Internet Marketing - Matt Bailey [180]
Quick response (QR) codes allow an app to take a picture of the QR code (see Figure 15-26), which will open a specific destination page in their browser. A magazine reader can use their mobile device to scan the QR code in a magazine ad and be taken to a purchase page for that product. A QR app is required.
Figure 15-26: A Ralph Lauren ad featuring a QR code that will take the reader to the Ralph Lauren website
Using a Mobile Version of Your Site
By tracking what kind of device is accessing your website, you can deliver a mobile version of the website when appropriate. Mobile access to websites is rising, and the ability to deliver an interface that is specific to the needs of the mobile user is becoming more of a concern. Although some smartphones allow users to enlarge or condense the information on the screen, it still requires users to enlarge the screen to see the text and the links and navigate an interface that is designed for a large screen. The mobile interface is designed to reduce the interface to critical information and few links. The interface is easily read and navigated, because it is designed for the small screen.
One consideration to add is a link between the mobile and nonmobile versions of the website. Some mobile users prefer to view the nonmobile version of the website, especially with a normal web browser such as Safari on the iPhone, so make that choice available to them. Alternatively, some users would be happy to see a mobile version available and may choose to use or bookmark that link.
Businesses, publishers, retail sites, and others are finding that offering mobile versions can increase customer satisfaction. As established before, people go online and search when they have a question. Being found when someone is away from their office and answering that question can help develop a new customer relationship or increase the value of an existing relationship.
The difference is stark. By offering a mobile-specific site, you reduce the amount of noncritical information displayed to visitors, and you need to have a true understanding of what visitors need and want. The formatted display specific to the mobile user creates a better experience. Figure 15-27 compares the mobile-formatted and standard-formatted ESPN sites displayed on an iPhone.
a
b
Figure 15-27: ESPN’s mobile site (a) provides clear and preformatted information for mobile users. If the mobile site didn’t exist, mobile visitors would have to resize and navigate through an interface that is tiny when displayed on a phone (b).
Create a Mobile Site
One of the more comprehensive articles available for those investigating a mobile-friendly website is located at Mashable.com, http://mashable.com/2010/07/13/mobile-web-optimization/. This article goes through the steps of determining the functions and information that need to be available, emulators to test your current site, and links to additional support information.
The most involved step in creating a mobile-friendly site is creating new style sheets (with CSS) for each device. This is the time and cost investment in this technology, but it creates effective and elegant mobile-specific interfaces. A comprehensive guide to developing a mobile website is the book Mobile Marketing (Pearson, 2010). Chapters 9 and 10 of that book go into great detail about the technical and SEO factors in developing a mobile website.
For blogs, there are plug-ins available that will automatically create a mobile version of the blog for mobile users. For websites, a business should evaluate the needs of the mobile user and the typical information they may need. Not all of the functionality of the regular site is necessary to include on the mobile site. Membership and customer sites should allow access to membership and account information. Publishers can provide access to new articles and resources specifically for the mobile user. Travel destinations can provide a completely different experience for mobile users than the website experiences.
The