research and Development

Is it Really Time to Shut Down the Malls?

Who do you trust?  Is it an advisor that can excite a conference room with sampled data and compelling predictions, or the professional that relies on analytics and a rational approach to reach a conclusion?

Let’s examine an issue about the behavior of smartphone owners. According to comScore, smartphone owners overwhelmingly report that they prefer shopping online over shopping in a physical store. We’ve seen numbers clearly stating that three out of four smartphone owners prefer online shopping and are increasingly turning to their smartphones for this. With more than 150 million smartphone owners in the US (fast approaching 60% market penetration), these preferences are highly significant. With this kind of empirical evidence, we should close down the malls, divest our retail stocks and double-down on eCommerce competency.

But hold on…aren’t some physical stores still turning a profit? And while big box stores may be downsizing, it is in favor of opening retail shops with smaller footprints, less overhead, and an updated, more intimate shopping experience. While mall retail space may be light in some areas, other stores continue to thrive. I still go there to shop, and I see my friends there.  Are we the last ones?

While the evidence in question strongly suggests that smartphone users love the idea of internet shopping and report that “they prefer it”,  a bit more research reveals that they are more likely to browse online and actually shop in physical stores, according to Wave Collapse, a specialty market research firm.  In fact, 87% of smartphone users actually shopped in a store last week and if they buy regularly, the numbers are even higher.

Infographic

As it turns out, 84% of smartphone owners use them to enhance their in-store shopping experience. The vast majorities of smartphone shoppers read reviews (73%), compare prices with other retail outlets (71%) and scan QR codes to get more product details (57%), according to Nielsen Research.

Although smartphones usage is growing and dynamically changing how we integrate mobile into the marketing plan, it does not suggest that retail is dead to 75% of the 150 million smartphone users.

Bold statistics used to drive the bandwagon forward can create the illusion of a compelling trend. This is not new. However, the reminder here is that we must look at the numbers through a well-balanced and thoughtful filter, and depend on good judgment to enable creative solutions that work. Surveys and charts tell an important story when balanced by reason and educated instinct from experienced business people.

At Trellist, we depend on analytics and data to make good decisions…. but the data is always part of a balanced decision-making process by experienced business-savvy professionals, operating in consensus and using sound business judgment.

So, don’t shut down the malls just yet and look at the numbers carefully.

If you want to know more about Trellist’s capabilities, feel free to drop us a line: info@trellist.com, or follow us on twitter @Trellist

 
Apr 27 0 comments
Mobile, User Experience

Siri puts a second S in SEO part 2

In part one of this series, we discussed the phenomenon of intelligent digital agents, and their significance in the future of our computing experience.

In this second installment we’ll discuss ways to start incorporating mobile thinking into your SEO strategy.

Tips on how to Optimize SEO for Siri:

1) Tailor Keywords and Metadata to Natural Language. Think about how people may ask for information in a conversation. “What’s the new Cantonese place in Chinatown” is semantically different from “Chinese Food, Philadelphia”.

2) Location Optimization. Make sure that your address and contact information are displayed on every page on your site so your content is associated with both you and your locale. Also of value is submitting your business to services like Yelp, Google Places, Angie’s List, and other localized directories. This is your best shot to be recognized as that pizza place around the corner.

3) Utilize Rich Snippets. These are really just highly specific meta tags (called schema tags) with properties that can help Search Agents easily determine details about your business. For instance, Professional Service organizations can include contact points, employees, location, founding date, and more. For a full list of what Rich Snippets can do, check this out http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=99170

4) Be Social. When you ask Siri a question, she does not just hit Google and return the top result. Rather, Siri queries its own servers that are fed from any number of sources (only Apple knows for sure). What is clear is that Siri’s servers index and include social sources of information like Yelp, Foursquare, Google Places, Epinions, TravelPost, and others. Making a concerted effort to promote yourself on these platforms can only serve to expand your reach, whereas neglecting this in favor of putting all your efforts into manipulating Google Search results may yield lowered returns in the future.

5) Develop a Mobile Optimized Site. It may seem obvious, but as of 2011, 79% of online advertisers do not have a mobile optimized site. With smartphones now comprising roughly 60% of total mobile ownership in the US, some of our clients have seen as much as a 300% increase in site visits from mobile devices from Q4 2010 to Q4 2011. Going through the trouble of optimizing for intelligent search agents means little if users abandon your site due to bad mobile usability.

Keeping up with the pace of technological advancements in marketing can be challenging, but that’s why we are here. If you have any questions, or want to talk about how Social Media, Mobile Optimization and SEO can impact your business, feel free to drop me a line or give me a ring.

