Business leaders need to change the way they gather and capture data

Digital Inclusion, as well as ability, is driven by desire and the need to get online. Creating that need and desire should be the responsibility of all service providers with an interest in developing contact or increased membership with those that are currently digitally excluded for whatever reason.

Not all the decision makers within those services in the public, private and 3^rd sector are in touch with what is happening in the digital world. At best, they may pay it lip service by using an email add-on with the word "monkey" or "chimp" in it to make contact with people they already know. These tools can be very effective when used as part of a digital campaign. However, they will rely on a list of email addresses to function on their own so fail at the very first hurdle in attracting interest from the wider, digitally excluded audience.

A good offline example of motivating the digitally excluded to get online is the use of electronic street signs promoting traffic updates on Twitter. This provides a clear benefit for going on line that the reader may not have considered before. Other examples are advertising downloadable apps for bus and train timetables at bus terminals and train stations.  For those less mobile, promotion of the benefits to getting online needs to take place where these people meet such as day centres or disability centres. In addition, the campaign needs to be driven by the people that visit them such as carers, social workers or family members.

For any organisation depending on repeat business, referrals or looking for constant contact, it is a missed opportunity and waste of money to advertise or distribute any form of press release, editorial, leaflet or display banner without promoting a website with a strong call to action or at least one social media stream for recipients to engage with but, sadly, it still happens.

Before considering an additional call to action, make sure receiver is working and scalable. Don’t put a phone number or email address on your printed material if no one is going to answer it right away. With the increase in mobile use, there is a greater expectation that emails and calls will be answered almost immediately. Before paying for that mail shot, leaflet circulation or radio advert, are you ready for the increase in incoming enquiries?

I am continually surprised by the use of some data capture methods particularly when payment details are being requested or the accompaniment of a cheque for registering for an event or renewing a membership. I see examples of this from organisations in the public sector and education sector that have dedicated staff for communication and marketing yet with no power or inclination to adopt digital methods. There is an assumption that the reader has the latest version of Microsoft Word, a printer full of ink, an A4 scanner with the knowledge to use it, the ability to attach the file and email it back. Ironically, the same offending email will carry the footer “Please consider your environmental responsibility. Before printing this e-mail message, ask yourself whether you really need a hard copy.

The lack of an integrated customer relationship system to capture and nurture new customers or service users to grow a sustainable business should be seen as a business weakness and addressed as a priority. These systems are no longer limited to the owners of huge corporate budgets and teams of support staff. I am sure many of the larger companies would gladly offload the heavily licenced legacy systems sold to them on the golf course and supported by a sea of overpaid contractors and 3^rd party “partners”. Why wouldn’t they want to save money? Possibly because the cost of adhering to employment or support contracts would cripple them before they could press the open source button. If you are a smaller company, you can seize the advantage.

Business leaders need to change the way they gather and capture data. If social and business services are seeking clients or members of all ages and abilities, they have to take the message to them where ever they may be, using whatever tools are common to them now and in the near future.

It is true, we have 1.3 million people offline in Scotland but the reason, for a huge proportion of them, is that the internet is of no interest to them. Perhaps those service providers that wish to target this unconnected group could do more to influence their audience to engage with them to be informed more directly and effectively by adopting more digital activity and offering consistency. To sum up, to all users of digital  - make sure you practice what you preach.

Hotspot Finder

• Jiwire Hotspot Finder is available online or as a free app on both Android and iOS platforms. Search options include street address, postcode, provider and proximity.
• iPass Hotspot Finder can be accessed online and allows you to find hotspots all around the world. You can search via venue name, town or postcode or allow it to track your location and find the nearest hotspot to you.
• Myhotspots is an impartial website which gives a fairly exhaustive account of wi-fi hotspots across the UK.
• Hotspot Locations lists everything from commercial and non-commercial community networks to private hotspots.
• For the best hotspot finders when you're not in the UK have a look at our guide to getting online abroad here.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

