Darrell Benatar is CEO of UserTesting.com

By Darrell Benatar

We recently finished a massive analysis of thousands of mobile usability studies in which we identified the major mobile traps that marketers fall victim to when transitioning their sites and applications to mobile.

When users get confused by a mobile app or Web site, it is often because of unclear controls and obscure interfaces.

Unclear controls: Buttons, icons and widgets
In the mobile space, creating easy-to-understand buttons and icons is a big challenge because there is no single standard for them.

In computers, there is effectively one GUI standard, but in mobile, there are two major platforms (Android and Apple iOS) and several minor ones.

The competing mobile platforms use button and icon designs as part of their differentiation, deliberately making them incompatible with each other.

Although a few images are standard across most platforms – a magnifying glass means search everywhere – many buttons and images are conflicting.

And when the definitions of icons differ, they start to lose meaning altogether and become just pretty pictures.

These icons mean the same thing on most mobile platforms:

These visually similar icons have different meanings in different operating systems:

Additionally, some widgets just do not work well on mobile devices.

Small screens make it very hard to use controls that require precise adjustment.

In our tests, the use of sliders for selecting quantities can cause huge frustrations.

Hierarchical menus are another source of user confusion.

Even on computers, multilevel menus can be confusing. But on a mobile device, where menus often take up the entire screen, it is very easy to get lost.

Obscure interfaces: Unreadable text and inadequate help
Text or pictures are sometimes displayed at too small a size for easy reading, especially if a user does not have perfect vision.

Companies also often make mistakes in contrast.

Text colors that look stylish and modern on a computer can become unreadable when a mobile user is outdoors in bright sunlight, or when they have turned down backlighting to save battery power.

Light gray or blue on a white background is very problematic, as is dark text on a black background.

Having unclear controls and confusing interfaces are problems that are further compounded by the constraints of a mobile device.

On a computer, popup tool tips help to explain any unclear icons.

In mobile, tool tips do not work, and there often is not space to display both text and graphics. So users become confused, they slow down, and they lose interest.

Top 5 tips to avoid this mobile trap
1. Avoid cryptic icons. Do not assume that icons are self-explanatory. When in doubt, use text instead of – or in addition to – a picture.

2. The highest form of beauty is functionality. Make sure that your mobile property works well and is easy to navigate, then make it pretty.

3. Beware of hierarchical or multilevel menus. They can easily create vast confusion.

4. Test outdoors. To avoid readability problems, test outdoors, in bright sunlight, on a variety of devices with different quality screens.

5. Great help is essential. A great help system is to mobile what tool tips are to traditional computing: the first line of defense against user confusion.

EVEN IF YOU make many of these changes, you need to accept that your users will sometimes get confused.

The limitations of the small screen make that inevitable. Therefore, out of the top five tips above, the most important usability feature for a mobile app or Web site is a great built-in help system.

The help system should be available anywhere in the app or Web site, context-sensitive and easily searched – for example, turn off auto correct in search because users get frustrated when the help system searches for the wrong term.

The underlying cause behind unclear controls and confusing interfaces is the tendency to emphasize art over functionality.

Although it is best to have a mobile property that looks great and works well, the short attention span of most mobile users means that functionality has to come first.

If users cannot get something done with your mobile app or site, they will not come back – no matter how pretty it looks.

Darrell Benatar is CEO of UserTesting.com, a Mountain View, CA-based video usability testing service. Reach him at db@usertesting.com.

The retailer is running the mobile advertising campaign within The Cut’s mobile site. Macy’s has used mobile advertising in the past to drive consumers to its mobile applications and optimized sites and, ultimately, drive sales.

“There is a big incentive to click on Macy’s new campaign,” said Isabella Lin, content director at Appitalism. “In particular, Macy’s new campaign shows some attractive pictures with tempting promotions and discount activities and beautiful and strikingly attractive models.

Shoppable ads
The Macy’s mobile ad features looks from the Impulse Collection and encourages consumers to tap on it and shop the latest fashion looks.