 
Jan 13 0 comments
Mobile, User Experience

Siri puts a second S in SEO part 1

If you have watched TV or touched the web in the past 3 months, you’ve probably seen the iPhone 4S, which boasts an intelligent “personal assistant” named Siri. Siri is a bold step forward in natural language processing, allowing users to access many features of the iPhone by speaking as you would to a person. Siri can get you directions, write and send emails, calculate your tip, even remind you to call your Mom.

apple-siri

Siri’s capabilities go far beyond voice recognition, which has been around for years. Siri heralds a shift in how we search for and filter information – by using an intelligent digital agent. Some might call it Web 3.0 or the semantic web. Nomenclature aside, what’s important is the effect it will have on your findability on the web, and ultimately, your bottom line.

In the 90’s, Google, Yahoo and others (remember WebCrawler?) brought Search to the forefront of computing. The vastness of information online became more manageable and relevant to the user. By the turn of the millennium, Search Engine Optimization had become a burgeoning business practice as people devised ways to manipulate websites to favor search engine results. Now, 10 years later, SEO and content marketing are at least standard practice and at worst an arms race. Businesses who do not prioritize SEO see diminished returns online.

Siri, and her inevitable descendants, have the potential to change how information is indexed and consumed, and we need to understand how to prepare for it. As computing moves to increasingly mobile and personalized environments, users require greater relevance. Mobile search has grown by 400% in the past year alone, and 1 in 3 of those searches has local intent (source: Google).

When I search for a pizza shop on my mobile device, I don’t want just any pizza shop. I want one around the corner. Soon, I will ask my digital assistant for the closest pizzeria and she will get me what I am looking for. The point is, if a digital agent like Siri is doing the searching, web content will need to be formatted so that it can be easily indexed by those agents.

Stay Tuned.

In part 2 of this blog, we’ll address how to optimize for Siri and other intelligent digital agents. In the meantime, if you have any questions or want to talk about how Mobile Optimization can impact your business, feel free to drop us a line, info@trellist.com.

 
Apr 15 0 comments
Direct Response, Mobile

QR Codes: The Missing Link

You’ve probably seen a QR Code before but never took notice of those innocuous square barcodes that appear on everything from product packaging to movie cutouts.  While QR Codes are close cousins to traditional barcodes, they are far more versatile to marketers.  While you may already know what QR codes are, you may not have realized some of the fascinating ways they can be used. 

  A QR (Quick Response) Code is a square, matrix barcode that can be read by QR Reader applications on any smartphone.  These barcodes can be used to store data and access features on your mobile device such as a Web Browser, Phone, GPS, even individual apps.  insert

How can a QR code be used as a tactic within a successful campaign? While the answer is always, “That depends on your business and marketing goals”, let’s explore some concepts and ideas that could be applied to many types of campaigns.

 

As always in digital media, the critical side of the equation is the delivery.  Applications or pages that users link to must provide some unique value or service.  Even more critical, the app or page should be relevant to the user’s needs at the time and place where they scan your QR code.  And, in all cases, pages must be optimized for mobile viewing.  Nothing is more frustrating than going through the effort to scan a QR code to find a page that doesn’t work on your phone.   

Keeping those guidelines in mind, here are your ways you can apply QR codes for your business:

When a QR Code lives on:

You could offer:

 

Print Advertising

Mobile couponing for bricks and mortar, sign up for SMS messaging, special offers, links to mobile commerce, scan to call.

Retail Receipts, Branded Materials

Mobile customer feedback forms, mobile coupons, promo codes for next visit, scan to call, scan for a survey

 

Email

Ability to move from the desktop to the mobile environment, i.e.  link users phones directly to the app store to download your new iPhone  app.

 

Outdoor and Transit Advertising

 

GPS directions to nearest location, geolocated couponing, even scavenger hunts (scan all the codes and get clues where to find the next one).

 

 

Point of Purchase Displays      Product information, nutritional information, check-in and share via social media, link to product information and promotional videos.

Tradeshow Booths                   Links to Whitepapers, Vcards for contact info, RSVP for events/breakout sessions, coupons for free drinks at sponsored Happy Hours!

Retail/Garment Tags                 Product information or specs, product videos, etc.

The possible combinations of QR code location and associated applications are limitless, and we’d like to hear your ideas as well.  QR Codes are another great example of the intersection of Marketing and Technology.  Trellist has the creative ideas, marketing savvy and technical horsepower to help you deliver on concepts like these.

 
Dec 03 0 comments
Mobile, User Experience

Mobile App or Mobile Site?