This customer uses email marketing to unite its members

CMT United Kingdom
List Size: 1,025
Open Rate: 55.3%
Website: www.cmt.org.uk


CMT United Kingdom is the national support group for people affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, a neurological condition affecting the nerves to the arms and legs, resulting in deformity and disability. Roughly 1 in 2,500 people has CMT, a hereditary disease that can be passed to family members. Given the comparative rareness of the disease, many doctors do not have much experience dealing with it, so patients turn to the CMT United Kingdom group for support and information.
While the challenges for those impacted by CMT are many, the group itself struggles with finding its target audience, says Karen Butcher, a volunteer with the group. There are approximately 25,000 people affected by CMT in the United Kingdom, but the group's membership stands at only 1,500. Furthermore, the group must retain its paid membership over the long term.
CMT distributes a printed magazine three times a year, and supplements it with a monthly email newsletter that includes news updates about the group, research findings, and more. Prior to using Constant Contact, Karen used the email system built into the CMT United Kingdom's website registration software. "It was largely just a straight text email with no tracking facilities and was fiddly to use," she says.
The group chose Constant Contact for its price and ease of use. "As a volunteer, I didn't want to spend most of my life coming to grips with setting up and sending emails," Karen says. She can also easily monitor statistics to see who is opening the group's newsletters and what they are clicking on.
One piece of content that has generated a lot of clicks: A link to a donation page set up to defray the costs of an office move. To date, the group has raised some £1,300 (roughly $2,130) thanks to its email marketing fundraising effort. "I was amazed that within a few hours, donations were already being made online. That really made me smile because I had no idea it would be that successful," Karen says.
Using email marketing has also strengthened the organization's relationship with its members. "The feedback we've received has been really positive and people are grateful for the increased contact with us," Karen says.

Moving Right Along

This business has trucked through the recession and seen two years of growth

Yarbrough Transfer Company
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Website: http://www.yarbroughtransfer.com/
Open Rate: 25%
Customer Since: November 2010

The current recession hasn't been kind to any industry, but trucking was hit particularly hard. In the third quarter of 2008, 785 trucking companies went out of business altogether, with nearly 100,000 trucks going idle for lack of demand and drivers. While the deepest cuts to the industry have healed, the aftershock of a lackluster economy is still evident.
These days, transportation businesses have to be dynamic and forward-thinking to keep growing. Constantly reevaluating marketing and sales strategies has helped North Carolina-based Yarbrough Transfer Company not only stay afloat, but grow business by 20% since 2009.
The trucking company runs almost 50 trucks and 100 trailers up and down the east coast, hauling everything from generators for hospitals to tons of granite for memorials. Mike Chaudron, the vice president of sales, notes wryly that most people would probably recognize the kind of transporters they use as "those flashing trucks with escorts that slow down traffic on the highway."
Until the fall of 2010, the business depended on phone calls for sales and a somewhat chance-based approach for marketing. "It used to be that our clients would just contact us when they needed a job done," Mike explains. However, he decided that there had to be a way to keep the Yarbrough name in front of customers, even when they may not need a trailer. After attending a seminar in Charlotte, he decided to try Constant Contact Email Marketing.  A little over a year later, he says that Yarbrough Transfer's newsletters and cards have been a primary factor in the company's impressive growth.
"Dripping" on customers
Mike says that he was intrigued by the possibilities that email marketing offered in terms of "dripping." "I wanted to keep reminding people that we're there," he explains. "We could drip on them by staying in touch, so when they needed something done, they thought of us."
So what does dripping mean to Yarbrough Transfer Company? The strategy entails a quarterly newsletter, with pictures and project highlights that showcase the trucks in action. For example, Yarbrough Transfer transferred 70 granite blocks from North Carolina to New Jersey in October 2010, and Mike highlighted an article about the move in the first-ever newsletter issue, which was sent in January 2011.
Of course, Mike admits that sending out four newsletters a year may not be enough to keep the business top-of-mind. That's why the Yarbrough Transfer Company sends out holiday cards, too - whether the occasion is Thanksgiving or Veterans' Day. The cards often prove to be popular; the 2011 Veterans' Day e-card was shared by newsletter subscribers on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
The dripping strategy has worked in other ways, too. Mike says that some newsletters include an availability feature, which helps show potential clients where trucks are located at any given time. "We're a company of cents and dollars, and everything counts. Reducing the number of 'deadhead miles' - miles that a truck travels with nothing in it - can save us quite a bit of money," Mike tells us.
Click here for prospects
In the end, it all comes down to potential sales. The Yarbrough Transfer Company started an email list with about 200 contacts in January and now has nearly three times as many.  Each email gets around a 25% open rate, well above the industry average, which Mike attributes to the fact that the business doesn't just "throw people on the contact list."
"Since most everyone on that list wants to hear from us, when we do send out a newsletter or a card, we're touching more potential clients in one click than sales can do in a week," he says.
The sales team has made use of the analytics available through email marketing, too. "If we see that a lady looked at our email three times in two hours, we know that there's some interest there and we'll get in touch," Mike explains.
He knows that he has learned a lot over the past year about online marketing, especially through emails, but notes that figuring out email marketing is like learning how to use a computer: "You can use it effectively, sure, but you know you're only using about 20% of it."
Mike's excited about the prospect of learning more about email marketing in 2012, and plans to get more aggressive with the coming year. "This year was a great introduction to the potential of new marketing channels. We kind of figured out how to use it in 2011, and now we're hoping to put that knowledge to even better use in 2012," he says.

