Those of us who work in technology can hardly imagine working without high-speed internet. Many of us pay a premium for that service. But what about the average citizen? How are they accessing content?
Would you believe that 37% of American adults use their phones to go online? Even 25% of adults don’t pay for high-speed internet and rely upon data plans.
“Today, 37% of U.S. adults say they mostly use a smartphone when accessing the internet.” Pew Research
So, let’s have a conversation about marketing strategies that are mobile-first. We’re so happy that Wes Chyrchel is our guest to talk about this timely subject.
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Mobile-First Means Asking Questions
When you are designing your eCommerce site, it’s important to understand the customer’s behavior. Wes echos a lot of what Michelle Keefer said in our discussion about UX.
“People think they can do UX without research; you’re designing in a bubble.” Michelle Keefer
“Everybody has to understand who their customers are and how they shop.” Wes Chyrchel
“People are shopping on their phones first,” Wes says, then they are calling. So when they call ask them a simple question. “How Do You Use Our Site?”
Mobile-first isn’t the same as mobile responsive.
“It’s a challenge; it takes constant evaluation to see what the customer wants.” Wes Chyrchel
Mobile-First Means Simple
Simple means there is one call to action. Simple means the pop-ups don’t cover the screen. Simple means using collapsable elements as Jason Tucker mentions.
You may even have iframe elements that scroll. Maps in the wrong place are some of the biggest hangups on mobile sites. Thinking mobile-first means an address that can be highlighted to open the app of the consumer’s choice is best.
Five Verbs of a Website
There are five things a customer can do on a website:
- Call
- Click
- Read
- Buy
- Submit
That’s it. Each page should have one of these verbs as a goal.
Change the experience for mobile and increase your eCommerce sales. Mobile-first thinking is revenue-first thinking.
Resist The Temptation to Be Clever
This isn’t the time to cram in features or be clever. Just because you can include a feature, doesn’t mean you should. Ask yourself if it helps the user DO the one goal.
“People overthink mobile. They cram features that don’t belong there. It has to be different.” Wes Chyrchel
Mobile-First Helps Sales Department
Your mobile first site is a sales tool. Accept the feedback from all of the departments in you company. Spend the time asking your team what they think. Don’t dismiss feedback because the people giving it aren’t “technical;” neither are your customers.
“We get in our own way a lot.” Wes Chyrchel
Tool or Tip of the Week
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Wes recommends having a different mindset when designing your mobile site. In fact, at the company he works at, they design mobile and desktop separately. They are eventually merged. Do a mobile audit every two years.
Jason recommends Kinoni which allows you to use your phone as a wireless webcam.
Bridget recommends Kindle Create and publishing on Amazon Direct Print.
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