Putting together the right strategy avoids problems, which means companies should be absolutely clear about their goals for their mobile presence. They need to focus not only on who their customers are but also when those customers use their phones and for what purpose.

There’s good evidence that mobile behaviour is different to that of desktop. For example, tablets are a browsing device and are great at generating conversions, meanwhile, Smartphones tend to satisfy an immediate need, such as finding directions. People are used to seamless browsing on their laptops and desktops and they expect the same from their phones.

So mobile is very much a test, tweak and improve process. We encourage our customers to always target a niche area and get results there to improve a broader approach that they may wish to embark on. By continuously evaluating your traffic sources you can then identify device affinities and what type of content is consumed where, allowing you to prioritize for a great mobile experience.

Just today I read with interest an online report confirming our view point. Having studied a large range of Mcommerce sites the report concluded that ‘bounce rates’, the number of customer logs via mobile that leave without buying anything, are 10% higher on mobile devices due to poorly optimised sites providing a poor customer experience.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that spending more time and cost working through what the customer experience will be like on mobile will reap it’s reward in reduced bounce rates and therefore more revenue to the company.

I guess our challenge, as technology leaders in this field, is to ensure the customer understands the difference between a cheap mobile optimised site and a well thought through value driven proposition which delivers real long term results. I look forward to the continued challenge!

I think 2013 will be and there’s two main reasons for that. Firstly it’s 2013 where mobile will overtake PC’s as the main choice for web viewing. Secondly the level of smartphone and tablet use will be at a tipping point for Ireland with more than 50% of adults expected to own one during the year. Those two factors, along with familiarity of QR codes, apps and purchasing via mobile will mean 2013 will be the year of mobile for Ireland.

But don’t let that stop your business from doing anything this year. If you’re not in mobile this year, optimising your websites, looking at making your print interactive, testing mobile marketing campaigns etc, then when the year of mobile does arrive you wont be in a position to start making the most of it and you’ll end up playing catch up behind your competitors who have put everything in place and tested the options of mobile use. As Thomas Jefferson once said “never put off till tomorrow what can be done today”

In the same way people are left confused as to what Enda actually believes, your potential customers are left confused by your web site which uses one set of colours and one way of engaging and your printed material which is in another set of colours and talks in another way. Add to that, how you might talk about your company or the company you work for and you can see how potential customers may not be sure what you stand for, effecting your ability to win business.

Being consistent across all customer communications, both visually and verbally is essential if you wish to build brand recognition and loyalty. It may seem obvious, but we come across inconsistencies everyday of the week. We spend a lot of time talking to clients to ensure we help deliver the right message in the right way for them.

If mixed messaging can effect the leader of the country with the large communications team he has behind him, maybe it’s time to reflect on what your key messages are for  your target audience so that you ensure every touch point, across all the types of media communication, is the best and most consistent it can be.

I simply pointed out that the Korean subway system has wifi which is why the Tesco’s QR use worked but that London like the New York subway doesn’t have that facility so the QR code would be redundant for this particular job and may even frustrate potential customers trying to see what the content behind the QR code might be.

Linking print and mobile is the future of talking to your customers for so many reasons but how you create the interaction needs to be thought through….

Well apart from drinking and eating and enjoying time with family and friends I spent time reading numerous websites, retail, corporate and marketing magazines and newspapers over the Christmas period and it seems one of the main trends in 2012 will be the continuing shift in marketing campaigns becoming more of a cross media experience with direct mail, email, mobile and web all playing their part in conversations with potential customers. It’s great news for us as we’ve been eulogising about this for quite some time and developing strategies across several forms of media for our customers so let’s hope the talk is true and we continue to see more businesses talking to us about cross media communication. Here’s to 2012!

What we’re here to do is make that interaction more fruitful. The new website simply gives people an overview, the real work starts when we sit down with clients, understand their goals and their budget constraints and then make their marketing work harder for them. It’s exciting times!! so keep an eye out for blog and twitter feeds.