Once consumers tap on the ad, they are redirected to the company’s mobile commerce-enabled site where they can learn more about the collection and browse different boutiques.

Furthermore, there is a search feature on the top of the screen that lets consumers find specific products that they are looking for.

Through the mobile campaign, consumers are also able to shop by category, access their account and wedding registry, as well as find the nearest store locations to browse the products and new collection in-person.

Towards the bottom of the mobile site, Macy’s has incorporated social features, including Facebook and Pinterest tabs that let consumers stay connected with the company.

Moreover, there is a mobile app call-to-action that also encourages downloads.

This latest campaign from Macy’s is a great way for the company to educate consumers about its latest collection and drive recognition for it.

Past efforts
Macy’s is no stranger when it comes to mobile.

Earlier this year, the company used a combination of QR codes, SMS and mobile Web as part of its partnership with NBC’s “Fashion Star” television show that not only gave consumers a chance to enter a sweepstakes, but also helped build up the retailer’s mobile database (see story).

Most recently, Macy’s turned to Apple’s iAd network to promote its Mother’s Day sale, as well as let consumers store a savings pass to their mobile device to redeem in-store (see story).

“This campaign will attract the attention of consumers to the announcement of the key functions and roles,” Ms. Lin said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York

The eBay 2.0 update to its eBay Now iPhone app makes it easier for consumers to shop on the go no matter where they are. The eBay Now app is changing the way consumers shop and companies such as Kate Spade are teaming up with eBay to reach consumers on a whole other level.

“With the latest app update, we’ve made it even easier for consumers in our markets to find what they want from their local stores, and get it delivered anywhere in about an hour,” said Dane Glasgow, vice president of mobile and local at eBay, San Jose, CA.

Key updates
Through the updated app, consumers can pay via PayPal or a credit card at the time of order – all within the app.

Moreover, consumers can choose to scan the front of a credit card to eliminate having to type the 16 or 17 digits.

The app was also completely redesigned to create a better and more seamless browsing and shopping experience.

There is also a “Shop While You Wait” feature that lets consumers browse for their next purchase while waiting for a valet to deliver their current one.

Additionally, the new app update also includes improved search and lets consumers find items they are looking for more quickly.

Mobile shopping
The eBay Now app was launching in October 2012. Currently, the same-day delivery service is only available in San Francisco, New York City and San Jose areas.

However, eBay is planning on expanding the service to Peninsula, Queens and Brooklyn locations in New York.

In addition, eBay is also looking to roll out its eBay now app to Android devices to further broaden its reach and accommodate more consumers.

EBay believes that with this update, consumers are going to be able to shop more seamlessly, as well as find products more easily from a variety of retailers.

“For example, if you’re in the middle of a DIY project at home and discover you need supplies like paint, nails, or gardening tools, you can shop Home Depot with eBay Now and our shopping valet will bring your supplies right to you,” Mr. Glasgow said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York

Pulling ahead with mobile

Please click here to register for the Mobile Marketing Summit: Holiday Focus 2013 in New York on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013

Registration is open for the fourth annual Mobile Marketing Summit: Holiday Focus 2013 New York conference Thursday, Sept. 12 featuring speakers from Sears, American Eagle Outfitters, Time Inc., Ogilvy & Mather, InterContinental Hotels and Cabela’s. This day-long New York event is a must-attend for brands, retailers, ad agencies and publishers looking to map out an effective mobile marketing and commerce strategy tying in with other channels, especially around the holiday season.

At this exclusive summit organized by this publication, attendees will get to listen and meet with key executives moving the needle for mobile marketing and commerce. The conference, whose agenda is below, will be limited to only 200 delegates.

“The sheer growth in smartphone and tablet usage threatens to make mobile the primary consumer channel of choice for searching and shopping,” said Mickey Alam Khan, editor in chief of Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily, New York.

“Ineffective or inadequate mobile marketing over the holidays this year will definitely lead to lost opportunities to capture shopper attention and budgets,” he said.

