Well we all know that the market for mobile applications is here at last. Just have a look at the proliferation of iPhone applications to see what we are talking about or even the number of people fiddling about with their handsets on the train home on non-conversational pursuits. From the consumers perspective the question of  whether or not to use mobile applications is not in doubt but from a brands viewpoint the question of “what is our mobile strategy” is a more thorny issue. Firstly 9 out 10 brands do not even have a mobile strategy because they have seldom been able to answer the question of “what is it and why do I need one” in the first place.  Once the more innovative organisations have asked themselves this question they are down to the how, what, where and why and that’s where the real fun starts.

So before we really get jiggy let’s look at “the why” from a brand perspective. As a the marketing director for the XYZ  corporation selling Okey Cokey 5000s  I   probably know there are in excess of 3 billion phones in use versus 1 billion internet users – so how do I make the most of this ? Shall I just stick my whole web site onto the mobile web and see what happens or just do an iPhone app that will allow e-trading – or is it simply just too hard and should I give up and concentrate on protecting my constantly disappearing budget from the ravages of  a recessive market – guilty on all counts! As a supplier of B2B mobile solutions most of the people we talk to need help with “the why” before even thinking about “the what”. What am I talking about then ?

Why do you need a mobile strategy?

Every major brand is actually considering their mobile strategy because they want to capitalise on the mobile channel. They may want new customers, increased revenues or just want to stay ahead of the competition – but they do need something mobile. If your business is, say, enterprise applications you will constantly be asked what you are doing in mobile. Do you answer that the new company’s mobile platform will be released next year or do you show them a cross platform, multi-media, device independent, easy-to-use, quick-fire mobile application – let me hazard a guess.

So if you have not got a strategy – get one immediately or regret it. Decide why you want  one and they get some good advice on what is possible n.b. remember this is the Brave New World where everything is possible and the answer is never no.

What will my mobile applications look like?

If they are unattractive, uncompelling and as user friendly as a cornered rat – forget it. A very well known train information service recently published an iPhone App. that eventually referred  back to an unintelligible mobile web site ensuring that there first users were their last ones. Whatever you do – make the oft quoted user experience a good one – because mobile users are much more fickle than internet ones and once they gone they are gone for ever.

DIY or Contract Out?

Or in the words of the sadly mortal Peter Cook “who do you turn to?”.  I once built a roof on my house which later  fell in and since then I have never trusted in my abilities to do anything than what I am good at.  So whatever you decide is your mobile strategy make sure that  the resultant infrastructure and applications are built by experts and always resist the protests of your in-house technical team to do it for you and for their CV.  Always get experts to do the build for you because DIY will only result in failure and tears.

Apart from that just get on with it – and good luck!

Peter Richards           December  9th 2009