Email, Social Media Give Hope

Nonprofit uses multiple platforms to help win two major grants

Contacts: 3,014
Customer Since: March, 2010
Location: Springfield, Ill.
Website: http://www.thehopeinstitute.us

The Hope Institute for Children and Families in Springfield, Ill., is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children with multiple disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorders, through educational, residential, and other health service programs. With such an intense mission to help children, raising funds through donations and other sources is of utmost importance to the organization.
In the spring of 2010, the Hope Institute was presented with two opportunities to secure grants for two of its subsidiary organizations -- $25,000 for the Autism Program of Illinois in May and $50,000 for Noll Dental Clinic in June -- via the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, which handed out money each month to worthy organizations and ideas. The catch: An idea had to get the most votes in order to win. To get the votes needed to put the organization over the top, the Hope Institute launched an email and Facebook campaign.
"Through the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, we actually discovered that email was by and large the most effective form of marketing," says Jarid Brown, manager of online interactions at the Hope Institute. "Our advocates took our emails asking for support and forwarded them along to entire email address books. Every time an email was sent, our ranking on the contest rose substantially. Better yet, we dramatically increased our email subscriber base without any increase in unsubscribes." 
The Hope Institute collected an average of 7,000 online votes per day for the May campaign. Then, for the June campaign, Jarid and his colleagues revised the combined social media and email marketing strategy. For that vote drive, 90% of the effort was email-based and the social media push was decreased by 80%, so as to not overly hound supporters. With the revised strategy, the organization received 7,000 to 10,000 votes per day, even more than the May campaign. 
Beyond the grants, the Hope Institute collected something just as important: An increased fan base and potential advocates for the organization, creating lasting relationships and visibility for future efforts. 
"As a nonprofit, we are in the business of creating these relationships," Jarid says. "We used the contest not only to generate publicity, but also to begin to build these relationships, expanding our support base for everything from donations and volunteers to potential partnerships and future support for campaigns and legislative issues."

Got a new computer? How to protect it.

There are many preventive steps you can take to help protect your PC from viruses and other threats.