Tapping patterns

“In a way, holiday 2013 will see a decisive shift in power among media and marketing channels, with mobile sites, applications, mobile search, SMS, QR codes, banners and rich media ads, coupons and mobile payment options swaying consumer buying decisions toward those marketers and retailers who have mobile DNA infused throughout the organization.”

Holiday seasoned
The Mobile Marketing Summit is designed to offer senior marketing, retail, publishing and agency delegates clarity on how to proceed with the right mobile strategy that drives traffic not just to online or mobile commerce destinations but also to stores where the bulk of retail transactions still occur.

A deep-dive, the summit is also geared to helping marketers with mobile marketing decisions that continue to build on the customer relationships established in other channels.

Attendees will also get access to the presentations.

The event is priced at $595 for the day, which includes breakfast, lunch and cocktails. Refunds will not be offered 72 hours before the event or for no-shows on the day of the summit.

For sponsorship, please contact Jodie Solomon at ads@mobilemarketer.com.

The Mobile Marketing Summit is part of this publication’s exclusive summit series that also includes Mobile FirstLook and the Mcommerce Summit. A major point of different with these events is their strong editorial spine and deep-dive into topics under discussion.

The summit agenda can also be accessed via http://www.mobilemarketingsummit.com.

Please click here to register for the Mobile Marketing Summit: Holiday Focus 2013 in New York on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013

The agenda is below.

AGENDA

Mobile Marketing Summit: Holiday Focus 2013
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013

A Napean presentation

Venue
Time & Life Building
1271 Avenue of the Americas (between 50th and 51st Streets)
8th Floor Gallery
New York, NY 10020

8 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Registration and Breakfast

8:45 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Welcome Address
Why holiday mobile marketing is critical for multichannel retail
Speaker:
Mickey Alam Khan, editor in chief, Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily

9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Opening Keynote
Sears: Why mobile is key for Sears’ holiday marketing efforts
As the nation’s leading integrated retailer, as well as the largest provider of home services in the United States, Sears Holdings Corp. is on a mission to serve and engage its customers through mobile. Sears carries out this task through its many mobile commerce-enabled Web sites and applications. Its holistic approach allows loyal customers to experience and connect with the Sears brand wherever they are, be it at home, in-store or on the go. Indeed, Sears is a pioneer in the mobile space, being one of the first retailers to offer mobile commerce. With more than 2,000 full-line and specialty stores across the country and in Canada, how has this century-old company accomplished such feats that mesh traditional retail channels with mobile? And what does Sears have planned in mobile marketing and commerce for the upcoming holidays? The keynote will discuss:

 How Sears’ has evolved with its mobile strategy over the years
 Why mobile is key to Sears’ future
 How mobile is leveraged in-store, at home and online to drive engagement and loyalty
 What Sears has planned for the holidays
 Best-practice tips for holiday mobile marketing

Speaker:
Ryan Deutsch, divisional vice president of addressable marketing, Sears Holdings Corp.

9:45 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Break

10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Break

11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Ogilvy & Mather: How mobile is molding the shopping environment irreversibly
Ogilvy & Mather has made great strides since it was founded in 1948. On its journey to the top, the agency has helped to build some of the most recognizable names in the world, including American Express, Ford, Sears and Barbie. The ad agency is now not only one of the top ten ad networks in the world, but also the world’s largest digital agency. It has shown remarkable foresight by acquiring many mobile marketing companies during the recent years. This session will address:

 How have customers started to embrace mobile technology
 Differences between customers at the point-of-sale versus away from it
 What are the implications for retailers as well as brands selling through mobile
 The long-term perspective on the shopping environment from a mobile perspective
 What are the success drivers for the upcoming holiday season and beyond

Speaker:
Martin Lange, executive marketing director of digital strategy and global head of Mobile@Ogilvy, Ogilvy & Mather

