Mobile Friendly websites

A few weeks ago, I posted a graphic that represented email clients in order of popularity. I will re post a similar graphic again from a campaign we sent last week.

This chart evidences the point I would like to make regarding the importance of ensuring that a website is designed to be mobile friendly. So much direct marketing is carried out by email today and the evidence is that much of it is being accessed by mobile email clients.  For email marketing to be successful, it is important that there are clear and compelling calls to action present. But if fulfilment of these marketing campaigns is to take place on an iPhone or an Android device then it is just as important that the destination website be mobile compatible.

It is possible to have a mobile application creates, with an RSS feed that your mobile users may access your news etc. however it is unlikely that unless you are a very big consumer brand that you are going to get many subscribers who regularly check that application and even less likely to get them to download it in the first place.

One area that is seeing rapid growth is streaming video. There are many websites that supply streaming content that I can access with my HTC. Sadly, they do not offer 100% usability. The thing is I am most likely to access this type of content from my mobile when I have a few minutes to spare and I am not at my desk or in my house.
Most of these systems do use flash and the problems with accessing rich flash content from a mobile device are well documented. No doubt we will see more websites developed to offer a better streaming experience to mobile users but I cant help but feel that some big players in this market are missing a trick.

Once again I have to say that if you are running direct email marketing campaigns, ensure that the landing page does not have flash. This will ruin the impact of the campaign on pretty much any mobile device. Another thing to be wary of is screen width. Make sure that the different elements of your homepage are able to exist next to each other without blocking important text, links or functions.

Th important point to remember is that New Media is all about giving customers choice. If customers are choosing to use mobile devices as web browsers, it would be a fool who fails to react to that basic market force.

European shoppers are ready for m-commerce

Retailers across Europe need to develop their m-commerce strategies fast as many shoppers across the region plan on using their mobile devices for m-commerce in the next year.

Just as most of us are getting used to e-commerce, a new kid rocks up and starts throwing his weight around in the digital marketplace. That is right, m-commerce is here and its getting all up in your face!

According to new figures released by Akamai, media distribution specialists, a third (30%) of consumers across Europe are using, or plan to use, their mobile devices to conduct e-commerce.

Ten percent of them are already using mobile devices to make purchases and 20% intend to start doing so within the next 12 months. I must add that I personally have completed a number of purchases from my mobile phone, from pizza to dvds.

The evidence indicates that despite there being thousands of mobile apps relating to retailers and brands, consumers in prefer to use mobile browsers to access the Internet. I have done both and although the Amazon app is adequate, a mobile friendly website is much better and usually more up to date with offers and your shopping history.

Recent research by Orange indicates that, mobile browser use was found to be highest in the U.K. (70%) although a similar percentage of French mobile users also prefer browsers (68%). The Spanish are split evenly between browsers and apps while Poland is the only country to favor apps over browsers (45% vs. 39%).

"With increasing numbers of shoppers going online with mobile devices, it is important for retailers to get their mobile e-commerce strategies right the first time and the need for security, website performance, scalability and availability has never been more important to underpin success in the online marketplace," says Akamai's international marketing vice-president, Martin Haering.

Akamai's research also indicates an increase in online spending among 30% of the 1,500 respondents while Spain emerged as the fastest growing e-commerce market in Europe, where 44% of consumers reported a willingness to spend more on-line. The highest spenders online in Europe tend to be aged between 35 and 54 years of age, each spending around $2,111 per year.

Nearly two thirds (62%) of respondents purchased clothes and footwear online, making this the largest category of spend in the survey, followed by more 'traditional' online items such as books and magazines (59%). Online travel accounted for nearly half (47%) of spend.

"E-commerce sales keep growing - despite the recession online sales grew by over 20% in 2009 - and the market is rapidly diversifying," commented Ivano Ortis, research director at IDC Retail Insights, which carried out the research.

"Basket size is increasing, as is the level of services and support that customers are expecting from e-commerce websites."

The moral of the story is, if your customers are diversifying the way they shop, are you diversifying the way you sell? If you are still holding out in going e-commerce, this is the time to address that and look at making your new site mobile friendly.

Social Media and International Trade

I have been developing a website for an international client this week. This client is a lovely Dutch lady, running a business in Spain that helps other Dutch folk settle and find work in Spain. A perfectly sensible business, Holland, a nation across the channel shares our dire weather and tens of thousands of them flee the weather to take advantage of the Iberian peninsula's endless summer. The website will be finished soon and it will go on the portfolio section of the New Reckless New Media website, due to be launched in September.

This whole process has made me think about how international the internet has made business. I think nothing of ordering something of Amazon US or buying some piece of tat from Chinese E Bay. On a larger scale, service based companies are looking to overseas markets as opportunities to sell virtual versions of their various services. We live in an age of international webinars, web based e-learning solutions and a number of social media events.

That's not to say that it is altogether easy to win international clients or to offer them a service similar to what you offer your local customers. In this case, although the client speaks perfect English, the website has to be in Dutch so simple things like the calendar function, something that we would usually have used an off the shelf application to implement needed to be hacked to represent Dutch names for months and days. Still these are not major obstacles and lessons that need to be learned if we are going to do more business with international clients. I am currently discussing doing a recruitment related website with a Lahore based company. We communicate with Skype and email but the time difference is a bit of an obstacle making our email discussions rather drawn out.

As a sales person, I intend to do all I can to increase my client base and at the moment it seems to me that there is an appetite out there for British Web Design. I am not going to suggest that I understand the reason for this for this phenomenon but it does seem that Social media has been the key to opening the door to international trade for Reckless New Media.

I am a big fan of linkedIn as a base for cultivating a powerful network of clients colleagues and prospects. I have found that a number of international leads have come from some of the groups that I belong to and naturally these leads open doors to further opportunities. Naturally I have a pretty organised approach to social media, I know why I am there and what I am looking for. That is not to say that I am mercenary in my posting as that is a major turn off. The great thing about social media is you get to communicate with people who ordinarily would have put the phone down on a cold call but are happy to engage in a discussion on how to better market their company on-line or how to generate more leads etc.

Twitter is also a favourite in our office. It is to some degree a recreational instrument in that we do have a lot of fun with it and the majority of our tweets do not have a commercial objective. They do however create a vibe or energy in the office and about our team. Outsiders who follow us, many of whom are customers and prospects get to know us better. What we watch on TV, what we like to eat and what we do on the weekend. I feel that this forges a link between us and is a form of virtual bonding, pre meeting small talk if you will.

I would really like to hear from readers what they have achieved for their business through social media. I would especially enjoy receiving any tips as to how I can help my clients grow their business through social media. As it is such a young phenomenon, there are new opportunities being presented nearly every day.

If you would like to chat with me about making social media a part of your marketing mix, I will be only too happy to hear from you. My email address is matthew@recklessnewmedia.com

Happy Socialising