• Use an antimalware app. Installing an antimalware app and keeping it up to date can help defend your PC against viruses and other malware (malicious software). Antimalware apps scan for viruses, spyware, and other malware trying to get into your email, operating system, or files. New threats can appear daily, so check the antimalware manufacturer's website frequently for updates.
  Windows Defender is free antimalware software included with Windows, and you can update it automatically throughWindows Update. You can also visit the Windows Store and look for an antivirus app, or visit the Windows Compatibility Center to look for antivirus apps that work with Windows 8.1.
• Don't open email messages from unfamiliar senders, or email attachments that you don't recognize. Many viruses are attached to email messages and will spread as soon as you open the attachment. It's best not to open any attachment unless it's something you're expecting.
• Use a pop-up blocker with your Internet browser. Pop-up windows are small browser windows that appear on top of the website you're viewing. Although most are created by advertisers, they can also contain malicious or unsafe code. A pop-up blocker can prevent some or all of these windows from appearing.
  Pop-up Blocker in Windows Internet Explorer is turned on by default. For more info, see Change security and privacy settings in Internet Explorer
• If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure SmartScreen Filter is turned on. SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorerhelps protect you from phishing and malware attacks by warning you if a website or download location has been reported as unsafe. For more info, see SmartScreen Filter: FAQ.
• Pay attention to Windows SmartScreen notifications. Be cautious about running unrecognized apps downloaded from the Internet. Unrecognized apps are more likely to be unsafe. When you download and run an app from the Internet,SmartScreen uses info about the app's reputation to warn you if the app isn't well-known and might be malicious.
• Keep Windows updated. Periodically, Microsoft releases special security updates that can help protect your PC. These updates can help prevent viruses and other malware attacks by closing possible security holes.
  You can turn on Windows Update to make sure that Windows receives these updates automatically. For more info, seeWindows automatic updating: Frequently asked questions.
• Use a firewall. Windows Firewall or any other firewall app can help notify you about suspicious activity if a virus or worm tries to connect to your PC. It can also block viruses, worms, and hackers from trying to download potentially harmful apps to your PC.
• Use your Internet browser's privacy settings. Some websites might try to use your personal info for targeted advertising, fraud, and identity theft.
  If you're using Internet Explorer, you can adjust your privacy settings or restore the default settings whenever you want. For more info, see Change security and privacy settings in Internet Explorer.
• Make sure User Account Control (UAC) is turned on. When changes are going to be made to your PC that require administrator-level permission, UAC notifies you and gives you the chance to approve the change. UAC can help keep viruses from making unwanted changes. To open UAC, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then clickSearch.) Enter uac in the search box, and then tap or click Change User Account Control settings.
• Clear your Internet cache and your browsing history. Most browsers store info about the websites you visit and the info that you provide, like your name and address. While it can be helpful to have these details stored on your PC, there are times when you might want to delete some or all of them—for example, when you're using a public PC and don't want to leave personal info behind. For more info, see Delete your browsing history.
  
  
  Reference:
  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/how-protect-pc-from-viruses

Public Speaking in Livingston

I have registered interest in http://www.toastmasters.org/. New clubs must be chartered with a minimum of 20 members. I may be looking for at least 20 members in the Livingston area if anyone is interested. Please contact Ron if this is something you'd like to join. 0844 818 3959

Top 10 Stories in Scotland Today

1. Union calls off Grangemouth strike (Herald)
2. Five times more Scots turn to food banks (Scotsman)
3. Unison: end council tax freeze (Scotsman)
4. Salmond and Cameron attend talks (BBC)
5. Children's doctor guilty of 'blunders' (BBC)
6. 4,000 local authority jobs at risk (Daily Record)
7. Scottish start up joins space race (Guardian)
8. Aberdeen Union Street revamp compromise on table (STV)
9. Teargas attack at Dundee Jobcentre (Courier)
10. Broadband boost for Moray Firth (BBC)

Wheelchair Users Come First

MEDIA RELEASE: 23 September 2013

Wheelchair Users Come First & launch of the

Equal Justice Campaign

A Judge in Leeds has decided that First Bus Group’s “First Come First Served” policy for the disabled bay on its buses substantially disadvantages wheelchair users and is unlawful discrimination in breach of the Equality Act 2010.

In a 20 page Judgment, Recorder Isaacs dissected the approach taken by First Bus Group (and in place with many other bus companies) in failing to keep the wheelchair space free for wheelchair users, and concluded that:

“ … the system of priority given to wheelchair users should be enforced as a matter not of request, to any non-disabled user of the wheelchair space, but of requirement…”

He went on to note that:

“ just as there are conditions of carriage which forbid smoking, making a nuisance or other “anti-social” behaviour on the pain of being asked to leave the bus then a refusal to accede to a requirement to vacate the space could have similar consequences. In my view, once the system had been advertised and in place there would be unlikely to be caused any disruption or confrontation as all passengers would know where they were. Although such a policy might inconvenience a mother with a buggy that, I am afraid, is a consequence of the protection which Parliament has chosen to give to disabled wheelchair users and not to non-disabled mothers with buggies.”