11:45 a.m. – Noon
Break

Noon – 12:45 p.m.
Time Inc.: How the world’s largest magazine publisher is adapting to mobile
With brands that include Fortune, Sports Illustrated, People, InStyle and Time, Time Inc. is one of the largest media companies in the world. A division of Time Warner, the publishing conglomerate has more than 138 million consumers of its products, upgrading hundreds of thousands of them to online and mobile editions. Though Time Inc. has had its foot in the mobile door from the beginning – Time was the first magazine on the iPad when the tablet launched – now all of the company’s 21 U.S. titles have become tablet editions, and the media brand is recognizing the platform for the game-changer that it is. In this presentation, delegates will learn:

 What it takes to adapt a long-established strategy for the digital age
 Time Inc.’s unique approach to mobile audience data
 What Time Inc. is doing to adapt native experience to the small screen
 How the company is planning to capitalize on mobile during the holiday marketing season

Speaker:
Sol Masch, director of mobile sales and strategy, Time Inc.

12:45 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Sponsored Lunch

1 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.
Lunch Keynote
Urban Airship
Speaker:
Brent Hieggelke, chief marketing officer, Urban Airship

1:25 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Lunch Keynote
Fiksu
Speaker:
Jim Thomas, product manager, Fiksu

1:50 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Break

2 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
InterContinental Hotels: Connecting the guest journey through mobile
When booking a hotel stay, the consumer faces many different stages: search, shop and compare, booking, the pre-stay plan, market arrival, property arrival, the actual stay and, finally, checkout. InterContinental Hotels Group recognizes the need for a constant travel companion throughout these stages, which is why it has implemented a mobile plan to cover all bases. The company, which comprises seven brands such as Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental and boasts more guest rooms than any other hotel chain worldwide, books more than 160 million guest stays annually and understands the importance of staying completely connected to its customers. In this session, attendees will learn:

 Importance of focusing on all stages of the guest’s travel cycle
 How guests are using their phones in each stage of this cycle
 Unique marketing programs being used to address the customers’ mobile needs
 Key considerations for holiday marketing

Speaker:
Bill Keen, director of mobile solutions and emerging products for Web and interactive marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group

2:45 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Break

3 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Cabela’s: Using an omnichannel approach to bring the outdoors to mobile
Since its beginnings in a Nebraska kitchen in 1961, Cabela’s has grown exponentially. Today, it is the world’s foremost outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, with sales spanning more than 125 countries across the world. Though the foundation of the retailer lies in catalogs, Cabela’s has been stepping out of its comfort zone and expanding where its consumers want it most. After going online in 1998 and becoming the number one outdoor retail site in less than 10 years, Cabela’s aims to find the same success as it now dives into the mobile space. Attendees in this session will learn:

 How to use segmentation to deliver the right product recommendations to the right customer
 Incorporating the foundational pieces of Cabela’s into the mobile strategy
 The importance of reinforcing the focus on omnichannel
 What Cabela’s is doing to surprise and delight Club Visa customers
 The holiday approach on mobile

Speaker:
Greg Hickman, mobile marketing manager, Cabela’s

3:45 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Break

5 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
American Eagle Outfitters: How a leading specialty retailer taps mobile marketing for holiday engagement and sales
After 35 years in the retail business with a key demographic of 15-25-year-olds, American Eagle knows a thing or two about the importance of keeping up with the times. Under the company’s umbrella lie both the American Eagle Outfitters and aerie brands, which together have a global presence, both online and through franchise stores, shipping to 81 countries worldwide. However, in an age when online existence is no longer enough, American Eagle has joined its fellow retailers and is expanding its mobile presence to reach young customers with programs such as the virtual Style Mixer, in-store scanning rewards and trend updates. This keynote presentation will look into:

 American Eagle’s mobile strategy
 Who is American Eagle’s mobile customer and what are they looking for?
 The retailer’s holiday mobile focus
 Best-practice tips

Speaker:
Joe Megibow, senior vice president and general manager of omnichannel ecommerce, American Eagle Outfitters

