It's time to mobile-ize your content
A recent study highlighted the fact that mobile device usage is up among U.S. consumers, rising from 2 hours and 38 minutes to 2 hours and 42 minutes in approximately one year.
Additionally, over half of U.S. business executives reported that their primary business platform would be mobile devices, not PCs, within the next three years. That is according to a study by Forbes Insights and Google.
The rise in mobile usage is undeniable. But will the content keep up with the trend?
The demands on content will change
Mobile usage not only effects where people engage, but also how they engage.
We need to understand the prospect journey. Then deliver the type of content that is appropriate for the experience. And deliver it in a way that makes it easy for them to engage.
Boosting your responsive-ness
You want the experience to be the best it can be on your user’s mobile device. That means website content that you don’t have to squint to read or pinch to zoom. A responsive website is a good place to start. Responsive means a site where the content rearranges to adjust to your user’s device. To simulate what I’m talking about, reduce the width of your browser window to the size of a mobile screen and watch what happens to this post.
Why the experience needs to change according to the device
Even with good responsive design, your prospects will not want to read an eight page white paper on a mobile phone. Especially if they’re older - the combination of a small screen and old eyes will drive them to seek out a tablet or laptop (I’m speaking from personal experience here.) So appropriate content to the appropriate device is key.
Modular content can help as well
What device will your prospects use? There is no clear cut answer. In fact, we need to realize that prospects will move across devices. They may use mobile to read highlights, but then move to a tablet or laptop to actually dive deeper or to take action. A modular approach to content could help address your users’ habits. This can include things like:
- Offering an abstract, summary, or key takeaways as an overview of your content
- Structuring your content in easily digestible chunks
- Using bullets, subheads, and pull quotes to make it easily scannable
Mobile first
You need to allow your users to engage wherever and however, and deliver an excellent experience no matter which device they are using. That ensures that the content is easy to navigate and consume in the most constrained environment first. Considering the trends, it just makes sense to adopt a “mobile first” mentality.