the power of

presented at Technology Solutions for Tourism, Edinburgh

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_roe

mobile web for tourism

Part 1: The mobile landscape

http://www.flickr.com/photos/egfocus/6310425940

77%

or 5.3 billion at the end of 2010 – U.N. Telecommunications Agency, http://www.itu.int

of the planetowns a mobile devices

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bitchbuzz/3839355559Source: Tomi Ahonen Consulting

of new handsets now includea web browser85% ...and (most of) the rest

can easily install one

1.3 billionalready use the ‘mobile internet’

...includes WAP and ‘real web’ via Tomi Ahonen Consulting

USA 25%

Related: Opera mobile-only study specific to India (May 2011) and NY Times article on lack of Internet access in rural America (Feb 2011)

UK 22%

India 59%

S. Africa 57%Indonesia 44%

China 22%

Egypt 70%

Russia 19%

home ADSL~$100/mth,PAYG unlimited mobile data~$17/mth

Based on “Users who never or infrequently use the desktop web”, Source: On Device Research, Dec 2010

2-3GB data~$2/mth

25% of American’s don’t use the Internet at all

...and for some of us, a mobile device

is the only access point

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

One of the interesting estimates is that there are about 35 billion devices connected to the Internet.

Soon, there will be so many that we’ll stop counting.

- Eric Schmidt, Google“

but mobile devices

aren’t just small

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scobleizer/5263223798

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mackarus/4289960218

they’re whatever shape...

we can dream up...

http://green.autoblog.com/2011/03/17/elon-musk-tesla-model-s-third-party-apps/

With current growth rates, Web access by peopleon the move—via laptops and smart mobile devices— is likely to exceed web access from desktop computers within the next five years.“

...or by 2015 - Source: ITU vis mobiThinking http://www.flickr.com/photos/whiteafrican/2938685296

Part 2: Mobile behaviour

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatcouldgowrong/5320553588

using the internet

is no longer “an activity”...

full-sized keyboard

comfy chair

focused user

work surface

environment

privacy

unlimited data

reliable power source

reliable network

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/22019163

with a specific context

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghewgill/5046616680

the best computer is now

the one you have with you

...and therefore web browser

...the mobile internet is more convenient than my home connection...say 30% of respondents - Yahoo/Nielsen Mobile Shopping PDF“

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earlysound/4490601295

http://www.flickr.com/photos/misbehave/2352753067

this is having a dramatic impact on

our behaviour and our expectations...

this is (still) ‘mobile’...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oimax/3800475934

limited aention

tedious input

simple?

distractions

public space

glanceable?

personal

one hand

but it’s now also this...full-sized keyboard

comfy chair

focused user

work surface

environment

privacy

unlimited data

reliable power source

reliable network

http://www.flickr.com/photos/othree/5224045406

comfy chair

focused user

privacy

unlimited wi"?

reliable power source?

reliable network?

1hr train ride

and this...

two hands

prone to interruptions

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakecaptive/156377806

typing with one hand

gravity

and this...

“Sir, we’ll be landing soon. Could you please shut off your book?”- Flight attendant, April 2011

...and soon this

are still correct

mobile stereotypes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/perspective/551635568/

mobile is incredibly useful

“on the go”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/unlistedsightings

http://www.flickr.com/photos/akashkurdekar/2959140399Source: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010

80% use mobile during

miscellaneous downtime...

Source: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010 http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensutherland/5279672723

80% use mobile while waiting

in line or for an appointment...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7802947@N02/5547816310

is she a “typical mobile user”?

no longer go hand-in-hand

but the device and context

what is a “typical mobile user”?

mobile is increasingly being combined with longer or completely ‘non-mobile’ contexts or activities...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcmom/375125992Source: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010

62% use mobile

while watching TV

at work

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/4031808064Source: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010

64% use mobile

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollaping/3327541574Source: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010

69% use mobile for

point of sale research

while shopping

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

sometimes visit a site on mobile

...and follow up on the PC

59%

Source: Yahoo mobile shopping framework study

mobile is also used

to time-shift

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604Source: Yahoo mobile shopping framework study

visit a site on the PC

and follow-up on mobile

34%

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

16%Research on smartphone,then visit store to check product out, then buy on smartphone.

