Human interactions with computers are shifting rapidly away from the desktop. Thanks to mobile devices and social media channels, the traditional web site, the cornerstone sales and marketing tool of B2B and B2C companies for the last fifteen years, is diminishing in relative importance as the primary way customers gain information about you. Experts used to predict the convergence of media to a single device, however today we're seeing media (content) delivered to and consumed via many distinct types of devices—the most notable being the mobile phone (and soon the tablet, thanks to the innovation being spurred by the iPad).
In 2009, mobile web usage more than doubled. Today, Google is encouraging local search through initiatives like its Favorite Places program and by beefing up its mobile web interface. Businesses, especially local ones, are looking to both mobile web and mobile apps to connect with customers on their terms. Companies looking to stay connected with their customers must address the fact that more and more people are accessing the web via the mobile phone.
At SXSW Interactive, Adobe Systems' platform evangelist Kevin Hoyt (@parkerhoyt) delivered a thoughtful talk to these developers entitled "Best Practices for Contextual Applications." Hoyt's central point was that people are consuming more content through more screens than ever before, and content creators must deliver that content through a consistent, integrated, and seamless user experience.
Expectations are High, Regardless of Context
The interactive industry refers to the process of developing for these various devices as contexts. As people increase their exposure to web content, the interactions are fragmenting across devices. To the customer, your brand is your brand, no matter through what context they are interacting with you. Your job is to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience across contexts, strengthening your relationship with your customers on their terms and on the device of their choice.
Thinking of your user as "just an iPhone user" or "just a browser user" is limiting. The people who comprise your market will move between contexts. Further, these people will take their data with them from context to context. Whether they are out for a run, at their desktop, or on the go with their phones, they will expect to be able to access their information wherever they are and regardless of the type of data.
People will demand the same quality experience across contexts, but the ways they interact and the information they need will differ based on context.
Contexts in Action
The New York Times adapts their context based on how people are consuming the information. Even their "freemium" pricing model varies from context to context, based on how people use the information they provide within each. As an organization, they are laser-focused on unlocking new revenue potential among the various contexts, providing content on the web, mobile web, natively on the desktop via the Times Reader, and even on devices like the Chumby. They realize that people will use the data differently depending on context, and present and price differently in kind.
You interact with multiple contexts each and every day. These contexts include:
- Desktop/Laptop Computer software applications, e.g. Microsoft Word
- Web Browser, e.g. web sites
- Desktop or Dashboard Widgets
- Mobile Phones, including mobile web and native applications for iPhone or Android devices
- Tablet Computer, e.g. iPad
- Automobile dashboard or heads-up screens
- Nike+ and other input devices
- Video game consoles such as Xbox, Nintendo Wii and PS3
- Home appliances
- Ambient consumer electronics devices such as the Chumby
Requirements for Contextual Applications
To succeed at reaching your audience across contexts, you must address the requirements needed to deliver a consistent, high quality experience.
- Ubiquity - Your content needs to be everywhere your users are consuming information from, regardless of the context. Know the contexts your users use, and prioritize development of interfaces for those contexts in alignment with your sales process and strategic priorities.
- Workflow - Before you design for multiple contexts, build the workflow of how users interact on—and between— each. With a proper workflow you can put together a good experience across devices.
- Cloud Servers - By using a cloud-based server infrastructure like Amazon EC2, Rackspace, or Salesforce.com, you allow your applications to share common databases and to scale seamlessly. If you are serving video to an international user base, consider a content delivery network to handle the heavy lifting of video with minimal lag time no matter where your users are in the world.
- Social Media Services - Gain users and add features by using the APIs on popular social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, MySpace, etc. Also, you can integrate content with more focused social sites like SlideShare for presentations and Delicious for bookmarks.
KeyLimeTie Can Help
Looking to extend beyond your corporate web site and meet users on their phones, on the social web, or on their tablets and iPads? KeyLimeTie has a team of seasoned, versatile cross-platform developers with digital strategy and design capabilities to provide you a full solution. To explore further, give us a call at 630.598.9000.
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