Go Mo Playbook
- 1. AGENCY GUIDE A primer on selling mobile-friendly sites to your clients INCLUDES: Introduction GoMo Action Plan Client Q&A How Consumers Use Mobile 10 Mobile Best Practices Tools & Resources
- 2. AGENCY GUIDE HELpINg YoUr CLIENtS MakE tHE MovE to MobILE Your clients look to you, their agency, to guide their advertising strategy to help them reach their objectives and take advantage of opportunities. And few business opportunities have taken off as fast as the mobile Web. For your clients, it’s a new way to reach and influence customers. And for agencies like yours, it’s a new source of incremental revenue. GoMo is an initiative designed to educate businesses about the mobile opportunity and empower them to build mobile-friendly sites. We encourage you to use the resources at howtogomo.com to convey to your clients the importance of creating a mobile-friendly site. At howtogomo.com you can learn why mobile matters, get a personalized report on how to mobilize your client’s site and find mobile site developers to partner with. This guide will show you how to put GoMo to work to help your clients make the move to mobile. Brands that aren’t embracing mobile, that aren’t there in the moments that matter to people, are basically sending the message that they don’t want to be in people’s lives. The results we’ve seen when we’ve enabled our clients’ brands through mobile-optimized websites and search optimization tell us that mobile is the preferred channel of engagement for a fast-growing number of consumers. —Chia Chen, SVP, Mobile Practice Director, Digitas “The unprecedented, dizzying pace of mobile technology advancement “If your business isn’t optimized for and consumer adoption will make mobile the most disruptive mass mobile, it might as well be invisible. medium, with wide-ranging effects for both advertisers and consumers. Mobile isn’t going to be a medium. It’s Its unique functionality, 24-hour access and engaging interface have going to be the medium.” created the potential for more effective and efficient advertising than ever before. The best starting point for most brands is to invest in a mobile-optimized site. The recent explosive growth in search behavior means that mobile traffic is coming whether you are prepared or not. —Edward Boches, Chief Our clients have increased conversions by over 250% just from Innovation Officer, Mullen optimizing their smartphone sites.” —Paul Gelb, VP, Mobile Practice Lead, Razorfish 2
- 3. AGENCY GUIDE YoUr goMo aCtIoN pLaN So your clients are talking about mobile. They’ve heard it’s important, but many of them aren’t sure how to get started—or even what to do first. By helping your clients establish their presence on the mobile Web you are ensuring that they are well positioned for the future. Once they’ve got a mobile-friendly website, you can work with your client to build out other advertising strategies. This Action Plan will show you how to get the ball rolling. EDUCatE YoUr CLIENtS oN tHE IMportaNCE of MobILE—tHE tIME IS Now! Your clients might think a mobile site is a nice to have, but not something that they should prioritize. Help them understand how important mobile is right now by educating them on the mobile landscape. We’ve compiled the latest statistics about mobile usage and the potentially negative impact of not having a mobile site. Share these with your clients. www.howtogomo.com/en/#why-go-mo gIvE YoUr CLIENt a “Look IN tHE MIrror.” Today’s smartphones can display just about anything on the Internet, but just because a site can load on a mobile phone doesn’t mean it’s mobile-friendly. Your client may not even realize that their customers have difficulty using their desktop site on their mobile device. To help them see what their customers see, send them to our GoMoMeter to test their site and get a customized report. Or just pull the report for them and email it to them as a conversation starter. www.howtogomo.com/en/#test-your-site Likewise, your clients might not realize how much of their site traffic comes from mobile devices. In verticals like consumer electronics, financial services and insurance, more than 15% of searches come from mobile devices. For restaurants that number is closer to 30%! Use Google Analytics or your analytics software of choice to better understand how much traffic is coming from mobile. www.google.com/analytics SHow YoUr CLIENtS wHat tHE CoMpEtItIoN IS Up to. If seeing how their own site looks on a mobile phone doesn’t drive your clients to immediate action, seeing what their competition is up to might help. Use the GoMoMeter to research your client’s competitors and present screenshots of their sites at your next meeting. www.howtogomo.com/en/#test-your-site 3
