Mobile Website of the Week: Little Britches Rodeo
Who they are: Little Britches Rodeo. One of the oldest operating youth rodeo associations, with its membership ranging from children ages 5 – 18 in 26 states across America. They are a non-profit venture focused on building and developing character, self-reliance, good sportsmanship and encouragement through competition in the great sport of rodeo.
What is unique about this site: Terrific demonstration of an association website, including future events, display images, location, and social media.
Where you can find the site: http://www.nlbra.mobi (best viewed on a mobile phone.)
Mobile Website of the Week: Allbee’s Old Market Limousine Service
Who they are: Allbee’s Old Market Limousine Service, Inc. A limousine service from Des Moines, Iowa, who cater to VIP audiences with their fleet of Lincolns, Cadillac and Hummer limousines.
What is unique about this site: Design and incorporation of limousine images, Click to Call, and Click to Email.
Where you can find the site: http://m.limousinesofdesmoines.com (Best viewed on a mobile phone.)
Why we like this site: Showing the portfolio of stars such as Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, and even Chuck Norris all previously having used Allbee's Old Market Limousine Service.
BLOG: Local Mobile + Local Advertising = Results
Have you noticed? Local mobile ad spending is on the increase!
As companies large and small redirect their advertising dollars away from traditional forms of digital advertising and into mobile marketing, the numbers are impressive, global ad spend on mobile media is expected to double form $6.3 billion to $11.6 billion throughout 2012. (*Source ICT)
Just the other day it happened to me. I was interrupted in the middle of a meeting with an incoming SMS linking to mobile website coupon. Usually SMS ads do not work on me, however admittedly, I clicked on the link, directing me to a mobilized website, offering a discount coupon for a local food court that I actually stroll by in the local mall during my lunch hour. Aside from the small fact I was slightly annoyed, the offer on the discounted pizza stands, and I may pop by later this week.
Data collection issues aside, whether they purchased my info through my mobile provider, obtained from a form I submitted on the internet, or I willingly provided a local establishment with my business card – is besides the point.
What’s intriguing about location based mobile advertising – is the focus, low cost to execute, and measurable results for SMB’s. Mobile advertising and its effectiveness is arguable better than other digital mediums. Once the medium picks up your vicinity, knows your profile, a specific tailored message - buy now and enjoy %40 off - becomes more powerful. Transferring location into context and content is important from a local advertising standpoint.
Mobile advertising, and linking a mobile call-to-action - is having an impact for businesses. The recent convergence of mobile advertising speeding up with smart phones is on the radar of advertisers and local business. Building a mobile advertising strategy, linked to a mobile websites and a call to action now matters.
As an alternate to clickable ads, SMS marketing, giving direct links to your mobilized website, or digital coupons, are solutions coming through the mobile medium to drive foot traffic - and they are proven. Moreover, mobile is emerging as the customers primary choice for core service activities and engagement with business providers. Targeted mobile engagement and advertising is helping small business win tangible business.
Food & Beverage, Travel & Tourism, and Professional services are making up some of the largest segments mobilizing their advertising and presence. The train is leaving the station, so if you are a local shop – and wondering how to start - building your business mobile website is the first step. (Get started by clicking here.)
By: Richard Moravec
Mobile Website of the Week: 48 Bowl – Parkway Lanes
Who they are: 48 Bowl - Parkway Lanes. So it’s time to improve your bowling game? 48 Bowl in Lincoln, New England, USA, is the place. 48 Bowl is also home to some of Lincoln's most cherished food traditions. Aside from bowling, the Parkway Lanes Pub serves up its burgers which have been voted #1 by Lincoln natives for years running.
What is unique about this site: The social media incorporation was a first rate idea. For you Foursquare fans, adding a ‘Mayor’ to your location, such as a bowling alley, actually works out for this mobile website. Also the Youtube link providing trick shots, showing 48 Bowl regulars bowling above 200, and some behind the scenes shots of what really goes on in a bowling alley.
Where you can find the site: http://m.48bowl.com/ (Best viewed on a mobile phone.)
Why we like this site: The ‘join a league’ fill in form will increase participation, map location, and social media integration. This mobile website while using a minimalism style - is effective for everything you may need for such a business site.
Are you using UNITY Mobile’s platform to design your mobile website? Would you like to suggest a mobile website of the week? Please submit your suggestion to wow@unitymobile.com. If you have not designed a mobile website, and would still like to design your mobile website trying our platform, you can get started by clicking here.
Call Your Mobile Audience to Action
Call Your Mobile Audience to Action
A straight-forward guide to communicating with your mobile audience
You already know you need to be mobile, but how do you make mobile work for you? Mobile users are more likely to interact and respond to a call to action than desktop users, but how do you call your mobile users to action?
The Approach You’ll Take
Don’t Beat Around the Bush – the first thing your mobile visitors should see is the expected action for them to take – Call Us, Visit Us, Contact Us, Register to Win, Buy. Provide a clear message at first glance and save the more detailed information for other marketing channels.
Keep it Short and Sweet – the message should be simple and clear. All aspects of the mobile site should be transparent and actual in design and information. Utilize the same skills as when updating your Twitter or Facebook status and keep texts to 80-100 characters. Use images that are the appropriate size and don’t use elements which would encumber the loading speed of your site.
Create Clear Navigation – provide clear navigation to all mobile site elements. Link the home page to the header text or image and provide links to the most important areas of the site in the footer so that they can be easily accessed from every page. Use mobile safe fonts (http://www.bluetrainmobile.com/blog/choosing-fonts-for-your-mobile-website) so that the text is clear and easy to read on the smaller mobile screen.
The Tools You’ll Need
Tools of Action: depending on your business model and what is most appropriate for your audience, you’ll want to integrate one of the following into your mobile site:
- Contact Forms – Use forms to gather the precise information needed for call back, subscription, orders, enrollment, etc.
- Click-to-Call – Enable your users to call with the click of a button.
- Click-to-Map – Guide users to the nearest location.
- M-Commerce – Give users the ability to buy your products immediately and efficiently.
Detailed Analytics: see when and where users are accessing your mobile site and what pages are most visited. Reports help guide you to make your mobile site even more efficient.
- Device Summary – Find out what devices are most often used to access your mobile pages.
- Top Pages – What is the most frequently visited page? Discover the best way to organize your site and content according to user’s consumption.
- Distribution Channels – Reveal what is bringing in the most visitors.
From a publisher viewpoint you need to consider the tools to inspire and call their audiences to action. Build your mobile site on one platform that will be automatically optimized for each user’s unique mobile device. Creating custom contact forms, click to call buttons and other tools of action to interact with your audience. With UNITY Mobile’s platform, you are provided detailed reporting, giving you the feedback you need to continually evolve and improve your mobile strategy.
Written by: Sarah Watkins
Mobile Website of the Week – Europa Jagellonica exhibition
Who they are: Mobile Website of the Week – Europa Jagellonica exhibition at GASK museum. Over one hundred and twenty museums from around the world have lent 350 pieces of art to a museum in the Czech Republic, documenting the cultural development of Late Gothic and early Renaissance art throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Croatia and Hungary.
What is unique about this site: This multimedia exhibition guide site has all the features you would need to show a well planned exhibition mobile website, such as video integration, click-to call, click to map, navigation mapping, ticketing, feedback form, plus a graceful and classical layout.
Where you can find the site: http://m.gask.cz (Best viewed on a mobile phone.)
Why we like this site: Creating an exhibition website can be more engaging with your audiences, especially when you include multimedia elements. As an example on how to design an event or exhibition website, the GASK Museum displays all the core qualities in layout an exhibition mobile website.
