Where is User Experience, Users Pocket
UK data suggests that few companies are thinking effectively about Pocket Strategies. Fact is, less than a third of the UK’s largest companies even have a mobile optimized site. A few years ago, after the blog phase, everyone was promoting social media and then onto enterprise 2.0. My answer for companies and brands was always “learn to listen”, “listen-first”. The other rule was always authenticity. Write the blogs or posts yourself. And yes indeed, all those CEO’s that had blogs written for them – they got found out. Their credibility lapsed. So with this backdrop and context, think about your mobile challenge and how you want to frame it.
Let’s assume you must move forward and update your current website to support mobile formats. Typically that means dumbing it down and I’m not suggesting an app at this stage. So things get stripped away, technical constraints exist and your customer is disappointed although perhaps less than they were before. This approach isn’t going to help you much although you will get learning.
Only a third of FTSE 100 companies have a mobile-optimised site and only 16 percent of marketers have a formalised mobile strategy (CMO Council 2013), despite the fact that 57 percent of consumers will not recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site and 40 percent of consumers will go to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience (Compuware 2012).
These quick questions below may help you focus the discussion on mobile more effectively. Once you have answered them you will think more about the user, the experience, and how you can be part of your customers life.
- Think about yourself. Now describe the relationship you have with your smartphone.
- What’s the difference between Pocket Strategies and Mobile Strategy?
- In what context(s) will our customers seek us out? (Times, places, devices)
- How could we live inside our customers pocket? (relationship building)
Many companies can workshop Pocket Strategies quickly and efficiently to redefine how they do business in the future. Those that fulfill a role in my pocket will learn faster, be more attuned to my needs, and more cognizant of what’s right and wrong – particularly when it comes to advertising, media, and notifications. A great mobile solution has the power to make life easier for both parties. That will only happen if you start now thinking about this as Pocket Strategies!
Note: The picture is just a quick Google image search on mobile strategy. Do the same an you will see how few of the “promoted” solutions are user and pocket centric. Many of these treat mobile like it is just another digital strategy, a channel for communication. Any quick pocket strategies quiz /test will highlight how big the strategic miss will be. The relationship of your customers to their mobile devices is going to disrupt your business. The question is. Will you do it, or will some upstart do it to you?