- 4. AGENCY GUIDE INSpIrE YoUr CLIENt wItH a taStE of MobILE. As you know, there’s nothing like a powerful visual. Sometimes clients just need to see it to get it. Use Google Sites’ free landing page builder tool to create a quick example of what their site might look like for your client. See the Tools and Resources list in this guide for more info on this powerful tool. http://goo.gl/Cblty bUILD tHE SItE. Some of your clients might want to start with a simple landing page just to dip their toe in the mobile waters. Others might be ready to do a full site build, complete with e-commerce functionality. Do you have the capabilities to build mobile sites in-house? If so, that’s great. Get to work. If not, check out our list of GoMo vendors to partner with. www.howtogomo.com/en/#build-your-site INtEgratE tHE MobILE SItE INto YoUr CLIENt’S MobILE aND ovEraLL CaMpaIgN StratEgY. Once you’ve built the mobile site, you’ll need to work with your clients to drive traffic to it. You’ll also want to integrate mobile into their larger campaign strategy. Google Mobile Ads are a good first step towards growing a mobile business. For clients with physical storefronts, claiming their business on Google Places is also a great way to help mobile consumers find them. You can tie into an overall ad campaign by promoting the new site at every opportunity—for example, use QR codes in print and out-of-home executions to direct users to the mobile site. www.google.com/ads/mobile www.google.com/places 4
- 5. AGENCY GUIDE CLIENt Q&a These responses to common questions can help you explain the value of a mobile site to your clients. Q: My site shows up on my phone. That means it’s mobile-friendly, right? A: Not necessarily. Most sites will show up on a smartphone, but unless they have been designed with mobile in mind they won’t provide a great user experience. A truly mobile-friendly site is tailored to the needs of mobile users and the capabilities of mobile devices. Q: I can’t afford to build a mobile site. Can it wait? A: Sure it can wait…if you’re willing to risk missing out on a ton of business. Soon, more people will be accessing the Internet from mobile devices than desktop computers1. By 2015, mobile commerce will reach $119 billion worldwide2. Can you afford to wait while your competitors beat you to the punch? 1. Gartner, “Gartner’s Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users, 2010 and Beyond: A New Balance,” 2010 2. Forrester Research via Google, “What Users Want from Mobile,” July 2011 Q: How can I tell if my clients are using mobile phones to look for me? Q: I’ve already invested in mobile ads. Isn’t A: Your desktop site analytics can tell you a lot about that enough? how people are accessing your site. Look for searches A: Mobile ads are a great advertising solution because coming from mobile operating systems and determine they reach consumers in a targeted and efficient way. what percentage of your total traffic this is. Also note But imagine this: a customer has just clicked on your what these users are looking for—this will help you mobile search ad and reaches your…desktop site. prioritize the right info and features when you build They have a negative experience, and it leaves them your mobile-friendly site. with a bad feeling about your business. In short, if you run mobile ads that lead to a non-mobile-friendly site, Q: How do I know if a mobile site will help you’ve only done half the job. my business? A: The statistics are compelling, but it’s understandable Q: We built a mobile app. That’s the same thing, that you’d like to know for certain if a mobile site will isn’t it? drive business for you. Luckily, it’s not an all-or-nothing A: Mobile apps can be an important part of your thing. You can experiment with a single mobile landing mobile strategy, but the fact is, they are not a page and see how it performs before committing. It’s a replacement for a mobile-friendly site. Apps are relatively small investment and will provide learning platform-specific and take a lot of work to update. A you can leverage when you build a full mobile site. mobile site, however, will work on any mobile device with a browser. And, when you want to update Q: As a primarily local business, do I need this? content, it’s much simpler to do it quickly. A: Mobile is very important for local businesses. When your customers are out and about, they could Q: I don’t think my customers are mobile. Isn’t be looking for the closest business of your type, from that mostly for teenagers? gas stations and restaurants to legal or medical help. A: Absolutely not. 85% of Americans age 18 and over In fact 95% of smartphone users have looked for local have a mobile phone, including 68% of people over information on their phones4. age 653. What’s even more amazing is how quickly 4. Google, “The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users,” 2011 mobile usage is growing. By 2015, there will be more than 7.1 billion mobile devices in use. 3. Pew Internet, “Generations and Their Gadgets,” February 2011 5