5:45 p.m.
Raffle for Dom Perignon

5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Sponsored Cocktail Hour

Please click here to register for the Mobile Marketing Summit: Holiday Focus 2013 in New York on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013

Hotels in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood (from nearest to farthest):

The Hilton New York
1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019; tel: 212-586-7000
Please click here for the Web site

The Palace Hotel
455 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022; tel: 212-888-7000
Please click here for the Web site

The Bryant Park Hotel
40 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018; tel: 212-869-4446
Please click here for the Web site

New York Marriot Marquis
1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; tel: 212-398-1900
Please click here for the Web site

Sheraton Times Square
811 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019; tel: 212-581-1000
Please click here for the Web site

Hotels in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York City – Financial District, 8 Stone Street, New York, NY 10004; tel: 212-480-9100; please click here for the Web site

The Ritz-Carlton Battery Park, Two West Street, New York, NY 10004; tel: 212-344-0800; please click here for the Web site

New York Marriott Downtown, 85 West Street at Albany Street, New York, NY 10006; tel: 212-385-4900;please click here for the Web site

W New York Downtown, 123 Washington Street (entrance on Albany Street), New York, NY 10006; tel: 646-826-8600; please click here for the Web site

Millennium Hilton, 55 Church Street, New York, NY 10007; tel: 212-693-2001; please click here for the Web site

Please click here to register for the Mobile Marketing Summit: Holiday Focus 2013 in New York on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013

Similar to other online flash sale sites, One Kings Lane is increasingly seeing a steady stream in mobile traffic and revenue. In addition to its iOS app, the brand also has a mobile site.

“With this launch we introduced a brand new iPhone app and debuted our first standalone iPad app,” said Greg Fant, chief marketing officer at One Kings Lane, San Francisco.

“Our strategy was to build a universal app and give our shoppers a consistent experience with our brand across both the iPhone and iPad,” he said. “To do this we scrapped all legacy code and UI and built the apps from scratch on a new platform optimized for both devices.”

Mobile improvement
The new  design of the One Kings Lane app is aimed at helping consumers flip through images of products.

For example, users can zoom in on products to get a closer look at an item’s texture or stitching.

Similarly, the app also shows more products on the screen then previously.

Users can also share items via SMS, Facebook, Twitter and email and view a product’s inventory to make sure that something is in-stock.

Consumers can also set reminders to stay in the loop about upcoming sales.

There is also an option that lets consumers shop both vintage and market finds

One Kings Lane has launched a marketing campaign to promote its app. The company is using email, Web and social media to drive traffic to Apple’s App Store.

The app is free to download.

Growing traffic
Mobile traffic has continued to grow for One Kings Lane in the past two years.

This past Memorial Day mobile contributed to 35 percent of the company’s revenue. This is an increase from 17 percent of revenue coming from mobile in the first-quarter of 2012.

Mobile traffic is also growing and represents 20 percent of evening traffic and 50 percent during weekends and holidays.

Given mobile’s ability to trigger spontaneous sales, flash sales sites similar to One Kings Lane are also seeing high mobile adoption.

For instance, Hautelook claims that the company increased mobile sales 20 percent a few weeks after updating its iPhone and iPad app (see story).

“Whether on the go or at home, people are now constantly connected to the Web via their mobile devices, which presents a huge opportunity for One Kings Lane and for the ecommerce industry at large,” Mr. Fant said.

“We’re also very enthusiastic about the two-screen phenomenon, and see the combination of broadcast entertainment and mobile devices as a valuable opportunity to engage with shoppers in the future,” he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York

The mobile ads are appearing in Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal tablet apps. Charles Schwab’s tablet strategy is part of a broader multichannel campaign that is also running across television and online, as well as a rebranding effort that includes a new updated logo.

“People are increasingly using mobile devices – in addition to more traditional channels such as TV, print and online – to stay engaged in the world around them, so it makes sense for us to have a presence there,” said Alison Wertheim, spokeswoman for Charles Schwab.