Research on smartphone,then visit store to check product out, then buy on PC.

Research on smartphone,then buy in store.67%

9% Visit store, then buyon smartphone.

and so on...

Source: Yahoo mobile shopping framework study

23%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-46

“The most expensive item sold via eBay’s mobile app was a 1985 Piper PA-46-310P Malibu airplane for $265,000.“ src: Mashable

...facilitating completion

of larger tasks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/plagevinilosyadhesivosdecorativos/5549366513

and important life decisions...

“The largest purchase on the M&S mobile web site last Christmas was two sofas costing over £3000 ($5000)“ src: Marketing Week

herein lies the true power of mobile

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/MouthOff/feature.asp?c=12609

is that it acts as a bridge

between physical and

digital experiences

the power of mobile

Part 3: The mobile traveller

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spree2010/4930763550

mobile use is growing

rapidly amongst travellers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/msciba/519772500

72%

over the past 6 months mobile web traffic to travel sites

has increased by

Source: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72%

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paleontour/124416789

17.4%mobile now accounts for

of access to all travel sites

Source: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72%

47% expect to use their mobile device for their travel needs at their destination

Source: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72%

37%will use a mobile

device for restaurants research

http://www.flickr.com/photos/edans/4006273845Source: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72%

Source: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72%

26%will use a mobile

device for attraction and accommodations

research

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniemole/5354206703

a

dining

17 mindining

food & beverage

19 minfood &

beverage

travel

31 mintravel

the average length of mobile research sessions is surprisingly long...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanl/5619897608Source: Mobile shopping framework study, Yahoo

context and level of urgency oftenreflect the devices used....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

of laptop users book a hotel for the same day

14%

before the journey....

“I’m planning my holidays”

Source: Orbitz travel web site

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604Source: Orbitz travel web site

during the journey....

“...where shall we go next...?” of tablet phone

users book a hotel for the same day

30%

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

just in time....

“@!&*...we missed our

flight...!” of mobile phone users book a hotel for the same day

65%

Source: Orbitz travel web site

so how does this all add up?(a few examples....)

scenario #1planning a trip is a journey unto itself...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaichanvong/5542546563

watching TV...

at home

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brunoleveque/5675275834

...sees a

tourism advert...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcoarment/1956292424

...visits the site

then saves the URL for later

while still on the sofa...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/faceme/2882556082

...visits the site again

(while on lunch break...)

then calls to make a booking...

scenario #2travel and serendipity go hand in hand

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenandkerry/2137457989

you’re on a city

bus tour...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadowgate/1232353962

...and spot

a lovely pub...

...you look it up

on Facebook

http://www.flickr.com/photos/preetamrai/4620829766

while still on the bus..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenandkerry/6147417120

...and return later

that day for a pint

scenario #3travel is about making (and sharing) memories

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shadowgate/1231450023

...you discover something

wonderful at the museum...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanalexander/2995152153

...look it up

on Wikipedia...

while still at the museum...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/globalx/4777255389

...share photos

of it while having tea

at the museum coffee shop

free wi-" !!

and re-live the memories

whenever it strikes your fancy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/krossbow/4509414056

...a trip isn’t a single event...it’s a journey

...your digital experiences shouldembrace all stages of that journey :-)

Part 4: Tips and ideas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbrenschmidt/1832787028

For those who don’t yet offer a mobile optimised experience....

TIPS

developing a mobile strategy takes time,but there are things you can do today...

Check your analyticsdetermine which devices access your site most oftenand what pages or sections are most popular

• this valuable information can inform testing, design and your overall mobile strategy

Reminder: traffic to from mobile to desktop sites is approaching 10% globally (and over 17% for travel sites!)