- 6. HOW CONSUMERS 50% of American adults will USE MOBILE Since your clients look to you to keep them abreast of own a smartphone current consumer trends, this is a great way to introduce 81% by the end of 2011 them to mobile. This infographic exclusively for agencies use it to browse the Internet shows how consumers are using their mobile phones to 77% communicate, search and shop—24/7. Share this with use it to access a search engine your clients during your next presentation and introduce 48% them to today’s constantly connected consumer. use it to watch videos Source: Google/Ipsos 2010 WEB SEARCHES PERFORMED ON MOBILE DEVICES HAVE GROWN 400% IN THE LAST YEAR MOBILE LOCAL Searching for local info is the most common smartphone activity. ea rs call a b le s rche se bi u sa 1 in 3 mo us 61% of iness re local eu obil sers l info seek ca f m al inform l lo within on e a oc n oo ion up o rs day act f o e 95% io ked t tak l 88% e rs visit a a rs m ke a se se bu u pu 44% of u 59% of siness rchase use their phone while watching TV use their phone while having a meaningful conversation use their phone while going to the bathroom use their phone while reading a newspaper or magazine use their phone while eating MOBILE BEHAVIOR Smartphones are an indispensable part of our daily lives. howtogomo.com 6
- 7. AGENCY GUIDE 1. kEEp It QUICk 4. DESIgN for vISIbILItY Mobile users are often short on time, squeezing A mobile-friendly site gets its message across in online tasks as they go about their day. To help without causing eyestrain. Make it easy for your them, design your site to load fast and make copy customers to read—remember, they may be in easy to scan. a place with low light. Prioritize the content and features that Create contrast between background and text. mobile users need most. Make sure content fits onscreen and can Use your desktop site analytics to see be read without pinching and zooming. what mobile users are doing. Use plenty of negative space. Use size and Reduce large blocks of text and use bullet color to indicate link/button priority. points for easy reading. Compress images to keep them small for faster site loading. 5. MakE It aCCESSIbLE Ideally, your mobile site should work across all mobile devices and all handset orientations. 2. SIMpLIfY NavIgatIoN Find alternatives to Flash—it does not work on No one likes to be confused. Clear navigation and, some devices. on large or complex sites, search functionality will help your customers easily find what they need. Use HTML5 for interactivity and animation. Adapt your site for both vertical Minimize scrolling and keep and horizontal orientations. it vertical only. Keep users in the same place when they Use a clear hierarchy in menus change orientation. and avoid rollovers. Help users navigate between levels with clear back and home buttons. 6. MakE It EaSY to CoNvErt Use seven links or fewer ke No matter what your site’s objective is, your per page of navigation. customers need to be able to do it with a virtual Have a search box prominently available keyboard and no mouse. Make it easy to buy on complex sites. something or contact you. Focus on information that will aid conversion (i.e., product details). 3. bE tHUMb-frIENDLY People use their fingers to operate mobile Reduce the number of steps needed to complete a transaction. devices—especially their thumbs. Design your site so even large hands can easily interact with it. Keep forms short and use the fewest number of fields possible. Use large, centered buttons and give them Use check boxes, lists and scroll menus breathing room to reduce accidental clicks. to make data entry easier. Pad smaller buttons to increase Use Click-To-Call functionality for all the clickable area. phone numbers. Pad check boxes by making the text clickable. 7
