When’s the last time you ventured out without your phone? (I mean, on purpose. I occasionally get down the block without mine, and worry that this will be the one time I really, really need to make a call.) If you are like most other Americans, the answer is “not often.”
According to Pew Internet Research (May 2013), 91% of American adults have a cell phone, and 56% of American adults have a smart phone. Because they just can’t wait for their phone to notify them when they have a message, 67% compulsively check their phone. (I’m paraphrasing Pew here. Their terminology is more along “67% of cell owners find themselves checking their phone for messages, alerts, or calls — even when they don’t notice their phone ringing or vibrating.”) And 44% of cell phone owners sleep with their phones, because they can’t stand the idea of missing a message.
Aside from the very real questions this poses about our lack of REM sleep, hunger for personal connections, and general inability to be in the moment, the fact that mobile users are doing so much with their phone presents challenges to content strategists.
1. Pick what matters–and only what matters. Don’t let the perfect wording get in the way of communication. Save cute labels for screens with more real estate. Don’t make users guess where to go next.ore and more Internet access is happening over the phone poses some challenges for content strategists. Though users are willing, it would seem, to scroll through a surprisingly large amount of data on their small screens, good content strategy can make the journey much less frustrating. Here’s a few guidelines to consider:
2. Design a site that is mobile compatible. Don’t have an old-fashioned-y site that appears in tiny text and expect the users to enlarge the screen to read it. (I’m talking to you, Citizens Bank!) And don’t require users to download your custom app for a minor interaction.
3. Don’t skip the basics: content audit, use stories, gap analysis. These will make the difference.
4. Test the content, not just the design. While they are not ultimately separable, focusing some of the testing just on content can illuminate real problems.
5. Remember, it isn’t all about cutting content. It is about choosing the right content for what the user is trying to accomplish on the specific device.
Go forth and make beautiful content for mobile, and maybe 44% of American cell phone owners will sleep with you tonight.