Step #1

Test the most critical and commonly accessed content from your desktop site using the devices discovered in step 1

• ensure mobile users can accomplish key tasks such as logging-in, reviewing a menu or events calendar, or completing a purchase or booking (even if the overall usability is sometimes poor)

• fix as many problems as you can and/or add them to your mobile strategy roadmap

Step #2

Test all your partner services!

• third party services such as advertising, font hosting,social media widgets, and even analytics may not work on all mobile devices

• some may fail while others may slow page load

• be sure to test any service that delivers key functionality(e.g. commenting plugins, analytics and even social widgets if you rely on these to track engagement)

BONUS

Be pragmatic

• take advantage of services that are already well optimised • Facebook• Twitter• YouTube

Note: ‘well optimised’ means lightweight, with mobile friendly layout, good level of site-to-site URL integrity and support for most modern smartphones.

BONUS

• TripAdvisor• Google Maps• SlideShare

Lighten up!

• look for opportunities to reduce page weight

• this will also assist laptop users who may access your site using unpredictable coffee shop and airport wi-fi

(besides...no one likes to surf a slow web site)

Step #3

Enhance where you can

• look for opportunities to enhance content using new technologies (which are often supported on mobile and desktop browsers)

• you don’t have to be on a mobile to appreciate the value of location technologies when using a store locator feature

• mobile users will always appreciate being able to click a phone number to automatically trigger a call

Step #4

Source: Tourism Scotland 2007

many visitors pay

for data while travelling

• 51% Europe• 15% US• 4% Canada• 4% Australia• 26% Rest of world

Overseas17%

Rest of UK4%

England40%

Scotland39%

Overseas visits comprised of:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brunoleveque/5675275834

origin of visitors to Scotland

Provide free wi-fi

• offering free wi-fi can drive traffic

• free wi-fi will encourages visitors to post photos,share comments, or even consult your web site while they are on-site

• if your attraction is outdoors, or extensive in size, consider providing free wi-fi at common rest points such as toilets or the coffee shop

BONUS

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604Source: Boingo wi-fi hotspot trends

99.9%

73.9%

41.1% 58.9%

65.9% 34.1%

88.5% 11.5%

mobile devicelaptop

2011

2010

2009

2008

2008

changing patterns in mobile usage at wi-fi hotspots

wi-fi hotspot traffic is now

primarily coming from mobile

For those who already offer a mobile optimised experience (could be a native app or a mobile web site)...

TIPS

Check your URLsensure users who email, Tweet or link to content can access that URL from any device

• if equivalent content doesn’t exist on one of your sites, implement a friendly error page offering the most likely alternatives

(...if that content is ‘trapped’ within a native app, you may still have a problem...)

For everyone...

TIPS

Think of the user journeyexplore other ways to tie the experiences together

• can a user begin a transaction on one site,and complete it on another?

• can mobile phone users bail out of a transaction and easily trigger a call (...reference number in hand so an agent can complete that transaction)?

• could you better align language and task flow,to improve usability for users who drift from one siteto another?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenilorac/698514624

...should I even bother opening this

email marketing offer on my phone?

40%use mobile email

“almost every day”(in 2010!)

Source: Comscore

Start simple and experiment• experiment with simple solutions that you can

launch quickly and cheaply

• think of ways to use tools that are already on the device your audience is carrying

• use these trials to inform your long-term mobile strategy

BONUS

http://www.flickr.com/photos/janekm/217195273

and quick alternative

to a paper map?

...what is a cheap,

...or an expensive, bespoke interactive one?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/webtreatsetc/4860505549/

downloadable PDF maps sized to fit the most common devices accessing your web site (based on the data in your analytics)

most devices now have very nice, zoomable,

searchable PDF readers

remember, this is

your journey as well..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/puptoes74/4805467277

take your time, and

listen to your visitors :-)

have fun...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyng883/298967414/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinou/453593446

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many thanks to the amazing photographers on

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http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0

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