- 8. AGENCY GUIDE CONTINUED ... 7. MakE It LoCaL 9. USE MobILE SItE rEDIrECtS Consumers look for local info on their phones all A mobile site redirect is code that can automatically the time—from locating the nearest gas station to tell if visitors are using a mobile device and send finding an open pizza place. Include functionality them to the mobile-friendly version of your site. that helps people find and get to you. Have your site developer implement this redirect code so your customers get the best version of Have your address or store locator on the your site for their needs. landing page. Include maps and directions. Use GPS to Give users a choice to go back to the personalize when possible. desktop site, but make it easy to return to the mobile site. Allow users to check stock at nearby stores. Let users choose which version they prefer to see for later visits. 8. MakE It SEaMLESS Include key information, such as your address People now use multiple screens throughout the or a store locator, on the redirect page. day. Convert as much of the functionality of your desktop site to mobile as you can to create a seamless experience. 10. LIStEN, LEarN aND ItEratE Good mobile sites are user-centric, which means Allow users to save popular searches and they’re built with input from your audience. Ask shopping cart contents. your desktop site users what they want in a Maintain key features of the site across all mobile website and make testing and optimization channels as much as possible. an ongoing process. Display the same information for Use analytics to understand how products/services. people use your site. If possible, especially for complex sites, do user testing before. Implement and collect user feedback after launch. Iterate often and continuously improve your site based on your research. 8
- 9. AGENCY GUIDE agENCY tooLS & rESoUrCES These Google tools and resources can help you educate your clients on current mobile trends and why it’s increasingly important to have a mobile-friendly site. goMo: www.howtogomo.com Enter your client’s URL into the GoMoMeter and see how their current desktop site looks to mobile users. Answer a few short questions about the site’s purpose and behavior, and you’ll receive a customized report showing your client how they can make their site more mobile-friendly—a great way to start the mobile strategy discussion. wEbINar: “Optimizing Your Website For Mobile.” This presentation covers the current state of mobile, best practices, Google’s Mobile Landing Page Builder and calculating mobile site ROI to show your clients how quickly a mobile site can pay for itself. Download Deck Watch full presentation http://goo.gl/vmJQU googLE MobILE aDS bLog: http://goo.gl/rZ1cv Follow the Google Mobile Ads Blog to stay up-to-date with the latest mobile site trends and advice. In particular, be sure to read up on Google’s “Getting Mobile Ready” Series, which focuses on building and optimizing mobile-friendly sites. Part 1: Creating a Mobile Optimized Site http://goo.gl/YinDr Part 2: Testing Landing Page Content http://goo.gl/332wk Part 3: Experimenting with Landing Page Design http://goo.gl/dT1qZ 9
- 10. AGENCY GUIDE googLE SItES MobILE LaNDINg pagE bUILDEr: http://goo.gl/Cblty For clients who aren’t ready or don’t have the budget to commit to a full mobile-friendly site, our Mobile Landing Page Builder offers a quick alternative for deploying and testing simple mobile landing pages. You can mobilize your client’s site in minutes with our selection of templates and colors—for free! googLE aNaLYtICS: www.google.com/analytics Google Analytics can help with mobile optimization even before your clients have a mobile site. Review analytics from your client’s desktop site to determine how much of their current traffic is coming from mobile devices and where these users are going. You can use this information to prioritize content on the mobile- friendly version of the site, or even to cater the experience to the mobile devices most commonly used by your client’s customers. Once your client has a mobile site, Google Analytics can be a useful part of an ongoing test-and-optimize strategy. googLE pLaCES: www.google.com/places Make sure your client is found when consumers look for them with Google Places for business—a local, mobile-friendly platform from Google. Help your client’s business stand out by adding photos, maps and directions. You can also highlight special promotions, post live updates and respond to reviews. googLE MobILE aDS: www.google.com/mobileads A mobile-only campaign using Google Mobile Ads will help your clients grow online sales, get more customers through their doors or build their brands. 10