First Buses have been given 6 months to act on the Judgment, after which time unless changes to the policy and training and drivers are made to ensure that wheelchair users have priority over the wheelchair space over other passengers, the Court will consider making an injunction to require the changes to be made by Court Order.

Doug Paulley, the disabled passenger that launched this legal challenge was awarded £5,500.00 in compensation in recognition of the way in which his experiences with First Bus Group’s policy affected his confidence and increased the stress and anxiety of travel.

Doug (35), whose disabilities mean that he relies upon a wheelchair for his independence brought the case with the help of  his legal team from Unity Law, expressed his relief at the decision,

“The number one problem for wheelchair users on public transport is whether the wheelchair bay is free. Often it’s filled up with luggage or buggies. Often bus companies advertise the space as a buggy space which can create confusion as to who has priority for it. But the space is there for wheelchair users to travel. It’s the only place on the bus I can travel safely in my wheelchair.”

Doug’s legal team was led by Chris Fry, Managing Partner at Unity Law and included Catherine Casserley one of the UKs leading equal rights barristers from Cloisters Chambers.

“The Judge recognised that companies are often very good at paying lip service to the concept of making transport more accessible, but at grassroots level we are contacted every week by wheelchair users who recount a different story.” says Chris Fry. “There’s no point in having an accessible bus, if the service itself is inaccessible. That makes a mockery of the protection provided to the disabled service user by the Equality Act.”

This case has wide reaching implications, not just to the First Bus Group, but to other bus and train companies operating similar “First Come First Served” practices. It represents a breakthrough to disabled passengers who now have legal precedent to challenge their bus company if they have been unable to travel for similar reasons.

The case also marks the launch of the Equal Justice Campaign.  The ability of disabled people to bring Equality Act cases has been critically compromised due to the cutbacks to legal aid and civil costs reforms.

The upshot of the reforms is that it is no longer financially viable for disabled people to take legal action aimed at forcing companies to meet their statutory obligations; rendering the Equality Act obsolete. Fortunately for Doug, he launched his legal action before the reforms were introduced.

END

___________________________________

About Unity Law

Unity Law is an award winning niche law firm specialising in representing those affected by disability discrimination. They have particular expertise in the area of employment law, industrial disease litigation and disability rights cases.

Their lawyers work hard to achieve the best possible solution for their clients, with an emphasis on service and support.

Unity Law’s expertise and hands-on approach to looking after their clients has enabled them to develop an unrivalled reputation as specialist lawyers and is evidenced by their industry awards wins and short-listings.

For more information about Unity Law or this press release please contact:

   

Natalie Rodgers, Managing Director, Scala UK Ltd
natalierodgers@scala.uk.com                           

m. 07881 780608                    

Email Spam - What to look out for

Enquiry Best Practice

How do you feel when:

• your call to a helpline or enquiry line is not answered?
• a receptionist asks you to call back later?
• someone promises to call you back but doesn’t?
• you never receive information you have asked for?

If new enquiries are the life blood of your business it is important that you examine this part of the business to make sure it is working. If you ever answer a phone call, reply to an email enquiry or meet a visitor, you are handling an enquiry. In this way, we can all affect people’s impressions of our company or service. The way we respond to enquiries is important for building positive relationships with anyone who contacts the company. This includes existing clients, suppliers and, in particular, new prospects who are thinking of dealing with the company. To encourage large numbers of good quality business enquiries and to encourage people to choose our company instead of any other company, we need to follow good practice when we deal with enquiries.

What are the rewards of success?

First impressions are very important. By dealing politely, effectively and efficiently with enquiries, we have the opportunity to develop relationships that will benefit the company as a whole. We know from experience that the way we deal with a phone call or an email enquiry can make the difference between a customer choosing us or going to another provider. It is also personally rewarding to know that we have given the best impression of our own company or employer.

