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People rethinks mobile with new optimized site redesign

Time Inc.?s People has updated its mobile site with a new responsive design that programs content across devices, regardless of screen size.
 
The new mobile experience also includes Snap Banners ? mobile ad units that remain fixed on the screen before locking into a position on the page. Users can access the mobile site by entering http://www.people.com on their mobile browser.

?Our strategy on mobile stems from studying user behavior as devices emerge as well as taking a look at how our readers are using these devices in their lives,? said Liz White, general manager at People Digital.

?Like nearly all publishers, we were operating under a flawed assumption that all of our users were visiting the mobile site for an info snack when there were more than 25 percent spending more than five minutes at a time,? she said. ?This created a huge opportunity for us to rethink the way we were treating mobile.

?We have hired People and Time Inc.?s first full-time, dedicated mobile editor to employ a new dayparting strategy for content."

Mobile readership
Through dayparting, People will be programming content based on what the user wants.

For example, on Monday morning, readers will find a mobile exclusive feature ? ?What You Missed This Weekend,? a roundup of popular stories from the weekend. 

The new mobile site also features extensive social sharing tools that let users share content via email, SMS, Facebook and Twitter.

Additionally, People is letting users react instantaneously to content with the introduction of story-based emoticons where they can click on how the content makes them feel.

The redesign also features integrated commenting across mobile, desktop and tablet, which ensures that readers are always part of the conversation.

Mobile advertisers
With the introduction of Snap Banners, People is looking to make its mobile offerings more advertiser-friendly.

?We really want to be providing advertisers with engaging, impactful opportunities to add to their media buys or create new moments to shine on mobile,? Ms. White said.

?With have developed what we are calling Snap Banners, which are eye-catching units that remain fixed on the screen before ?snapping? or locking into place on the page,? she said. ?We believe these, in addition to our other offerings, present exciting new opportunities for advertisers to take advantage of a large, and growing mobile audience.  

?At Time Inc., the sites for all of our core brands have been designed and optimized for mobile and the user experience really reflects that.?