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How to Build an Effective Web Presence

According to a recent survey conducted by iCrossing, 84 percent of respondents said they expect sites they visit frequently to provide a dedicated mobile version.

In the UK there are over 76 million active mobile phones in circulation and 15% of those are used on a regular basis for surfing the internet.

The Mobile Web isn’t just the ability to access existing web sites from a mobile device. Successful mobile web sites go beyond replicating what’s available over the internet using a PC or laptop, it is a collection of mobile-friendly websites along with search engines optimised for mobile, mobile advertising and pay-per-click advertisements that are not only displayed specifically for mobiles but are also relevant to the situations that the user of a mobile might find themselves in. Think of the mobile web as “an ecosystem for mobile devices” [Dushinski [1]]

Dushinski also presents a nice little equation which summarizes what a successful mobile web presence is. I've adapted it a little but it goes something like this:

Hits + Action = Success

Hits represents the traffic coming to your site, the number of visits by unique users or the number of repeated visits by regular users. This traffic coming to your site is driven by marketing your site, either through the traditional marketing mix or from your existing web site. As in all cases, marketing your site and thereby encouraging hits is made much easier if your site adds value, and in this case that has to be value that is specific to a mobile scenario.

Action is the conversion of visitor hits into desired, quantifiable affects. This is where your visitor will actually undertake some form of transaction whilst visiting your site, be it the extraction of relevant information, making a purchase or using a service. It’s all good and well generating millions of hits on your site, if all the visitors do once their there is click off to some other unrelated website. If your mobile site provides value to the mobile user, then it is likely they will undertake some desired action whilst visiting, even if it is simply to read and digest information about your company or its products.

The real trick is not just to provide value, but to make it easy for someone using a mobile to identify where that value is located and access it easily considering the limitations, and unique advantages, presented by the mobile interface.

A new company called Mobivize provides complete end to end mobile marketing services including developing a mobile web presence as well as services to publicize your web site and also optimize its ranking in mobile search engines.

Mobivize addresses the different stages of mobile web site development including the key areas you need to address which are:

  • What services and content to include and how best to present it to a user with a mobile device. Of course there are different ways of doing this from miniaturization of your existing site, creation of a simple text based site specifically for mobile, Smartphone apps or fully customized web sites specifically designed for mobile.
  • Develop content that creates value to the mobile user. What will drive hits to your site, how will you get them to take your desired action once they are there. How do you make them bookmark your site and visit it again and again. Mobile brings a whole new set of criteria to consider when thinking about value add, including the location of the mobile user.
  • When they take the desired action, make sure it's a smooth and successful transaction, that fits perfectly with the mobile interface. It has to be quick and bandwidth friendly. Many mobile transactions take place when the user is in a hurry (quick check on train timetable, a price comparison etc).
  • Personalise your web site. Make sure it provides specific content and value that your users want, where they want it and in respect to what they are doing at that time.
  • Promote your website.

What's clear is that the Mobile Web is now with us, and we can expect a revolution even greater than the PC based web revolution of the naughties.

Reference: [1] Dushinski K, The Mobile Marketing Handbook, CyberAge, 2009

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