Being good at handling enquiries is often very satisfying. It can lead to positive and friendly relationships with people making enquiries, who appreciate the help and service we give them – and sometimes they say so.

What is the price of failure?

Whenever we don't answer a phone enquiry, give an unhelpful reply to an email or don't send someone the information we promised to send, there’s a strong risk that we will lose that business and we could also be damaging our reputation. If you’ve ever had poor service from a company yourself, how many of your friends and relatives did you tell about it?

General principles of handling enquiries

We need to take every opportunity to develop positive relationships with anyone who has contact with us. We must make sure that we give people a good impression of our company and show that we are genuinely interested in helping them.

Whenever we get an enquiry from someone, we should make a note of:

• their full name
• how they want us to contact them (for example by email or phone call)
• the full details of their enquiry

There should always be a member of staff available to deal with enquiries (by phone, email or visitors to reception) to make sure that we maintain these standards of good practice.

Phone Enquiries

• You should answer all phone calls within five rings.
• You should make sure that all calls to a published enquiry line between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday are answered (this includes covering breaks and absences).
• You should use a standard greeting to identify yourself. For example, give your name and then ask 'Can I help you?', or say 'Good morning' or 'Good afternoon' then give the company name and your name.
• When you transfer a call to a colleague, tell the caller your colleague's name and phone number, in case they get cut off when you transfer them, and then tell your colleague the caller's name and what their enquiry is about before you put the call through to them.
• End the call in a positive and helpful way. For example, check that you have given the caller the information they need and ask if there is anything else you can help them with. Then thank them for their call and encourage them to call you back if they need more information.

Voicemail

You should record your own greeting on all voicemail messages on enquiry numbers instead of using a standard recorded message.

You should keep your voicemail message brief and:

• give your name and the company name
• ask callers to leave a message that includes their name and contact details
• tell them they will receive a reply within one working day
• You should use a different voicemail message if you work part-time, are on holiday or off sick. The message should include the information above and the date you expect to be back at work. (If you are off work unexpectedly, there should be arrangements in place with your employer to deal with voicemail messages left on your phone and to change the voicemail message as appropriate.)
• If you have been left a voicemail message on an enquiry line, you should return the call within one working day.

Email Enquiries

• You should check emails to enquiry email addresses every working day and reply by email within three working days. If you cannot send a full reply within that time, send an email to say when you will be able to send a full reply.
• If you are on holiday, off sick or absent for some other reason, you should put a message on your email account to thank people for their emails, tell them why you are absent, when you will return to work and how often your emails will be checked by your colleagues. If your colleagues can't check your emails for any reason, you should include in your message another email address or phone number for urgent enquiries.
• You should send an email acknowledgement, even if you are dealing with the enquiry.
• You should take any action needed, such as sending follow-up information by post, within 48 hours.
• You should use a personal greeting on all your email replies, for example 'Hi George' or 'Dear Mr Skirving' (depending on who you are contacting and how they would prefer to be addressed), and give follow-up contact details in case the person wants to make any more enquiries. Write your emails in a helpful, polite and informal way.
• You should always fill in the 'Subject' part of the email.
• Include an email signature in every email you send. It should include your name, job title, the company name, phone number and website address.

There are companies that offer call handling services and it may be worth investing in these services if you feel you are unable to manage the flow of incoming enquiries with your existing resources. If new enquiries are the life blood of your business it is important that you examine this part of the business to make sure it is working

Google offers free products and advertising for UK charities

Google has launched a new initiative to provide nonprofit organisations in the UK with free products, including up to £6,600 a month in advertising credit and free access to Google Apps.

Unlike most businesses, which have to pay for access to Google’s online communication and collaboration tools, charity workers will be able to access applications such as Gmail, Google Talk, Hangouts and Drive for free.

They will also be able to develop campaign ideas in real-time with colleagues from other offices through Google Docs and brainstorm charity initiatives via the video conferencing tool Google Hangouts.

The idea is to help UK nonprofits cut IT costs, operate more efficiently, and communicate more effectively, according to Google. The advertising credit, which can be used to buy Google AdWords, will also enable them to promote their causes more widely and reach more donors.

