On mobile, website speed and content relevance are crucial to delivering a good user experience. We have to acknowledge that in Africa, a majority of the population use their mobile devices to access the internet. In fact, according to Google, in Kenya alone, about 63% of the population use their phones to access the internet. This presents a unique challenge for marketers, how can you create a mobile experience that is unforgettable?
Increasingly, people are having higher expectations for the experience they have with brands on their mobiles. This could be attributed to the fact that this is where they spend most of their time. What does this mean for marketers? People are 2x more likely to interact with brands on their phones than any other media. Over time, the bar keeps on getting raised because when people get a good experience on one brand, they expect the same quality from everyone else. You just have to keep up!
Short, Sweet, Simple
If an audience is subjected to a negative experience on mobile, less than 60% is less likely to purchase from that brand. Speed for any business is important. 53% of site visits are abandoned if the page takes more than 3 seconds to load. Most consumers would prefer if the content on mobile could load instantly. You could use the test my site tool from Google to test how your site performs.
Another key element to building good experiences on mobile is discovery. A simple navigation and a site search save people time by allowing them to filter and get content by what they are looking for. Shortening the steps/clicks that a user has to go through to accomplish a task should be top of mind while looking to build a good user experience. For example, while dealing with an e-commerce website, you could;
- Prefill user preferences
- Use 3rd party checkout services that already have the user’s details
- Add a save to cart/wishlist functionality for a later purchase
These are just simple ways you can shorten and simplify a process.
Relevance is Key
Brands must anticipate the needs of the client and offer solutions/products that are useful for them in the moment. Using insights on how people use Search can unlock powerful insights on intent. As a brand, if you can be able to understand where customers are in their purchase journey, you can deliver relevant messaging. For instance;
- A person who searches for “Affordable mobile phone” could be early in their shopping journey.
- A person who searches for “Best phones for photography” is most likely at the comparison stage and you have an opportunity to upsell photography accessories as well.
Avoid Neutral
We all have to come to a consensus that lukewarm tea or coffee is horrible. In the same manner, a neutral experience on mobile is unpalatable. It is a negative driver of purchase or even recommendation. As a brand, you should always strive to provide a delightful and relevant mobile experience. In this digital age, people are always leaving clues online with their activities on different sites. Be smart, take those clues and use them to your advantage. Your communication should be deliberate and intentional. Deliver the right message at the right time on the relevant medium.
What about interruptions?
Do not be interruptive. This is a contentious issue as most marketers want to put as many ads as possible in our faces. Interruptive mobile experiences ultimately hurt your brand. Annoying pop-ups, sticky ads or full-screen screen ads that block content and force people to scroll through are just bad ad experiences. You can check out the Coalition for better Ads’ standards website to learn more about how you can better place your ads.
In conclusion
Over the years that we have worked with mobile, we have learned that consumers want to be in control of the content that they consume. A brand that does not allow consumers to feel empowered is doing a disservice to itself. When it comes to mobile, marketers need to proactively help the consumer. This can be achieved through speed, assistance or relevance. Consumers should always feel like they are in control every step of the way. Simply put, this is the secret ingredient in creating a positive brand experience.
Would you like a positive brand experience? Just say hello@brand2d.com so that we can begin this awesome journey of discovery together.
