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The next wave
At GigaOm, Ryan Kim documents how the rise of mobile search, payments and shopping is paving the way for a “mobile-first world”. Services like Pandora (60%), Twitter (55%) and MyYearbook (54%) already see the majority of their traffic coming from mobile platforms.
Kim notes that commerce on mobile devices more than doubled to 18.3% this past Christmas season. While Amazon’s price-check promotion was controversial, it also got more people using their smartphones at retail.
Much as the rise of digital content has challenged publishers to rethink how content is created and managed, mobile is reconfiguring the relationship between producer and consumer. Although there are good examples of mobile-ready content sites (the New York Times was an early leader in this regard), many publishers have yet to tackle the delivery of content to mobile platforms.
Magellan is among the latter group. Our site (and this blog) are not optimized for mobile.
Today, about 20% of our traffic originates on a mobile platform. Google Analytics confirms that our mobile visitors spend less than half as much time on the site, and they click through to another page only a third as often, when compared with traffic from other sources.
Numbers like those signal lost opportunities, ones that will only grow in importance over time. In 2011, smartphone ownership reached 44% in the United States, and it is expected to pass the halfway mark in 2012. Traditional site designs and content offerings risk being left behind.
I’ve written before that there are many ways to meet market demand for devices and content offerings. Apps are sometimes critical, but being mobile-ready is going to be mandatory soon, if it isn’t already.
Of course, that’s also a note to myself.
Posted by fairuse
[—In the fewest words ever used to show agreement.—]
Yes. 
Mobile Buggy Whip Repairman
Sites that handle huge amounts of mobile traffic can be tricky with cover ads or ‘get our app’ covers. I have a story, it may be geeky, it may have happened to you. Why am I telling you a story? Not being insufferable but, It is the kind of mistake that will drive traffic away from your site and you can’t get it back. Here is where I do become an insufferable lout; I am too lazy to code my way around an inconvenience because it’s not-my-problem. Also I’m very laid back about user interface to backend design errors—I made a few really bad ones (in machine language, not this pretty stuff you see).
—Big Cable, Twitter and Mobile Buggy Whips—
Regularly two Twitter Freekazoidz (TFz) are tweeting current TV, movie and screenplay, novelist facts over the entertainment business’s account. One TFz is ‘The Company Man’ posting The Suits agenda and the other TFz is ‘The Customer’ who is just there having fun; asks a question or posts a gem be it TV, Film, Capital Hill and Novels (Ed note: I found out the TV series “Castle” has a book series this way.). Some fun for all until the questions “who wrote what?” or film director’s name/face = “..That guy.. what’s his face? The idiot that Fu..”, and so it goes.
For this I use “imdb” a lot, I’ll say, three or four times a day sometimes. If it is a popular I also go to Baen Books - http://www.baen.com/ and check ebook pages. That is for another kind of Mobile Buggy Whip day.
—- Some Legacy Thinking: Watch Your Step—-
What I type in some words via G2 home google search, which does keyword suggestion well.
I type [ imdb the island scifi ] click go—-> Browser page of Google’s results—- I pick & click—-> Browser page of ... Confronted by the junkyard dog, requesting I “get the mobile app, which tots a better experience.
The “imdb” cover ad for their superduperholyas android app is, of course, without the polite checkbox “don’t ask again”. Do I close ad sheet or fetch the app? Obviously an attempt to wear me down till I get the app. The app, buy the way, is a solution to their goal but is useless to me, and my privacy. Data sniffing by an app is under my control. I am visiting to verify information; in out smoothly and quickly. Almost, tap the close button—see you next time.
Meanwhile a mobile page is loading via Browser—-> I am madly finger swiping scroll to page’s BOTTOM—carefully finger taps “desktop”—> Browser displays the normal page which is what should have been there by default. Android Browser is Chrome Browser with Flash. I do this on every visit. Do Not Let it happen because some says it will sell more apps. Duh, an app that drops a customer in your lap is a system component not lost app sales; goodwill.
With your name on it.
Posted by Brian O'Leary
Three things, hopefully helpful ...
- I deleted your first post (the one that you corrected and reposted) and edited this one to take out the explanation that you were reposting. Cleaner that way
- I agree that the pre-emptive strikes at privacy, forced opt-ins and pop-ups and pop-unders have more than seen their day. It’s bad U/X and it sours the customer almost every time. I lingered over a sign-up this morning just because I didn’t trust that they weren’t hiding stuff.
- I promise you a mobile version of this site won’t do any of those things. It might even let you swipe a bit more easily on that tablet.
Posted by fairuse
Firstly, thank you for the bit of editing, that was very generous of you. Either I don’t know the trick to deleting or editing a post or those functions are invisible—spam control. Furthermore, I just read ‘my words’ and they are hideous; no more rushed posting in early predawn, I’ll sleep on it first.
Local time is 04:28 EST
Second item is easy. Yes, all the tricks are counter productive. What I was trying to do, and kind of failed at, was show how futile those tactics are. The “imdb” site just drew the short straw. I have no doubt your mobile site design will be great; (a) You have seen the bad stuff. (b) Your customers are a tough bunch, (c) Not your style. Your retail members will handle design to suit their need and I hope the message about apps.
As for swiping? I’m not a swiper guy really. Direction arrows and page up/down work for me on a desktop. You mentioned screen type when you said tablet. I agree. My HTC G2 has a small usable screen of 3.0 h x 1.9 w, in no way is that screen going to be easy browsing or a competitor to Kindle Fire. The G2 is mobile with a desktop browser. (note: I think some sites send mobile page because it is easier though that can’t be proven). I tried ‘Old’ Kindle browser and cussed the whole time; it renders Amazon well (has enough other visual handicaps to discourage browsing desktop style).
I have no doubt your mobile page will be super. Local time is 15:02 EST.