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What Chrysler's mobile ad campaign lacks

Chrysler?s mobile banner in the New York Times iPhone app illustrates the importance of having a mobile-optimized landing page. Chrysler?s landing page is not mobile-optimized. Sigh.

The banner takes a user to the company?s Web site, which is not optimized for a handset, thus completely ruining the user experience and making the ad useless.

?Mobile-optimization is extremely important at a time when a growing majority of consumers are using their phones to access the Web,? Nick Taylor, president of Usablenet, New York. ?In order to provide the best experience for the customer, companies need to optimize their Web pages for mobile.

?The only possible negative is if the pages are not organized correctly, a user might have a disjointed experience when traveling from a specific landing page to the main site,? he said. ?For this reason, it's imperative that a brand mobilize the entire site and all landing pages created for the Web, creating a seamless experience for customers.?

Mobile fail
The banner reads ?It?s Time to Reignite the American Dream? with the Chrysler logo on the right hand side.

Here is a screen grab of the banner within the New York Times application:

After 15 seconds of loading (sigh again), a user is taken to a landing page that is not optimized for the iPhone screen.

Here is a screen grab of the page loading (and loading and loading):

Here is a screen grab of the loaded page:

In order to read the text a user must zoom in.

Additionally, the site is not optimized for the iPhone because the company is also promoting it?s Chrysler collection via a small box on the bottom right side of the screen, which can only be viewed when zoomed in.

If a user clicks on the box, they are then taken to another landing page that is also not optimized for the iPhone.

Here is a screen grab of the Chrysler collection page:

How can a consumer shop the collection when they cannot view the items on the screen?

?If you?re a brand, you want it to be a good user experience,? said Neil Strother, practice director at ABI Research, Kirkland, WA. ?You want to give them the best experience that you can.

?It makes sense to have a landing page, or at least give them a choice ? like Google does ? so then the user can decide how they want to view it,? he said. ?If a user has a better experience, they are more likely to come back, especially if it?s optimized.?

Optimized site
Unlike Chrysler, JCPenney is a good example of creating a great mobile-optimized experience.

The company ran banner ads within The Weather Channel iPhone application.

Here is a screen grab of the banner ad:

A user who clicks on the ad is redirected to a landing page where he or she can shop or find the nearest JCPenney store.

Here is a screen grab of the landing page:

Users can also view a catalog, a recent circular ad and browse special offers.

?Customers will get the best possible experience for their specific device model,? Mr. Taylor said. ?With a better user experience, companies can see great benefits in the revenues generated from the landing page, whether it's for a particular promotion or the site homepage itself.?

It is important for a brand to have a mobile-optimized site, not only to build a consumer experience, but to also accommodate on-the-go users who view information on their handset.

In addition to JCPenney, brands such as Armani Exchange, American Eagle and Urban Outfitters all have a mobile-optimized site that provides users with a convenient shopping experience.

Hilton Hotels is also running banner ads via MSNBC?s mobile platform that drive consumers to its mobile site where they can book a hotel, make reservations and view specials.

?If you?ve done your homework well, consumers are getting what you promised in the banner,? Mr. Strother said. ?Companies have to spend more time and money preparing a landing page.?