---

The “mobile Web,” or more appropriately any website as viewed on a small screen, is a frequent topic of conversation with our clients. Fueled in part by device consolidation and increasing mobile Web speeds, U.S. mobile Web usage is at twenty percent of mobile users[1] and climbing, particularly among younger consumers. Content providers, grasping the potential of a mobile audience, are understandably eager to disseminate their text, images, and interactive and multimedia content to this emerging market

It is important, however, to realize that expertise and best practices in Web content delivery frequently do not transfer to mobile content delivery. Although there is a strong temptation to rely on knowledge of standard Web users and environments, content providers should not go to market without first carefully assessing mobile device users and mobile platforms as distinct from their PC cousins. By using the results of such assessments to inform a business case that maximizes return on investment (ROI), content providers give themselves a considerably stronger chance to capture some of the desirable mobile Web market. See Figure 1 (below) for a rudimentary go-to-market sequence involving ROI assessment.

Figure 1. Mobile Deployment Stages

Below are seven points of discussion to help establish a framework for assessing mobile users and platforms to ultimately determine the ROI of a mobile content deployment (stages 1 and 2 in Figure 1). These points are essentially ROI determinants—understanding and responding to the information gathered by discussing each point will lead to a deployment more aligned with the market and therefore more likely to succeed at providing a high ROI:

1. the right content
2. the right audience
3. the right target device(s)
4. the appropriate deployment technique
5. appropriate success criteria
6. the longevity of the solution
7. the strategic fit

Since a list of discussion points is only moderately helpful, here are some ideas for determining these factors before spending your development budget:

---

1. Deploy the right content

Your target audience won’t tolerate wading through your 5,000 page site on their mobile devices just to find the information they need. The key is to focus on and provide only what consumers want. Consider some of the following examples of successful mobile content deployments:

• Location-based services – Business and services near my current (or future) location
• Goal-oriented information – Driving directions,
• Time-critical information – Stock quotes, movie listings
• Fast-purchase scenarios – Purchasing mobile software or music for immediate download
• Services that utilize mobile device capabilities – PayPal Mobile (texting payments) or Comvu’s PocketCaster (cameraphone for real-time video conferencing and video sharing)

Next, position your content in a manner that makes it concise and easily understandable, like removing unneeded text and image content and framing interactive features using task-based language (e.g., “Get driving directions,” “Pay a bill,” etc.).

Finally, don’t be fooled into thinking that “desktop Web” successes will flourish on mobile devices. Often, the best “desktop Web” services flounder when deployed to mobile devices:

• Music downloads – A 2006 Entertainment Media Research report cited only 11% of surveyed sample downloaded music to their phones, down from 22% in 2005.
• Mobile Web search – Based on a 2006 M:Metrics report, only around 5% of the 190 million U.S. mobile subscribers (currently 210 million) use mobile search, despite the huge budgets spent promoting it.

---

2. Deliver to the right audience

A mobile “killer app” is nothing without an audience to use it. Consider the following target audience characteristics when forming a mobile deployment business case:

• Lifestyle – The psychological drivers that make your site content within their realm of interest
• Cost Tolerance – The willingness of users to pay a price (money, attention to ads, etc.) for your content
• Demand – The extent to which the user needs or desires the information, product or functionality being offered
• Brand Loyalty – The likelihood that the user’s experience with past products/services will influence their decision to purchase new ones
• Age – Mobile internet use remaining steady in younger users (18-34) at 36%, and growing in users 25-54 (currently 27%) and 55 and up (currently 12%)

---

3. Target the right devices

There are more mobile device choices than ever before, from the most basic voice-only phone to connected “palmtops.” Understand which your target audience prefers or risk failure.

Some recent figures to consider regarding mobile device usage:

• Though a smaller percentage of total phones, users of Smartphones are much more likely to download/consume music, games, video and news.
• Mobile Web browsing is the #1 data packet generating service – at 63%, versus for example 10% for mobile messaging.

Most importantly, know the devices your audience uses and plan content/services compatible with them:

• Screen size
• Operating system & browser capabilities
• Device and communications security
• Ease of text entry
• Amount of memory
• Processor speed
• Device size
• Additional capabilities (WiFi, GPS, camera)

---

4. Use the appropriate deployment technique

Tightly related to the audience and device types you target is the manner in which users will consume your content.

Consider the following usage paradigms for deploying content/services for mobile devices:

• Users access a generally public website - That may also provide additional accommodations for mobile users, like mobile-specific CSS
• Users access a separate, mobile-specific website – For example, Yahoo! Mobile
• Users download an application to their device to utilize Internet-based services – For example, MapQuest & Weather Channel for standard Web phones, or Virtual Earth Mobile & PocketCaster for Smartphones

And some less obvious paradigms:

• Using SMS (text messaging) – PayPal Mobile
• Using IM “ChatBots” – AOL Yellow Pages, MovieFone

Not surprisingly, each paradigm carries with it a set of development technology options, technologies and related factors to consider.

---

5. Adjust your success criteria

Success isn’t just about money. Therefore, it’s especially important to determine how you’ll judge the success or failure of the effort before you begin.

Consider the following success criteria:

• Increased revenue – Should always be evaluated separately to provide a means for comparison with other channels or future efforts
• Increased business opportunity – Such as increased brand awareness or brand loyalty (these two, and the benefits that come from them, are perhaps the most difficult to measure)
• Increased expertise – Not evident until you attempt to develop your next mobile project
• Reduced/avoided costs – Such as reduced call center volume, due to the increased ability to deploy self-service features

---

6. Consider the longevity of the solution

Ideally all software development efforts could be seen as long-term investments. This is not likely with your mobile deployment efforts. You should likely consider any deployment of mobile content a short-term investment for the following reasons:

• Standard deployment paradigm not yet established – But W3C MWI in full-swing
• Sheer variety of mobile devices and browser capabilities
• Trend of increasing device capabilities – Now some device screens even capable of VGA display (640x480)

The current best options for long-term mobile deployment are:

• Using mobile-specific CSS and other standards to render mobile optimized (and content limited) versions of full Websites, or…
• Creating separate mobile-specific websites following the W3C MWI 1.0 Guidelines

---

7. Ensure a strategic fit

Deploying mobile content is only worthwhile if it meets your organization’s strategic goals. Like any means of deploying information or services, mobile deployment must fit the organization in the following (and more) ways:

• Compatibility with other sales/communication channels
• Appropriateness given organization mission and purpose
• Fit with user base/target audiences
• Future expandability

---

Some final recommendations

The above steps are a helpful guide to making more informed business decisions that increase the likelihood of a successful mobile Web, application, or interface implementation. Here are some final recommendations:

• Don’t try to shortcut efforts for small screens—follow the same requirements analysis, design and development steps that you would for a full website.
• Allow for a 3-year evaluation period after deploying the solution to determine ROI, as the various factors discussed earlier can speed or slow adoption of mobile websites, services, or applications.

---

Conclusion

Fully determining – or at least forecasting – ROI for a mobile development effort prior to initiating the project is essential for managing expectations and evaluating post-implementation results. Whereas ROI measurement is a standard fixture in business visioning, deployment of mobile-specific interfaces involves a unique set of factors that you may not have considered. We hope that the seven ideas listed above provide you with a framework for creating an informed mobile content deployment plan with a high projected ROI. For further information, do not hesitate to contact us.

---

Sources:

[1] Source: comScore Mobile Tracking Study, October, 2006.

View all Insight articles
NavigationArts home