“Through Google for Nonprofits, we want to support the incredible work of charitable organisations in the UK by eliminating some of the technical challenges and costs that they face,” said Dan Cobley, managing director of Google UK.

Moving to Google Mail

For assistance with taking advantage of this offer contact Delta Digital. Find out about making the transition to Google Mail. Watch the video >>

Understanding Google Adwords

Watch the short video below.

Mobile Friendly Websites

The mobile phone seems to be leading the pack as the hardware tool of choice over fixed devices such as the desktop PC and even the laptop and tablet because of its size and flexibility. More photos are taken now than ever before because of the shift in mobile phone camera technology. Likewise, more texts and pictures are being moved around with the cheaper data packages and unlimited texts. The average 13-17 year old sends more than 2,000 text messages per month. The modern phone is less obtrusive, fitting into pockets, handbags or fastening to belts.

With the majority of mobile subscribers owning smartphones, today’s shoppers are now better equipped than ever to find the best deals and get feedback about products on their shopping lists—anytime, anywhere. From pre-purchase research, to sharing an exciting find with friends, new data shows that smartphone and tablet owners are embracing their devices to make the most of their shopping experience.

It’s no secret smartphone owners bring their handsets just about everywhere they go. Mobile shoppers like to use their devices for in-store activities. In fact, 78 percent of mobile shoppers say they’ve used their smartphone to find a store, and another 63 percent have checked prices online while shopping. Overall, smartphone owners are three times more likely to use their handset for some in-store activities, like claiming mobile coupons (39%) or using shopping lists (40%), compared to tablet owners. (Neilson Wire, 2012)

Now when shop assistants ask “Can I help you?” The response is more likely to be “Yes, what’s your WiFi password?”

In the business to consumer sector, it is easy to understand therefore why it is necessary to have a mobile friendly website. In the business to business sector it is also essential to have a website not only well designed for the PC but also the mobile phone. 

• This year more people will use mobile phones than PCs to get online 
• Google estimates that around 50% of mobile searches are for local services
• Research indicates that 6 in 10 visitors will leave a mobile-unfriendly site
• Consumers on the go use mobile search mostly for finding out the essential information, quickly contacting the business or locating business on the map
• Having a mobile optimised website is now imperative for your business

Some interesting statistics about mobile users also support the case:

• 60% of users expect a mobile site to load in 3 seconds or less
• 71% of users expect a site to load as fast as a desktop site
• 78% of users will retry a site two times or less if it does not load initially

So, now that we understand why we need to be mobile friendly what needs to be done? Unfortunately, there is not one definitive correct approach to mobile development. Several factors need to be considered before devising a mobile strategy. There are a number of choices available and it very much depends on your budget, needs and starting point. It is worth keeping in mind that it may not be essential to have a full version of your standard website rendered for mobile phone use.

If you are about to revamp your existing website or starting a new one, it is possible to have it designed as a “responsive” website. This is the term used for a website that responds to the type of device the viewer is using and renders the layout to suit. This is particularly common now for WordPress websites using responsive templates. WordPress is a very popular open source design platform and many free Plugins are available. If you add plugins yourself, always make sure you have a backup in case it conflicts with other functionality or plugins.

Other online platforms such as Weebly and Wix offer hosted mobile friendly versions as part of their subscription services. The beauty of the responsive website is that you only have to maintain one website. The down side is that you may not be able to take advantage of all the features of a mobile phone such as the motion sensor, barcode scanner and GPS tracking.

If you do not want to modify your existing website, another product worth considering is the GoMobi addon which uses a sub-domain of your website to create a mobile friendly website to run in parallel. A piece of code is generated to place in the header of your normal website to divert mobile users to this sub-domain.

Last but not least, it is worth mentioning the growing success of the relatively unknown .tel domain name. As with other solutions, there are options when registering a .tel name and it may depend on the size of the organisation and what functionality you want from it. It is always advisable to have a mobile strategy in place before making any purchase. 

For more information on Mobile Friendly Websites, speak to the an experienced mobile website consultant.