Megan Hjulfors, ARC Resources Limited
Did you hear the news? On April 21 the Internet world was forever changed by what is adorably being called ‘Mobilegeddon’. For those of us who are not tech junkies, Mobilegeddon probably passed without so much as a blink. However, what it signifies should matter to anyone trying to effectively reach online audiences. Mobilegeddon refers to changes to Google’s mobile search algorithms to favour mobile-friendly sites in the ranking of search results. The change, which does not impact desktop or tablet searches, is driven by Google’s recognition that how users interact with mobile content is fundamentally different from other devices. Not only is how mobile data is used important, but also the rate at which it is being used. Recent data from Google shows that smartphone searches account for nearly half of all Google searches. The bottom line for companies is that mobile content matters. When considering how to make your IR communications more mobile-friendly there are a number of options. This article discusses three commonly used solutions: IR apps, mobile websites and responsive websites.
IR Apps
Starting with basics, an app is an Internet application that runs on smartphones or other mobile devices. Users must download the app onto their device from an App Store. IR apps are a task-oriented service, which generally house content such as stock data, news releases, presentations, videos and other corporate information.
Benefits
IR apps offer users a one-stop shop for all key IR information. Rather than scrolling through an entire website, an IR app can make it easier for the user to find the information needed. The ability to view the information contained on the app – on or offline – is an excellent option in today’s busy world. An analyst can read documents from the app while on the subway commuting to work or in the air flying to meetings. Additionally, because apps are specifically built for a mobile device, the interface is tailor-made for viewing content on a smaller screen.
Disadvantages
One of the greatest disadvantages of IR apps is that users must seek out the app and download it onto their device. Can you imagine an analyst who covers upwards of two dozen companies downloading dozens of apps? From a workload point of view for the IR team, apps also bring challenges. Not only do IR teams need to manually update new content to the app, but as mobile technology is constantly evolving and upgrading it is necessary to ensure apps remain compatible with devices. Additionally, once updated the new content must be pushed to users and then downloaded by the user; making it almost impossible to ensure all users have the most up-to-date content. By nature, apps reach smaller audiences than other mobile solutions, as they are developed for specific devices. For example, apps can be created for iPhones or Androids – but typically not both. Finally, because apps live outside of a browser they do not rank high in browser searches. Therefore, if your goal is to build a stronger mobile presence, creating an app is probably not the best solution.
Mobile Website
A mobile website is a browser-based site that is designed to be viewed on smaller handheld devices and to function with a touchscreen interface. In terms of content and design, mobile websites are typically more streamlined than desktop sites. Although the design and brand should mimic your corporate website, a mobile website is a separate website with a different URL than your desktop site.
Benefits
Creating a mobile specific version of your website allows you to create a site that in form and function is built for the needs of a mobile audience. Content on the mobile site can be curated to highlight the information that is most relevant to a fast paced, on-the-go mobile user. Additionally the design and navigation features of the site can be custom-made to suit a smaller touchscreen. Unlike apps, mobile sites are easily searchable through a web browser, instantly accessible and easily shared. Finally, updates and upgrades are as easy as publishing an edit.
Disadvantages
Mobile websites require the upkeep of two websites – taking a great deal of time and energy from the website team. While the universality of a mobile website is one of its greatest advantages, despite the best efforts of developers, chances are that it will not fit every device perfectly. Therefore you will still have to make choices about what devices and browsers are most important to you and your target audience.
Responsive Website
Responsive websites are sites that resize and rearrange to fit multiple devices and screen sizes. Building a responsive site allows you build one site that will function and look good across devices.
Benefits
Responsive websites share many of the same benefits as a mobile site in terms of the ease of searching and sharing content. However, the greatest advantage of a responsive site is that instead of building two separate sites you can focus your energy on a single site that will render correctly on desktop computers, tablets and mobile devices. One site means that you do not need to worry about updating content or functionality on multiple sites. From a search engine optimization point of view, one site widens your reach and will simplify your marketing efforts. Practically speaking, you are investing all development and maintenance efforts in a single site, which may be more effective in terms of operations and costs over the long run.
Disadvantages
Responsive websites employ a relatively new technology, which can mean that they often do not function well on older browsers. This will interrupt or limit the user experience. Another disadvantage of responsive sites, compared to apps or mobile sites, is that you cannot curate the data to build the most mobile-friendly version of your site. Despite the sites’ ability to adapt the layout to a smaller screen, mobile users may not want to sift through large amounts of data, as they would on a desktop. Finally, even though a single site may sound like a more economical solution, the development hours required to build a high quality responsive site will likely be greater than a single site, or even two device specific sites.
As we continue to squeeze more information through fewer pixels, the challenge of creating effective communications will be increasingly difficult. It is no longer just about getting the right information out, but getting the right information out in the right way. There is no perfect solution to conquering the mobile world. In your quest to become more mobile-friendly, there will be trade-offs to any choice or combination of choices. It is important to clearly identify your communications goals as well as the needs of your target audience. As long as we are successfully providing audiences with the information they want, and how they want it, we should be able to avoid Mobilegeddon – at least for another day.
Megan Hjulfors is Investor Relations Advisor at ARC Resouces Ltd. in Calgary.