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Mobile Entertainment Consumption Soared 82% in One Year (Mashable)
According to Millennial Media and comScore, entertainment consumption on mobile devices has grown 82% from 2010 to 2011. This growth outpaced the 55% increase in overall smartphone ownership within the same period. Consumers who access mobile entertainment content skew younger than the overall smartphone audience. It’s no surprise that as the segment skyrockets, advertisers have increased their mobile spending. In fact, entertainment has become the third leading mobile advertising vertical, based on spending. Ad spend grew within the segment by 133% from 2010 to 2011 and is expected to grow from $1.8 billion in 2011 to about $13.5 billion by 2015.
Why Mobile Ads Are The Next Big Thing (Business Insider)
Tim Reis, head of mobile display for Google, stopped by our Mobile Advertising Conference this month and explained why mobile ads are the next big thing. Reis hits the nail right on the head when he says that cell phones are “extraordinarily personal devices” and therefore must be treated as such by advertisers. In order to break into a consumer’s “circle of trust,” mobile advertisers can’t spam or mislead its targeted audience while also providing something that benefits them. Watch to find out why mobile ads are the next big thing.
No Mobile Website? You’re Probably Turning Customers Away (Entrepreneur)
If you still don’t have a mobile-friendly version of your website you’re most likely turning away potential customers without knowing it. Nearly half of all U.S. adults use a smartphone, according to recent findings by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Ninety percent of those smartphone owners say they use the device to check email and surf the web. That’s not counting people who use other mobile devices, such as tablets, to access the web. Only 26% of small businesses have a mobile website. That’s a growing problem, especially for local businesses.
The Mobile Disconnect: 4 Things Small Businesses Can Do (Kelsey Advertising Design)
Here are 4 things small businesses can do to start taking advantage of the mobile Web:
- Coupons
- Gift Card Balance
- Menu’s/Services
- Appointments/Reservations
It’s time to make your presence known on the mobile web.
The Ten Commandments of a Great Mobile User Experience (Treehouse Blog)
Most designers are still designing mainly for the desktop, but mobile will present the single best opportunity for web designers in the last ten years. Consider the principles of mobile design:
- Thou shalt make it useful
- Thou shalt make it desirable
- Thou shalt make it valuable
- Thou shalt make it accessible
- Thou shalt make it credible
- Thou shalt make it remarkable
- Thou shalt make it useful
- Thou shalt make it fast
- Thou shalt make it simple
- Thou shalt make it delightful
The bottom line of creating a great mobile user experience is to find the sweet spot between fun, fast and useful.
The Smartphone Gap Between The U.S. And China Widens (IDC via The New York Times)
This year, China will account for 26.5% of all smartphone shipments, compared to 17.8% in the United States, according to a forecast by the IDC. China has surpassed the United States in smartphone sales in the past. However, only in the first quarter of this year did it become clear that the smartphone gap between China and the United States would become a “long-lasting gulf that won’t be bridged,” said Kevin Restivo, a senior research analyst with IDC. What’s driving the spike in China? Cheaper Android smartphones priced below $200.
If Content Is King, Multi-Screen Is The Queen (TechCrunch)
New research out from Google, Ipsos and Sterling Brands, puts some hard numbers behind the often-noticed trend of how people in the U.S. are using a combination of devices to consume digital content. Users are watching TV on average for 43 minutes per day session, the most of any screen, but 77% of that time we are simultaneously using another device like a smartphone or tablet.
While smartphones may have the shortest sessions be used the least overall, they are the most-used when it comes to on-boarding to a digital experience.
The full findings are available here.