Consumers are keeping up with the technology so why are we giving them meaningless mobile experiences?
Businesses are losing customers because they are too lazy to give them what they want, argues Luke Harvey-Palmer
Australians now rank a staggering second in the world for smartphone ownership. So for those with the responsibility for communicating with customers, mobile strategy has moved from an afterthought to one, if not the, most important channels to market.
But whilst technology and content are fundamental to mobile success it’s making the service useful and attractive that really matters.
I’m finding it hard to understand why so many businesses keep churning out meaningless mobile experiences and making no effort to understand the customer, their needs and desires.
I refuse to use a mobile website if it doesn’t have the full capabilities of the normal website. Same with apps. And if there’s no “Full Website/Desktop Website” link then you can forget about it. Why should I not get a full experience if I’m using a mobile phone? Most the time mobile websites are too simple for their own good.
right on @remer there is nothing more infuriating than a mobile site that wont let you do stuff and no option to ditch it and return to the full site.
@Remer Portable media does not require all the features of a fixed site, also I suggest you invest in a Smartphone maybe.
A lot of agencies do not have the Mobile talent needed that understands Mobile Tech. Consumers are an audience transitioning from a Point & Click to Swipe & Tap world, with data in the cloud not on your Web server.
Media has basically ignored mobile, yes they get entranced by Twitter and various other mobile applications, but they have no idea how to commercialise the mobile. What really surprises me is that they aggressively promote interaction via Twitter yet fail to appreciate that Twitter is now a media giant, and due to the media’s blind promotional obsession, advertisers are now flocking to Twitter, advertisers that should be on TV. Wake up media learn how to make money out of mobile. Review your databases and investigate how large or small it really is and what permission status, then talk to some real people in the business. I do however support many of the points raised by Luke he is clearly as frustrated as I am about our media geniuses. David
Agree Remer. Whilst we’re at it, can we make sure that the Mobile Site / Desktop Site thing is sorted out? If your mobile version doesn’t include everything, then I’ll choose Desktop, if I can and if the server will let me – what happens more often than not is there’s a redirect back to the mobile site. UGH.
Like the comments – most agencies sub out to expensive mobile applications builders that grossly over engineer what is in reality a basic interaction. We use SMS extensively with great success. An inbound SMS returns a specific targeted mobile web site that renders cognisant of mobile handset make and model is extremely efficient and very cost effective. But agencies like to charge enormous fees for great looking apps that frankly do very little to enhance brands or more specifically generate track able sales.
Who cares what screen you advertise on? Just make a strong offer.