“Tablet is not a new space for Schwab, we’ve seen success with the medium for some time now, but with the new ‘Own Your Tomorrow’ campaign we’ve significantly increased our presence,” she said.

“We find tablet to be a particularly rich environment for us to connect with our clients and prospects. With this campaign, we see tablet as one of our primary vehicles to drive awareness around Schwab.”

Engaged investors
The new campaign, titled “Own Your Tomorrow,” focuses on the idea of engagement in life and in investing and depicts investors taking an active part in their day-to-day lives as they work late, speak up in town halls and spend time with their families.

The campaign also depicts Charles Schwab financial consultants as willing to roll up their sleeves and work closely with them.

The effort is in response to how, after a decade of challenging times for investors, more consumers are becoming engaged with their money, while others are looking for ways to be more engaged, but have not found the right financial professional.

The digital ad units include homepage takeovers, pre-roll and rich media.

TV ads are running on all major networks and appear in a variety of shows including Mad Men, 60 Minutes and sports events.

A learning experience
The campaign was launched with a letter from the company’s founder and chairman Charles R. Schwab that appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

New ads will continue to appear throughout the summer and into the fall of 2013. Agency Crispin, Porter + Bogusky developed the campaign.

“We’re launching with a series of executions featuring our founder Chuck Schwab’s point of view on investing that also includes our launch TV spot,” Ms. Wertheim said. “Users can opt to watch the video or click through to our landing experience where they can learn more about Schwab.

“People are consuming more content via mobile — both phone and tablet. Mobile content and mobile advertising are important areas for Schwab and we intend to learn and potentially expand over the near and long-term,” she said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York

Please click here to sign up for Mobile Marketer for free

The mobile phenomenon: How to stand out
The mobile ecosystem has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years and with new technologies emerging, marketers are given endless opportunities to reach consumers in unique ways. However, now is the time to fully leverage the full power of the medium to stay ahead of competition.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Marketer

Sprint leverages Twitter for second-screen effort targeting NBA championship viewers
Sprint is making mobile the focus of a second-screen campaign during the National Basketball Association championship series that delivers real-time video via Twitter.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Marketer 
 
Seattle Sun Tan builds SMS database by 4,750 consumers in one month
Tanning salon chain Seattle Sun Tan is seeing some initial success with its SMS program as a result of promoting its mobile initiatives through in-store and digital calls-to-action.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Marketer 
 
What to expect at Nonprofit Mobile Day 2013
Executives from the Museum of Modern Art, The Humane Society and American Red Cross and more will discuss how their organizations are using mobile to drive marketing and fundraising efforts during the fourth annual Nonprofit Mobile Day. Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Marketer

Please click here to sign up for Mobile Marketer for free

Massimiliano Pogliani is chief marketing officer of Vertu

Proposed luxury counterfeiting bill drills consumers, sparks awareness
The proposed bill to curtail the rampant sale of counterfeit luxury items in New York and protect brand integrity hones in on consumers rather than vendors.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

Bergdorf enchants national audience with documentary screenings
New York department store Bergdorf Goodman is partnering with Web platform Tugg, Inc. to bring its “Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s” documentary to cities around the country.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

Luxury Retail Summit 2013 New York Sept. 18: Lalique, Porsche Design, Fairmont, McLaren, Gucci, La Mer, Brian Atwood, Auberge, Forrester, Hearst
Registration is open for the Luxury Retail Summit: Holiday Focus 2013 conference Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013 with speakers from Lalique, Porsche Design, Fairmont, McLaren, Forrester, Gucci, Brian Atwood, La Mer, Auberge Resorts, Hearst, Morpheus and the former CEO of Bergdorf Goodman. Must-attend for luxury retailers and brands, agencies, publishers and researchers.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

Vertu exec: Mobile consumers desire sensory brand experience
High-end smartphone manufacturer Vertu is rapidly expanding its physical retail presence to reach high-net-worth, mobile-savvy consumers in established and emerging markets.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

