Website design for mobile–it’s not the same

If you design websites for PC viewing then you need to consider how your sites will look and work on mobiles. The bar for mobile specific sites has been raised by some good sites and others need to close their gap. As the mobile Internet has developed savvy users have come to expect higher standards when browsing on their handsets.

These 7 guidelines are based on actual user research conducted with mobile phone users. Users were asked to carry out typical tasks on popular websites using a mobile phone browser. The issues they encountered were used to produce these guidelines.

Read the blog posting by Vaseem Ansari at  CodeMasterz

New barcode technology from MIT

The Camera Culture Group at MIT Media Lab will be demonstrating a barcode replacement at Siggraph 2009 in New Orleans next week. Called Bokode they consist of an LED under a mask and lens. Information is encoded in the light shining through the mask which varies in brightness depending on the angle it is seen from and can be read by a standard mobile phone camera.

Teens obsession w/mobile. What are they buying?

Teenagers are obsessed with their mobile phones and this opens the door of opportunity for marketers.

Wirefly claims the most popular phones for the teen demographic are those that are text-friendly. Touch screens and QWERTY key pads are at the top of the list when it comes to teen favorites because of the functionalities these types of phones offer. Read the full article by Giselle Tsirulnik at Mobile Marketer.

Bluetooth used successfully in mobile marketing campaigns

Most mobiles come with Bluetooth as standard but there is still some confusion over how it can be used for marketing – so the DMA Mobile Marketing Council’s Mark Brill explains how to implement innovative proximity campaigns, without falling foul of the law.

The key to a successful Bluetooth proximity marketing campaign is to provide a clear incentive or offer, explain why you are communicating and gain the trust of the user. Approximately 30% of people have their Bluetooth turned on all of the time, and most only do so because they are using a hands-free headset. Therefore, without displays clearly announcing a call to action, the average mobile user will either fail to turn on their Bluetooth or simply reject the content when an unrecognised request appears on their phone.

Mobile phones are devices that the majority of people carry with them most of the time. As such, it is a highly personal and even private medium. Marketing to mobiles needs to be done with care and consideration to the user. While well-run campaigns can offer excellent response rates, poorly run campaigns can seriously damage a brand and the credibility of mobile as a marketing medium.

Read this great article by Mark Brill, of the Direct Marketing Association Mobile Council.