As businesses clamor to establish their brand presence in the increasingly popular mobile channel, the foremost question that must be answered is whether to build a mobile app or a mobile site. Hopefully the following information will provide some initial guidance and initiate further discourse on which path allows eCommerce companies the greatest benefit to connect with the largest amount of consumers while extracting the maximum value of their investment.

Each platform has distinct advantages but the decision may rest on content type. Increasing sophistication of mobile browsers and the increasing support for HTML 5, will allow easier creation of robust user experience on mobile sites without having to develop platform-specific apps. Some forms of content, such as games and entertainment will naturally gravitate toward mobile apps where a rich user experience is necessary.

According to recent reports, 19% of the mobile sites measured were Shopping and Services sites; compared to 3.6% in the same category for mobile apps. Mobile Commerce (mCommerce) services are more likely to take advantage of browser-based mobile sites than gaming and entertainment providers where content is better delivered as an app. Understandably, mCommerce currently dominates on mobile sites considering its reach as opposed to developing OS-specific applications that may not be useable by a vast slice of prospective customers.

Industry analysts expect the browser-based mobile site market to grow much faster than the app market, although both continue to see substantial growth as adoption and demand continue to rise annually. This is partially due to the increased presence of better mobile devices; it is estimated that Apple will sell 36 million iPhones worldwide in 2010 with Droid ostensibly outpacing that on a monthly basis.

Some research has shown that the future of the mobile channel is likely to be dominated by cross-platform browser-based mobile sites—rather than mobile apps built specifically for iPhone, Android, or any other platform. Consider that rolling out mCommerce services across multiple mobile OS-specific applications is not easily achieved due to a host of technical and perhaps financial barriers, whereas mobile sites provides an easier migration of existing desktop ecommerce infrastructure.

Whichever path companies decide to pursue, device sites or apps have to be complimentary to other channels. Trellist is helping our eCommerce clients create complimentary mobile versions of their online stores to generate revenue in this important channel. We’re also developing strategies for mobile applications that will increase brand loyalty and revenues.

How are you addressing the question of mobile site or mobile app? We’d like to know.

 
Mar 18 0 comments
Mobile, Social Media

Get maximum brand lift from widgets: Micropayments

Here’s a look at a few ways your brand can take advantage of the users you’re currently not talking to.

How much is your brand missing out by not employing a widget strategy? There’s no easy answer to that, but since comScore starting tracking an audience of close to 300 million users, most brand managers have that itchy feeling like all their users are watching a TV channel that they just can’t get space on.

Luckily, brands that haven’t gotten in on widgets or mini-apps are closer than they think. Keeping the premise simple and the audience discourse in mind provides surprising amounts of lift in all kinds of places, which those experimenting with the medium are enjoying with great frequency.

So let’s take a look at a few of the ways brands are making a measurable difference in the space, ways your brand can take advantage of these hundreds of millions of users you’re currently not talking to at all. One of these methods is a micropayment widget.

Micropayment Widget

What are micropayments?  They’re a means of offering something of value for one or two dollars. It seems counter-intuitive to spend time on micropayments as a brand because the amount paid is so small.  But here’s a hook: with micropayments usually comes an audience comfortable with saving its credit card information for one-click quick transactions. You’re essentially making a dollar into a click, which becomes easier for users every time they do it. After all, it’s just a dollar. Why not?

A lot of the micropayment action is happening right now in virtual gifts and virtual items for avatars in multiplayer games. Along the way, they’re already generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue. Micropayments are a big way Facebook – and Facebook application creators – are paying the bills right now.

But Facebook isn’t the only platform taking micropayments all the way to the bank. Even though Facebook has gotten the most press for taking this notion to the social media set, you can’t overlook the way that iTunes has completely revolutionized the entire distribution model of music with micropayments.

Both of these ecosystems depend completely on the convenience of widgets. Without desktop applications tied to the internet, or web-based widgets providing intra-platform ease-of-use, the door is open.

So the question asked of brand managers now is, “What do you make that can be split into smaller objects?”

It’s easy to think of an album split into tracks and sold individually, but what about higher-priced items? Thankfully, all these users have accounts — accounts that are unique. Because of this uniqueness, you can stack micropayments together, like coupons, collecting them until you’re able to make a purchase.

A teenager may not have the hundred dollars he needs for the hot new sneaker, but he does have, on average, 115 friends on social networks that wouldn’t think twice before sending a buck in a click to help their friend get to the sneaker promised land.

In the coming weeks I’ll be discussing how other widgets – like virtual gifts – can help you achieve even greater brand recognition.