Facebook’s Verified Pages to keep social-savvy brands’ reputations intact
Luxury marketers should use the new Verified Pages feature on Facebook to keep their brand reputation intact in the social media community.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

Ritz-Carlton Washington tailors culinary venues for healthy travelers
The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC, is renewing its culinary menus by adding options for the influx of affluent travelers who stick to their healthy lifestyle while away from home.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Mulberry and green luxury – News briefs
Today in luxury marketing – Marc Jacobs launching beauty at Sephora; Mulberry’s Guillon sees profit revival without creative head; Fiat and Gucci celebrate 150 years of united Italy, designs new auto icon; Green luxury.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

How to optimize the Web site for mobile devices
Analyses of consumer behavior have shown that mobile users have different needs and expectations than desktop users.
Click here to read the entire story on Luxury Daily

Kim Ann King is chief marketing officer of SiteSpect

By Kim Ann King

Every marketer has a Web site, but what about a mobile-optimized Web site? Mobile devices are an important and growing channel for business. Consider these statistics:

• According to mobiThinking, there are now more than 1.2 billion mobile Web users worldwide who account for more than 8 percent of Web traffic
• ComScore reports that mobile devices drove 10.8 percent of traffic to online retail sites on Cyber Monday 2011, more than double the previous year
• Interestingly, mobile devices accounted for even more online traffic on Black Friday – 14.3 percent
• The most popular device for mobile commerce? The iPad

Clearly, with the ongoing proliferation of browsers and devices that can access your content and commerce offerings, the mobile Web opens up a vast new audience of potential visitors to your site.

In fact, Gartner predicts mobile will be the number one Internet access device as early as next year.

So the question becomes, what are you doing to optimize your mobile Web site?

Your standard Web site may be performing extremely well, but you will need to re-think what constitutes a successful site when you dive into the mobile Web, because mobile is different.

Analyses of consumer behavior have shown that mobile users have different needs and expectations than desktop users.

The “on-the-go” environment, task-at-hand, and physical device constraints all differ, often dramatically.

Optimize without boundaries
Where to start? The top priority for mobile must be to provide a compelling user experience.

There is no magic bullet to creating a mobile site that attracts and converts traffic, so the best way to understand how to create a compelling mobile site is to experiment.

Mobile optimization using A/B and multivariate testing has been proven to be one of the most effective and immediate experimentation methods to increase sales, enhance visitor engagement and encourage content consumption.

Common methods for running controlled experiments on both Web sites and mobile sites range from simple A/B testing to sophisticated multivariate testing.

In A/B testing, one or more new versions of a page or single element compete against the original (control) version. For example, two new versions of a headline might compete against the original headline.

Multivariate testing, on the other hand, is like running many A/B tests concurrently, where there are multiple elements being tested at the same time.

For example, two alternate product images, plus two alternate headlines, plus two alternate product copy versions create a total of 27 possible combinations (including the original control versions).

Think about using multivariate testing in your mobile marketing strategy for learning how to better influence and persuade visitors to:

• Interact with your mobile brand, content, and functionality
• Adopt mobile site features in order to get information on the go
• Click-through to mobile ads and geo-aware offers, such as coupons
• Register for mobile accounts
• Download digital products such as ringtones, wallpapers and apps

Targeting your mobile audience
Since many organizations have not yet allocated specific budgets for their mobile initiatives, testing a subset of existing, highly-trafficked content on a targeted mobile audience can provide a low-cost and low-risk stepping stone towards building a business case around making a deliberate investment in mobile optimization.

Tests have proven that showing mobile users’ content that is specifically tailored for mobile devices improves the user experience, makes the site stickier and, ultimately, increases conversion rates.

