Developing a Progressive Mobile Strategy

dave olsen, wvu university relations - web @dmolsen

slideshare.net/dmolsenwvu

programmer9 years at wvuwvu has 30,000 students

from 30,000 feet and...

...2 years in the making.

Aug. 2009iWVU & m.wvu.edu

WVU’s Mobile Presence

Aug. 2010wvutoday.wvu.edu

WVU’s Mobile Presence

Mar. 2011tournaments.wvu.edu

WVU’s Mobile Presence

Apr. 2011studentaffairs.wvu.edu

WVU’s Mobile Presence

“We need an app.” - sincerely, the client

“Why?”- me

marketing

bullhorn

Marketing,

all the cool kids are doing it

something that denotes cool

the cool factor,

they don’t know whycrickets

or crickets.

time for some education

classroom

Time to educate...

Strategy

that iPhone app you want?

it’s not a mobile strategy...

an iPhone app... ...a mobile website

+

+

again, they’re not a mobile strategy...

these are just some of the options...

native apps

standalonemobile sites

mobile templates

responsive designs

APIs

Here

There

Progressive Mobile Strategy

Iterate

Being Platform Neutral

Platform

Be Platform Neutral

It’s about realistically prioritizing mobile solutions for your organization.

Then working one-by-one through them.

Progressive Mobile Strategyhas three parts....

a

Audience Strategy

Platform Strategy

Progressive Mobile Strategy

Audience Strategy

Traditional Higher Ed Audiences

Students

Faculty

Staff

Visitors

Prospects

Alumni

Etc.

Let’s constrain these audiences based on what we know about mobile users.

Note: not users that are mobile, users that are using mobile devices.

Google’s Mobile User Groups

Google’s Mobile User Groups

Repetitive Now

Google’s Mobile User Groups

Repetitive Now

Bored Now

Google’s Mobile User Groups

Repetitive Now

Bored Now

Urgent Now

Urgent Now

Urgent Nowcurrent student...

I have a meeting. Where’s Allen Hall?

I need to call my professor about a late assignment...

How do I reset my WiFi password?

When does the bus get here?

Urgent Nowcurrent student...

Local Users95% of smartphone users have

searched for local content.

from Google’s “The Mobile Movement” report, April 2011

Short Timeframe88% of smartphone users took action

on a search result within a day

from Google’s “The Mobile Movement” report, April 2011

Making Calls61% of smartphone users ended up

calling a business based on their search.

Tip: make your phone numbers clickable with tel:

from Google’s “The Mobile Movement” report, April 2011

Don’t Focus on “On the Go”30% of smartphone users used the mobile internet from their couch.

90% used it from home.

from Google’s “The Mobile Movement” report, April 2011

Audience Strategy Review

Audience Strategy Review

Those with Urgent Needs

Audience Strategy Review

Those with Urgent Needs

Local Constituencies

Audience Strategy Review

Those with Urgent Needs

Local Constituencies

Short Timeframes

Audience Strategy Review

Those with Urgent Needs

Local Constituencies

Short Timeframes

Don’t Focus on “On the Go”

Content Delivery is Secondary to Tangible Utility

Make sure your content is useful, damn it!

Content Delivery Tangible Utility

Which is better?

or

from XKCD, http://xkcd.com/773/

Don’t Convert, CreateLook for new ways to combine content.

Break Out of SilosDon’t follow org charts when developing mobile solutions.

Localization is IntensifiedFind ways to take advantage of location-

related information & relationships.

Content Strategy ReviewBe able to answer, “What value will the

targeted audiences get from this content?”

Platform Strategy

an iPhone app... ...a mobile website

vs.

an iPhone app... ...a mobile website

vs.

The question is no longer, “Which do we develop for, native or mobile web?”

but...

“How do we develop solutions to handle both mobile web & native now as well

as the devices of the future?”

APIs

Mobile Web

Native Apps

Mobile TemplatesStandalone sites

A poor representation of the ideal platform strategy...

Responsive Designs

APIs

Mobile Web

Native Apps

Mobile TemplatesStandalone sites

A poor representation of the ideal platform strategy...

Responsive Designs

APIs

Mobile Web

Native Apps

Mobile TemplatesStandalone sites

A poor representation of the ideal platform strategy...

Responsive Designs

APIs

Mobile Web

Native Apps

Mobile TemplatesStandalone sites

A poor representation of the ideal platform strategy...

Responsive Designs

APIs

Mobile Web

Native Apps

Mobile TemplatesStandalone sites

A poor representation of the ideal platform strategy...

Responsive Designs

APIs are the infrastructure for your mobile initiatives...

Create Once, Publish Everywhere

PRT APIUpdate once. Publishes to: iOS App, Mobile Website, Student Portal, Transportation Website, & Twitter

APIs

Mobile Web

Native Apps

Responsive DesignsMobile Templates

Standalone sites

A poor representation of the ideal platform strategy...

standalonemobile sites

mobiletemplates

responsivedesigns

Mobile Web-Optimized Solutions

Making the case for mobile web first.

Discovery

Discovery

“Not every mobile device will have your app on it but every mobile

device will have a browser.”- Jason Grigsby, @grigs

77% of smartphone users use search. Most visited type of website.

from Google’s “The Mobile Movement” report, April 2011

Urgent Nowremember those

users?

They’re looking for our already indexed content.

“Links don’t open apps.”- Jason Grigsby, @grigs

55% of users with an internet-enabled phone use it to check personal email.

from Merkle’s “View from the Digital Inbox” report, January 2011

Getting social?

search + links = mobile web first

APIs

Mobile Web

Native Apps

Mobile TemplatesStandalone sites

A poor representation of the ideal platform strategy...

Responsive Designs

Native apps should be transformative.

Platform Strategy Review

Start working on your infrastructure. Now.

There is a lot of content already out there & users expect access to it.

There isn’t one mobile solution for your organization or client.

Wrappingit all up...

#1Identify the audience.

#2 Identify the content for that audience.

#3Implement platform solutions.

#4Lather, rinse, & repeat.

Audience

On-campus

Admits

Prospects

Alumni

Audience Content

On-campus

Admits

Prospects

Alumni

Contact Info

Map

Emergency

Calendar

Audience Content Platform

On-campus

Admits

Prospects

Alumni

Contact Info

Map

Emergency

Calendar

Mobile Portal

ResponsiveDesign

Native Apps

Don’t get stuckon platform.

Focus on your targeted audiences & content.

Resources

Blog & Higher Ed Mobile Directory dmolsen.com

I’m on Twitter...@dmolsen

Resources

Higher Ed Mobile Frameworks

kurogo.orgmollyproject.org

mwf.ucla.eduwww.jasig.org/umobile

Many thanks to Mr. Robertsonfor the snazzy device &

progressive strategy graphics

Thanks,

Girl on Stoop by ollipitkanenStudent Recording Video by U. of DenverStudent in Classroom by Bill Erickson

Road to Ribblesdale by Luc BAudience by batmooDrupalcon by Mike GiffordHighway Lights by Spreng BenTunnel by ÉoleChristmas Present by kevindooley

Calendars by Duane Mendoza

Flickr by dsevilla

Clouds by Francisco MartinsBullhorn by aisiposGuitarist by postlife1976Grasshopper by trekmanLego Discovery by dunechaserSwiss Flag by struplerPriorities by redvers

Bananas by sisMud by neilspicys Target by ???

The End