Quality counts in mobile

May 1, 2008

Michael Weaver is vice president of strategy at Crisp Wireless

By Michael Weaver

According to Nielsen Mobile, more than 32 million subscribers - 13 percent of the 260 million mobile subscribers in the United States - access the Internet from their phone monthly. Consumers are looking for information that is not only fast and relevant, but also technically reliable and easy to navigate.

Given the cludginess of the interface, the size of the screen and the nature of the medium, the average consumer does not want to take chances on sources they are not familiar with.

In mobile, quality counts.

Interesting and relevant content is the primary driver of page views, which is why we still see the highest amount of traffic in weather, news and sports.

Because the wireless networks control what content they place on their deck or homepage, they presently wield the most power when it comes to what content is easily accessible to consumers for viewing.

As guardians of the deck, carriers are proceeding carefully, structuring deals with reliable partners who are delivering trusted content that has been optimized for mobile.

Carriers are also careful because they realize that as they try to increase ARPU (average revenue per user) by driving more data traffic and WAP usage, they also could be increasing their churn if consumers have a bad experience.

Publishers have realized that mobile is a strategic place that they must be, as the sector continues to evolve into a mainstream medium. More and more consumers want their information on the go.

In fact, The Kelsey Group believes that the number of mobile Internet users in the U.S. will grow to 91.7 million in 2012.

With publishers looking to monetize content on mobile, and carriers needing premium content, there is a rush for quality sites in the sector. There is a clear understanding that poorly conceived or constructed sites will lead to bad user experiences resulting in inferior deck placement, poor site performance and a negative brand experience.

Hence, the interests of publishers and carriers are very clearly aligned.

Providing quality content will deliver a positive user experience and will result in increased brand interaction and mobile usage.

Furthermore, advertisers and ad networks need to also recognize this requirement and develop ad serving, tracking, data and optimization tools that prioritize quality content and user experience in order to be successful.

In mobile, quality is the key to success.

Michael Weaver is vice president of strategy and business development at mobile site developer Crisp Wireless, New York. Reach him at .

Comments on "Quality counts in mobile"

1. Jim Smith says:

   May 2, 2008 at 11:53am

   This is like reading an article from 5 years ago before mobile advertising existed. Is this a "re-print" or an article that lacks any substance? Shame on you Mobile Marketer for printing such an empty article written by a man that has apparently been living under a rock for the last 7 years...Talk about stating the obvious of the distant past..
   
   Jim Smith

2. Grant Cohen says:

   May 1, 2008 at 1:38pm

   I couldnt agree more! If you're looking for quality content thats easy to access on the web from your mobile phone - check out AskMeNow's new beta site: m.askmenow.com
   
   Leave your feedback there and let us know what to improve and how to make it even easier to use on a cell phone.