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Mashable published an infographic last week (click the image below to see the larger version on Mashable's Website), illustrating how the millennial generation uses mobile.
As you can see, for the purposes of this report, the "millennials" are ages 18-34. If 18-34 year-olds are part of your target demographic for your online business (or your web page for your local business), then you need to realize that when they visit you online, they'll most likely be doing it on their phone or tablet. Therefore, you absolutely must have a mobile-friendly web presence.
The quickest way to find out how mobile-friendly you are online, simply use your smart phone (or borrow one), and view your website and the linked social networking profiles (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). If you don't like what you see, here are some quick ways to become more easily accessible by mobile.
Use QR codes. We wrote about these cute little things back in May, and since then I've been seeing increased usage of them. Over the weekend, I saw a plumber with a huge one on the back of his car - it was brilliant. I'm sure if I'd been a millenial (I'm about a decade too late for that), I'd have been able to get my phone out in time to snap a photo of it for this blog, or even better, look him up on the web. See What is a QR Code and do I need one? for more information on how to get one for free.
Either have a mobile version of your website (optional), or make sure your regular web page is "flex width" and that you've minimized the use of Adobe Flash. You want your web page to shrink to fit a tiny screen when necessary, so readers can view the entire page from right to left before they enlarge it to read it. It will be far less confusing for them. Also, most mobile browsers don't really play nicely with Adobe Flash, so make sure your mobile users have an alternate way to get any important information that does not involve using the flash player.
Make sure you have a feed for your regular updates. If you post your updates in a blog, make sure you have a feed for that blog. If you post them some other way, make sure you have a feed for those updates, because people who like to access their favorite websites on their mobile devices often do so using their feed reader. Check out the WebReb "Feeds" archive for more information about feeds and feed readers.
Make good use of mobile-enabled social networking profiles. Twitter was developed as a mobile technology, as was Friendfeed, and Facebook does a great job with mobile, so if you have accounts on these sites, be sure to link to them from your website, and keep them updated. Many of your regular readers may choose to access your update using their social network if they find that is easier.
What are your experiences with incorporating mobile technology into your online marketing strategy? |
