You may have heard some buzz around the notion of gamification. The term has been
characterized by some as the next frontier in web and mobile, one predicted to
become as central to marketing as social media has become.

So what is it? Gamification refers to the use of game mechanics and tactics in non-gaming environments, and it relies on rewards, incentives and challenges to stimulate action and motivate behaviour. The explosion of social gaming in recent years (Foursquare are Zynga are two prime examples) has brought with it a wave of game mechanics increasingly woven into the fabric of our daily lives. A recent Gartner report predicts that by 2015, more than 50% of organizations that manage "innovation processes" will gamify those processes.

Marketers have recently tapped into the power of game mechanics, applying similar principles to their website design and functionality, under the premise that successful websites encourage participation via many of the tactics more traditionally reserved for the gaming space. 

Check out some of our quick tips and resources below on "gamifying" your website. Does your organization currently use any of these tactics?

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.

Calling all ambitious marketers! Has your prehistoric web platform ever restricted your creativity?

For many of you out there, the answer is undeniably yes. If you understand the potential of harnessing digital channels, but feel held back (or held hostage!) by legacy technology, an agency or IT, check out our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, October 12 at 10:00AM PT. Learn how you can control your web presence with the help of Content Management delivered as a service (SaaS). 

Register now to reserve your spot - we hope to see you all there!

If you find this post useful, check out our webinar, Mobile Web: A Crash Course, along with our Higher Education Resources.

It’s more than clear that young people are leading the growth in usage of smartphones and mobile web in North America - 42% of people aged 18-29 go online mainly via mobile phone (eMarketer, 2011). If your target market falls into this age range, as is the case with higher education institutions, neglecting this vital statistic would result in missed opportunities to connect with your key audience.

Marqui's friends at Lakeland College, a progressive, technology-embracing school in Canada, have recognized the incredible value of having a mobile website in the post-secondary education industry. They came to Marqui looking for a full website redesign, along with a brand new mobile website. Using our CMS for Education, Lakeland was able to launch a mobile website engineered with the same functionality and popular features of the full website, but in mobile-friendly format. 

When designing the user experience for the Lakeland mobile website, our team of mobile web specialists were sure to incorporate everything that the multi-tasking, social student of today needs to access on the go, including social media, event calendars, links to student portals, news feed, and a zoomable campus map. Combined with a course fee calculator, registration capabilities, and a job posting page, the essential features of the full site were wrapped up in a compelling icon-driven navigation, in a format compatible with all mobile devices.

Check out some visuals of the mobile website below. It's received some phenomenal traffic so far (mobile website traffic for Lakeland has increased over 200% since the launch in July!). We're proud to have partnered with Lakeland to build this, and encourage all higher education institutions, if they haven't already, to develop a sound mobile web strategy to fully maximize reach in their target markets.



 



Home/Landing Page

















                                                  
                                                                 Academics









 


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For more info on what Marqui can do for your mobile web presence, check out our tools for Mobile Website Content Management, along with our Mobile Design & Build services.

If you find this blog useful, check out our webinar, Mobile Web: A Crash Course.

In 2011, the explosion of mobile internet consumption has brought with it an unprecedented wave of developments in mobile website design. In just one year, the mobile web landscape has changed dramatically, and the growing popularity of HTML5 and CSS3, amongst other developments, has played a pivotal role in expanding the realm of design possibilities.

With that in mind, here are the top mobile website design trends for 2012:


1.    Fingertip Optimization

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 .