Mobile devices are the future and what we are experiencing today is only the beginning… We look at the latest figures for mobile use, best practice techniques for mobile websites and creating unique content for mobile devices with 3D technology.

You might have read our recent blog about What Publishers Need To Know About Trends For The Future Of Digital and noticed how we are just at the beginning of the journey when it comes to the integration of mobile devices into our lives – amazing when you think about how pervasive these technologies already are.

This week saw the release of Ofcom’s 2012 International Communications Market Report, fascinating reading that shows just how big a deal mobile internet is to British audiences. Here are some of the top line figures.

Device Ownership.

• 1 in 5 own a tablet (19%) with huge sales expected over Christmas.
•  Smart phone ownership in the UK is 60% (up 46% year on year) and second only to Germany.
• Britain leads the way when it comes to new technologies such as Smart TV and Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) with 15% owning a smart TV.
• When it comes to user behaviour, we are moving into a mobile world:

“Half (51%) use a laptop most often to connect to the internet, while 6% prefer smartphones and 6% other connected devices. Only 37% use a desktop computer as their most frequent means of accessing the internet.” Ofsted

Mobile Spending

• UK consumers lead for online spending, forking out £250 more per annum on average compared to the 2nd placed country. That means UK consumers are spending on average £1083 per annum online.
• The Brits are big online shoppers:

“UK adults also like to shop on the move. Over a fifth (23.1%) of UK smartphone users use their device to visit retail websites – the highest level out of the five largest European countries.” Ofsted

So what does this mean for businesses?

Mobile devices have opened up a whole new way to access audiences and potential revenues. This isn’t the old desktop browser system; users expect specific design for mobile devices and the great user experience that accompanies this. This is a pressing opportunity to design new content and websites – and to compete in creating exciting content. Which leads to the question, “How do I target mobile device users?”

When it comes to websites this means re-thinking the traditional approach to design – which is where our in house UX expertise comes in handy! For a few years “App” was the big buzz word, seeing a lot of companies jump on the App bandwagon without fully considering their target audience and business needs. You can read about the potential disadvantages of Apps here. However, it is important now to look forward to using other techniques, such as building with HTML5 and Responsive Web Design.

Responsive Web Design is about coding your website so that the design can alter depending on the browser width, meaning that the website is viewed for best design and experience across all mobile devices, regardless of whether that is a smartphone, tablet or laptop. The video below shows how this works for Infrastructure Online:

How about truly unique mobile content?

Some markets are super competitive. What if utilising best practice design and technology isn’t enough to keep you ahead of the competition? What about creating truly unique content? This is where 3D on mobile devices can help. With this technology you can visualise anything – your product, your venue, a journey or something completely imaginary – and then allow users to interact with the model or environment in a variety of ways. This offers a level of engagement that reaches beyond the traditional website experience.

As an example, the Makemedia Stadium and Venue Explorer, which is used by venues to support corporate and hospitality sales and ticket sales, is now available on mobile devices, as you can see below (Video coming soon). Make sure you suscribe to the Makemedia newsletter to ensure you are kept up to date with our exciting upcoming 3D developments.

Interested in creative 3D solutions for your business? Want to see a full demo of Stadium Explorer on mobile? Get in touch by calling 0845 017 8777 or by emailing info@makemedia.com. 

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The Hundred Club from Saracens RC Stadium Explorer tool.