• The growth of mobile adoption (devices and web consumption) continues to exceed the predictions made by industry analysts.
• North Americans spend 2.7 hours a day socializing on their phones (Microsoft Tag, 2011), and that doesn't even include other daily activities that users combine with mobile, including watching TV, waiting in line, etc.
• Users are demanding, and expect mobile web experiences to match that of the desktop, particularly with quick loading times.
• The "debate" between apps and mobile websites isn't really a debate at all: apps have their own unique advantages, but they should in no way replace a mobile website, which is an absolute essential for both B2B and B2C companies.
• Some best practices for your mobile web presence include:
  • Loading speed - should be quick
  • Simple navigation
  • Forms should be easy to complete
  • Accessibility is key

User- Generated Content
The aim here is to provide incentives for visitors to generate their own content on your site. Not only will it increase engagement, it will make your site richer and more SEO-friendly. UGC can be encouraged through feedback mechanisms such as ratings, reviews and comments. How can you reward people for this type of user-generated content? One way is to consider providing “badges” to those users who comment or participate frequently.

Feedback Tools
You’ve heard of the Facebook “like” button and Google’s “+1”. Both of these are tools for people to share content while also providing their feedback on it. One way to encourage this is to reward users for “liking” or taking some kind of action on your site. Often this is done through an activity feed, which shows popular articles or pages on your site, along with top users' activities (i.e those with “badges”).

Social Login
Keeping with the social nature of today's web consumer, it follows that many visitors will participate in game-like scenarios if the benefits of doing so extend beyond the game itself (i.e users are more likely to become involved in activities that those in their social circle are engaged in).

These tactics really are just the tip of the iceberg - check out these resources for more in-depth info on gamification and examples of successful gamification-in-action.

When taking a survey of current mobile websites, it's more than evident that many are being built for fingertip navigation. Many elements including search fields, menus and images are created large enough to accomodate finger-clicking.
The tactile nature of today's mobile web experience should always be kept in mind when designing a mobile website.







 

 

 2.     Simplicity

Capturing the interest of today's attention-deprived mobile user is no small feat. Complicated mobile websites are clumsy and difficult to navigate, making it difficult for users to access the info they need on-the-go. For this reason, current mobile websites feature functional, minimalist layouts. With a fraction of the navigational choices offered by the full website, these scaled-down versions make the internet experience much more accessible to mobile web users, who are more demanding and time-constrained than ever.





 
 3.     White Space

 White space is a must for any good web design,  and its importance takes on special meaning in 
 the mobile realm. An instant detractor from any  mobile website, visual clutter can be distracting  and frustrating (picture those times when  you've clicked on the wrong link because there  isn't enough whitespace!). The most          compelling mobile website designs today are  built with this fact in mind.







  


4.    Increasing Number of Videos
       and Images                                                                  

With a rising number of unlimited data plans and the growing popularity
of the 4G network, concerns around loading times and data consumption are not as prevalent as they once were. Although it is always important to keep these factors in mind, today's mobile web designers have found more flexibility in creating visual interest. With this, there's a growing trend towards video galleries, image sliders and other forms of dynamic content on mobile websites. 







 
 5.    Designs Borrowed from Apps

 With the success of touchscreens, 
 mobile  website designers have used the 
 app layout, adapting menu items into
 buttons or icons similar to those found in
 apps. The result is a clean, icon  
 driven design that many mobile users  have grown accustomed to.













 6.    Social Networks Integration

The nature of mobile usage is incredibly social, so lots of mobile websites are 
catching onto this wave by incorporating links to all their social media channels,
along with incentives for "liking" them on Facebook or "following" them on Twitter. Whether they're waiting in line at the grocery store or having lunch with friends, the mobile web allows your business to establish a social, casual connection with your customers, one that's interwoven into the fabric of
their daily lives. 


 






 7.    Introductory Pages

 Many mobile websites feature an  
 introductory or opening page  
 containing only branding and a
 large background image. This tactic is a
 good way to instantly capture  
 interest and set the tone of the
 mobile website experience without  overwhelming your visitor with unnecessary  text or  calls-to-  action.









It's always important to note that while you need to keep aware of ever-changing trends, all aspects of your mobile website design should align with your larger mobile marketing strategy. To remain competitive, and to truly evolve your digital marketing presence, any mobile website design initiatives you take on must be firmly rooted in your business objectives.

All mobile screenshots were taken from mobileawesomeness.com.


If you're looking for more info on mobile websites, check out how Marqui can help you with your mobile web design and build, along with mobile website content management .

By now, you’ve heard about Google’s acquisition of
Motorola Mobility. As the largest deal in Google’s
history (a whopping $12.5 billion!), there has
been, unsurprisingly, a flurry of debate
and discussion. There may be some significant change on the horizon, but what does it mean for the industry?

On one hand, the deal puts Google in a position to settle the tumultuous patent wars between the “big 3” industry players: Microsoft, Apple and Google. (Case in point: Motorola’s lawsuit against Apple for violation of patents is merely one of many still pending). Currently, the FTC is undergoing a full-scale scrutiny of Google’s business, which will provide another layer of complexity to this already- tangled battle.

Above and beyond patents, however, the deal works to support the Android platform. With the explosion of Android phones on a global scale (150 million), Google is in an interesting position to take on the dominant mobile device, the iPhone. Some have speculated that this bold acquisition is paving way for a Google phone, and although there haven’t been any definitive claims about this yet, the opportunity is undeniably lucrative. Seizing control of the hardware and software process enables Google to move one step in the right direction to usurping Apple’s domination of the mobile device market.

Another interesting dimension to the deal: it may also prime Google for a competitive edge in the set-top box and cable-modem market. Both Google and Apple have been testing the TV waters (GoogleTV launched last spring with minimal traction so far) and the acquisition may bring some wins for them in this space.

Amongst the speculation, one thing is for certain: the acquisition indicates Google’s commitment to mobile as a key driver of its future growth, and if the deal fuels a retaliatory consolidation from Apple, it could mean some dramatic changes in the mobile space.

Will Google and Apple go head to head? Let us know what you think! For those who love polls, check this one out on Mashable…

Thanks to everyone who attended our latest webinar, “Mobile Web: A Crash Course”. We had a great turnout! 

Our hosts, Richard Sharp, VP of Marketing, and Dan Biggs, Digital Strategist from Station X Communications, provided their thoughts and observations about the impact of mobile on the web.

Here are some highlights from the webinar:

•  The potential user base for mobile sites is growing exponentially
  •   For example, in Canada, 60% of the population is a mobile user, and in the U.S, the number jumps to 77%. In the U.S, there is a 14% per year projected growth of mobile users until 2015.
•   Mobile browsers have specific needs and advantages, and mobile websites need to be designed with these in mind
•   Mobile apps may or may not be the best solution for your business, depending on your objectives
•   Managing content for your websites and mobile websites is much easier from a single platform

If you’d like to know more about mobile web, check out the full webinar here. Stay tuned for the next mobile webinar, coming in September!

We also had a question from Liliana about mobile statistics for EMEA. We hope these graphs help, Liliana!