Google chases brands, retailers as it ringfences mobile Web
As Apple continues on its quest to be the king of the applications world, Google is taking another route to the top ? the mobile Web.
Just because a desktop site can be viewed on a mobile phone does not mean it is mobile-friendly, Google said yesterday when it announced its newest initiative focused on driving innovation on the mobile Web. Mobile sites are designed for the small screen, with the needs of mobile users in mind.
"While consumer usage continues to explode on mobile, the quality of the sites on the mobile Web hasn't yet caught up," said Jason Spero, director of mobile for Americas at Google, Mountain View, CA. "Earlier this year, we found that 79 percent of our largest advertisers didn't have a mobile-optimized presence.
"Web sites that aren't optimized for mobile deliver a bad experience for users and, in turn, lead to missed opportunities for advertisers and businesses across the Web," he said. "The mobile Web experience needs to improve in order for mobile commerce to take its next leap forward.
"Businesses - your customers are already looking for you on the mobile Web and if your site isn't optimized, they may look elsewhere for your products or services. As mobile continues to grow, it will be increasingly important for you to provide your potential and existing customers with an experience that's designed specifically for a mobile device."
Google's initiative announced yesterday is not just a move on the part of a good Samaritan - although it is, in part. More mobile-optimized sites means more money for Google. At the same time, mobile-optimized sites really are important for businesses, so it is a win-win.
So why is Google so enthusiastic about the mobile Web? The more mobile-optimized sites are out there, the more businesses will spend on search engine marketing on mobile. So more mobile Web sites ultimately benefits Google's bottom-line.
Additionally, more businesses launching mobile sites also means there is a potential to grow mobile display advertising via Google.
Meter's on
To encourage businesses to go mobile, Google has rolled out http://www.howtogomo.com, a place where companies can find the resources they need to learn about what makes a good mobile site and to start building one.
The site lets companies see what their customers see. By entering a Web site address into the GoMoMeter, companies can see what their site looks like on a mobile phone.
The GoMoMeter analyzes the site and gives customized recommendations on how to make it more mobile friendly.
The site serves as an educational resource. Marketers can learn about why mobile matters. Cool infographics and the latest data help marketers learn more about mobile trends and why mobile-friendly sites really matter.
Case studies are displayed on the site so that businesses can get inspired by great examples.
Lastly, the site helps marketers find a mobile development company that can help build a mobile Web site.
Unbound Commerce and Netbiscuits are two of the 11 companies selected by Google as a mobile commerce solution providers.
"In my opinion, Google?s GoMo initiative was launched in direct response to the fact that retailers have not kept up with their increasingly-mobile customers," said Wilson Kerr, director of business development and sales at Unbound Commerce, Boston.
"Simply put, Google cannot sell a performance-based mobile ad campaign to a retailer or brand that does not have a mobile site," he said. "The more retail sites that are optimized to receive mobile click-throughs and allow tracked transactions or occur as a result, the better.
"Unbound is pleased to be a part of this effort."
Mullen, Boston, was Google's agency partner on this project, working on howtogomo.com's design and user experience. It was Mullen's first major mobile-related effort for Google.
Case for mobile Web
According to Gartner, more people will use their mobile phones than PCs to get online by 2013. Additionally, mobile searches have quadrupled since 2010, making a mobile-optimized landing page ? a mobile site ? more important than ever before.
Compuware, which owns the Gomez brand, says that users expect their mobile experience to be as good as their desktop experience, further driving the claim that mobile-optimized sites are a must.
Sixty percent of users expect a mobile site to load in three seconds or less, while 71 percent expect the mobile site to load as fast as a PC site, Compuware found in a recent study. And 78 percent will retry a site two times or less if it does not load initially.
A bad mobile experience can cost a business its customers, the Compuware study found. In fact, 57 percent of consumers would not recommend a business without a mobile site, 40 percent have turned to a competitor?s site after a bad mobile experience and 25 percent of adults have cursed at their phone when a site does not work.
According to Google, customers are using the mobile Web to connect with local businesses.
A whopping 95 percent of smartphone users have searched for local information, claims Google. Sixty-one percent of consumers call a business after searching for it and 59 percent visit the location.
Additionally, 90 percent of people act within 24-hours.
On its new site, Google says that apps are fun and useful but many consumers prefer mobile sites for shopping.
In fact, according to Adobe, 81 percent of people prefer a mobile site over apps for researching prices, 79 percent prefer a mobile site for product reviews and 63 percent prefer to purchase via a mobile site.
Best practice
Mobile Web best practices are listed on Google?s howtogomo.com:
1. Keep it quick
2. Simplify navigation
3. Be thumb-friendly
4. Design for visibility
5. Make it accessible
6. Make it easy to convert
7. Make it local
8. Make it seamless
9. Use mobile site redirects
10. Learn, listen and iterate
The site includes case studies from brands such as TicketsNow and Ryland Homes.
The agency section of the site is meant to help advertising agencies sell mobile to its clients.
"All businesses, big and small, need to understand how to reach their customers on the mobile Web," Mr. Spero said.
"Howtogomo is a resource for all of them to learn about the mobile Internet, understand how mobile-friendly or unfriendly they are today, and take advantage of a variety of resources to get their Web sites mobile-optimized."
Final Take
Here is a demo of the new Google site at http://www.howtogomo.com:
Giselle Tsirulnik is deputy managing editor on Mobile Marketer