Marketing in the World of Smartphones
The word “Colossus” is defined as something giant, abnormally large, or powerful. This is probably why the first computer created was given this title. The Colossus, built in the 1940’s, was the first electronic computer made. It took up nearly 1800 square feet of room and weighed in at more than one ton.
Since the Colossus, we have seen the dimensions of our computers drastically reduce in size, from modern PCs that fit comfortably on a small desk, to laptops that are portable and can easily be carried in a shoulder bag. Recently, the miniature smartphone has replaced many PCs and laptops through its pocket-sized convenience and at-your-fingertips accessibility to the internet.
Recent surveys show that nearly half of the people in the United States use a smartphone while one in five people access the internet daily through mobile web browsers. How can we tailor our marketing towards consumers who have adopted this new, easily accessible tool?
Marketing to Smartphone Users
There are some websites that have been designed so effectively that they catch our attention as soon as we open the page, and there are others that we may give very little attention to due to how bland or dull they seem at first glance. When viewing a webpage on a smaller screen like that of a smartphone, the design and layout of the page is crucial. The visitor’s interest needs to be caught immediately within that cramped eight square inch screen so they will give the site a chance and look into it further. By using easy to read fonts, and dressing up a page with colors and pictures, short paragraphs, and catchy titles, we can be certain that visitors don’t get bored of a website too quickly. As a result, they may take the time to look into it further, exploring more and seeking more information available on the website.
This brings us to the next important accommodation needed for a smartphone browser. Navigation of a site can be the key that makes or breaks the chances of a page visitor continuing to browse the website or getting frustrated and leaving. When a page adjusts to fit a smaller screen, it limits the amount of zooming in and out that can make navigation difficult and nearly impossible to have patience with. Some sites tailor to the smartphone user and automatically open a mobile view rather than the full site view for larger computers. Here, only the most important information should be viewed by the consumer. This means the remaining information that is not immediately needed must be omitted. However, text and most pictures comfortably format to the smaller screen with minimal or no resizing needed. By having the page adapt to the size of the screen used, you can be assured that the website guest will not lose patience with navigation and may step into the full view to research the site further.
Don’t Forget the Apps!
Along with easy web browsing, smartphones are created for various apps and use in the social networking world. Some phones come with apps already installed like that of Facebook and Twitter. Recent studies show that nearly half of adults and a larger percentage of teens and young adults use these social networks. Within that number, the percentage of those using mobile devices is greater than those using desktop computers. If we increase our marketing on social network sites and related apps that are readily available to this growing number of smartphone users, we will tremendously increase the amount of people viewing our website.
Technology is getting smarter, faster and smaller. Having a website that grows with the times is just as important as simply owning a website once was when web browsing first began. A couple of decades ago, companies that led the way through branching out online have been shown to have grown more than companies that didn’t make use of the new technology. In present day, those that fail to reach out to the mobile world will also miss a great opportunity. If we properly set up a web page so that it’s easy to navigate and small screen friendly, it will accommodate the growing number of smartphone users. By designing your website accordingly for the smartphone user, you will have greater confidence that your company will continue to prosper in these new and changing times.
About the Author: Carla Sanchez is a freelance writer for Omniture. Omniture is the world leader at web analytics. Omniture creates software that enables you to better understand your customers and increase your sales.
