App success is generally viewed as the primary goal of the development, design and QA teams, respectively. But as we’ve long argued, the success (or failure) of an application is actually a company-wide goal. Yes, even that of the marketing department.
The writers over at SearchEngineJournal.com posted an interesting article the other day on Converting the New Mobile Consumer, in which they outlined some valuable tips for optimizing a mobile website focused on commerce. If you read the piece – and I suggest that you do – you’ll notice that most of the tips are not geared towards a highly technical audience (i.e. developers and testers), but rather that of the marketer. No offense to the technical-minded marketers out there!
To illustrate – and to encourage you to ask the marketing team for help the next time you’re put on a big project – I wanted to take a closer look at three tips in particular. Let’s get started…
Incorporate Branding Elements
As Mobile Marketer points out, mobile is an excellent venue for extending your branding efforts. Even though your mobile site will be a lot more simplified, you’ll still want to incorporate the same branding elements that you have on your traditional site. According to Social Media Examiner, this is important for two reasons. One, a mobile site is a brand touchpoint where customers interact with you, and like any other touchpoint, it should reflect and promote your brand’s essence. Second, incorporating a similar design on your mobile site will make users who are already familiar with your company feel like they’re visiting an old friend, which is an important consideration for your most loyal customers.
Here’s a classic example of an area that gets passed over by developers and QA teams, who often times are only focused on the functionality and security of a given application. Branding matters, so if you’re looking to launch a site or app that engages users – and encourages them to come back on a regular basis – you might want to consult with the marketing department, as this is their primary goal.
Over-Simplify
Business writer Jeff Haden says in his article, “8 Simple Tips to Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly,” that the first step in creating any site is determining your content. Most mobile users won’t browse for more than a few minutes. If they can’t find the specific information they’re looking for, they’ll be quick to leave and look at another site. Given the restricted screen size, it’s important to decide what key information your visitors will be looking for. These pieces are called your critical needs, and your home-page content should only include this absolutely essential information.
Many applications are overloaded with content, features and functionality to the point where it becomes counter-productive. Depending on the requirements, this is not the fault of the development or QA teams, but rather that of the product manager. But if you’re able to consult with the marketing department, they’ll likely agree that less is more in certain instances, especially mobile. They’ll help point you in the right direction of which features/content need more attention, and which ones need less. They’ll provide context, in other words.
Utilize Your White Space
It’s natural to want to include as much information on your website as possible. However, you need to resist the temptation, especially with your mobile site. Blue Fountain Media says that lack of white space is one of the primary reasons why mobile websites can fail. Unfortunately, many designers try to ensure that mobile users receive the same functionality and design experience that they would on the desktop site. The problem is that mobile users aren’t looking for the same experience; in fact, they demand an exceptional one with convenient on-the-go speeds.
While the designer will have their own reasons for wanting to incorporate whitespace (mostly aesthetics), the marketer will have several reasons of their own. As mentioned above, they want an application that serves a business goal; in this case, conversion.
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App quality is a brand goal. It’s no longer exclusively the domain of the developer, the designer or the QA engineer. It’s now a goal for everyone – from the CEO to the marketing team and everyone in between.
Do you consult with marketing or another non-technical department when you’re developing or testing a new application? If so, be sure to share your experience in the comments section below.