With mobile targeting, Web marketers and analysts are able to test, measure and, ultimately, deliver the content, layout and promotional offers that are more effective for each mobile device category.
These can include attributes such as:

• Preferred markup language: HTML vs. WAP/WML
• Keyboard type: physical versus touch screen keyboard
• Screen dimensions and rotation support
• Browser capabilities: scaling, Flash and AJAX support
• Cellular network data speeds: 2.5G, 3G and 4G
• Mobile operating system: Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry/Research In Motion, Windows Phone Mobile and Palm webOS

Technical constraints – or not?
While marketers can easily test what is working or not working on their standard Web sites and in their search engine optimization and pay-per-click campaigns, many mobile devices do not support JavaScript-based testing and targeting solutions or accept cookies to track users.

Mobile site operators have estimated these devices to be as high as 50 percent of their audience, thus precluding pervasive JavaScript-based testing, targeting and analytics for these mobile users.

That means you want to look for a non-intrusive mobile testing and targeting platform that does not rely upon JavaScript operations for generating content variations, so you do not have to worry about what browser, version or settings your users have.

That way, you can test, target and analyze users who have disabled JavaScript or cookies, have browsers that do not support cookies, or have chosen to only accept temporary session-based cookies.

Once you have chosen the right optimization platform, you are ready to get started on the path to improving your site for mobile users.

With relatively little in the way of best practices for the nascent mobile medium, it can be difficult to know beforehand which content, user interface element, or aesthetic will be most effective with your audience.

That is why it is critical that you test your mobile offerings before launching them so you can discover which content your users prefer on their mobile devices.

Discover what works by testing elements such as navigation, image size, image choice, specific words or phrases, placement, design, graphical elements, headlines, colors, variations in functionality, or dynamic content.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT to understand about mobile optimization is that it not only shows you which combination of elements your visitors prefer, but it reveals which individual elements influence visitor behavior versus those that do not.

For example, did variations in the product image influence visitor behavior more, less or the same as the copy?

Understanding how each mobile site element influences the visitor experience is the essence of a test-learn-repeat process that marketers can use to prove or disprove the effectiveness of new ideas and continually improve their mobile site’s ability to achieve — and exceed — their marketing goals.

Kim Ann King is chief marketing officer of Web and mobile optimization firm SiteSpect Inc., Boston. Reach her at kking@sitespect.com.

Via the eBay Now app, consumers can make purchases and have them delivered anywhere in the city in about an hour. Currently, same-day delivery is only offered in San Francisco, New York and San Jose.

“EBay is focused on delivering choice and convenience to shoppers,” said David Ramadge, director of eBay Now.

“EBay’s local innovations, such as eBay Now, connect shoppers with more of the things they need and love wherever and whenever it’s most convenient to them,” he said.

Mobile promotion
Through the app, consumers can choose from hundreds of items from retailers such as Home Depot, Macy’s, Best Buy and Guitar Center to find the perfect gift.

To celebrate the holiday, eBay is offering a $10 off promo code – DADSDAY10 – for purchases made on June 14 – 16.

“Our same-day delivery service lets shoppers in San Francisco, New York City and San Jose order a product from a local store and have it delivered in as little as an hour literally anywhere they are in the city,” Mr. Ramadge said.

Mobile commerce
EBay has been making big strides to dominate the mcommerce space.

Earlier this year eBay rolled out a series of updates to its RedLaser mobile application that aligned with the company’s goal to move beyond price comparison (see story).

A month later, the company used its local delivery mobile application to help consumers find last-minute Mother’s Day gifts and bolster sales.
The company ran a promotion and offered free delivery to help out last-minute Mother’s Day shoppers (see story).

Most recently, Kate Spade’s Saturday brand and eBay teamed up to harness the power of mobile technology to convert a New York storefront into a shoppable window, creating a staff-less and inventory-less store (see story).

“Commerce is fundamentally changing, in retail it is an evolution led by consumers but powered by mobile,” Mr. Ramadge said. “As a commerce leader, eBay Now is an enormous opportunity for eBay that plays directly into our mobile strengths and unique platform.

“In this ever evolving retail landscape the line between online and offline is continually blurred, and eBay Now is providing yet another channel for merchants to reach customers, while consumers get additional choice in how they shop, buy and get their products,” he said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York