Introduction to mobile sites development 10 practical tips for dynamic user experience and effective promotion Mobile Monday Amsterdam November 19, 2007 Laurens Rutten [email_address] www.momac.net

1. Ensure a dynamic user-experience Refresh content at least once a day, preferably 24/7 (depending on genre) Adjust content offering to “ rhythm of the day ”: e.g. traffic information on homepage only in traffic hours, sports news around matches etc Be creative with content selection and temporarily adjusted look-and-feel: adept to big (news) events, happenings, seasons, hypes/trends etc

Refresh content at least once a day, preferably 24/7 (depending on genre)

Adjust content offering to “ rhythm of the day ”: e.g. traffic information on homepage only in traffic hours, sports news around matches etc

Be creative with content selection and temporarily adjusted look-and-feel: adept to big (news) events, happenings, seasons, hypes/trends etc

2. Stimulate user participation in your mobile site Include interactivity: quizzes, polls, price competitions and little games Ask users opinion: rating of content (YouTube), forums and response forms Enable users to interact and share their content (social networking, blogs)

Include interactivity: quizzes, polls, price competitions and little games

Ask users opinion: rating of content (YouTube), forums and response forms

Enable users to interact and share their content (social networking, blogs)

3. Optimise your site to any specific mobile device Every handset is different: recognize handset by its unique “user agent” Optimise site for that handset: render graphics, video, tables, Flash Lite etc Consult open source WURFL for specifications: wurfl.sourceforge.net Alternatively, team up with a specialist mobile facilitator

Every handset is different: recognize handset by its unique “user agent”

Optimise site for that handset: render graphics, video, tables, Flash Lite etc

Consult open source WURFL for specifications: wurfl.sourceforge.net

Alternatively, team up with a specialist mobile facilitator

4. Benefit from existing exposure for promotion Include a service on your website where users can enter their mobile phone number to receive a direct (wap-push) link to the mobile site Promote your mobile site on print, TV and radio using an SMS keyword to a shortcode  sender receives a (wap-push) link back Fact: results (conversion rates) are much higher when mobile site is mentioned in relevant editorial context rather then in a plain advertisement

Include a service on your website where users can enter their mobile phone number to receive a direct (wap-push) link to the mobile site

Promote your mobile site on print, TV and radio using an SMS keyword to a shortcode  sender receives a (wap-push) link back

Fact: results (conversion rates) are much higher when mobile site is mentioned in relevant editorial context rather then in a plain advertisement

5. Drive traffic to your site from operator portals Get your site on Vodafone Live!, Hi, KPN Vandaag, Telfort Spot, etc Still starting point for many users: easy access, safe, tested (it works!) However: site owner has to comply to operator specific requirements And: operators increasingly stimulate open mobile internet outside portal (“off portal”)

Get your site on Vodafone Live!, Hi, KPN Vandaag, Telfort Spot, etc

Still starting point for many users: easy access, safe, tested (it works!)

However: site owner has to comply to operator specific requirements

And: operators increasingly stimulate open mobile internet outside portal (“off portal”)

6. Direct traffic to your site from open directories Ilse Startpagina voor mobiel: www.startpagina.nl/pda/ De Mobiele Startpagina: startmobiel.mobi Rabobank Mobiel: wap.rabomobiel.nl Flexible Portal: mmm.bel.nl Wapreview: wapreview.com Mippin: mippin.com Dir.mobi: dir.mobi Etc…

Ilse Startpagina voor mobiel: www.startpagina.nl/pda/

De Mobiele Startpagina: startmobiel.mobi

Rabobank Mobiel: wap.rabomobiel.nl

Flexible Portal: mmm.bel.nl

Wapreview: wapreview.com

Mippin: mippin.com

Dir.mobi: dir.mobi

Etc…

7. Enable web URL to work on mobile handset User should be able to enter a regular web URL on mobile handset, after which he is recognised as ‘mobile user’ and redirected to the mobile site Recognition by distinguishing regular browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari) from mobile browsers, based on list of mobile ‘user agents’ domain.mobi mobiel.domain.nl

User should be able to enter a regular web URL on mobile handset, after which he is recognised as ‘mobile user’ and redirected to the mobile site

Recognition by distinguishing regular browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari) from mobile browsers, based on list of mobile ‘user agents’

domain.mobi

mobiel.domain.nl

Optimise your visibility to Google by using Google mobile sitemaps Place the following line within the <HEAD> tag on your website: <link rel=&quot;alternate&quot; media=&quot;handheld&quot; href= &quot;domain.mobi&quot; /> Make sure Google Mobile knows that you have a mobile site: prevent your website from being transcoded! Most ‘SEO techniques’ for web are also relevant for Google Mobile results Set up campaigns with Google AdWords 8. Understand and utilize Google Mobile

Optimise your visibility to Google by using Google mobile sitemaps

Place the following line within the <HEAD> tag on your website: <link rel=&quot;alternate&quot; media=&quot;handheld&quot; href= &quot;domain.mobi&quot; />

Make sure Google Mobile knows that you have a mobile site: prevent your website from being transcoded!

Most ‘SEO techniques’ for web are also relevant for Google Mobile results

Set up campaigns with Google AdWords

9. Make your users your ambassadors! Stimulate your users to share your mobile site with their friends! Include ‘send-to-a-friend’ by using WAP-push to another mobile phone Facilitate site-forwarding as well as forwarding of individual content items, e.g. video-clips, to another phone directly

Stimulate your users to share your mobile site with their friends!

Include ‘send-to-a-friend’ by using WAP-push to another mobile phone

Facilitate site-forwarding as well as forwarding of individual content items, e.g. video-clips, to another phone directly

10. Create network of linked mobile sites Start mobile ad campaign from other mobile sites to your site Dutch mobile ad agency’s: e.g. WebAds, MADS, BiggerWorks International ad networks: e.g. AdMob, Google AdWords, Yahoo! Exchange links with associated/friendly sites But avoid being considered a ‘link-farm’! Fact: CTR is higher when promoted site is relevant to the context of the publishing site. Fact: CTR is higher in a combination of graphical banner with text-link, then clickable banner or text-link only.

Start mobile ad campaign from other mobile sites to your site

Dutch mobile ad agency’s: e.g. WebAds, MADS, BiggerWorks

International ad networks: e.g. AdMob, Google AdWords, Yahoo!

Exchange links with associated/friendly sites

But avoid being considered a ‘link-farm’!

Fact: CTR is higher when promoted site is relevant to the context of the publishing site.

Fact: CTR is higher in a combination of graphical banner with text-link, then clickable banner or text-link only.