Time to optimise your mobile strategy, Singapore

On average, we spent 147 minutes per day on our smartphones in 2013, 35% of which was spent on researching/reviewing products/services we wanted to purchase. Be it the latest fashion trends, possible summer vacation destinations, or the new gadget that’s on our radar, we all spent a considerable amount of time on our mobile devices.

Given this transition to ‘proactive buyer-led behaviour’ in the mobile space, it is critical that our brands remain ‘relevant’ to the evolving mobile-led decision-making process.

1)From presenting products to solving problems

The Mobilesphere is commonly treated as an extension of the brand website/social media touch point(s) by many mobile touch point owners in Singapore. In an age of content overload, we cannot impress the mobile consumer(s) with the plethora of products/services the brand offers.

‘Relevancy’ is indeed the prized currency and we need to create a compelling mobile journey beginning from identifying consumer needs to the ideal destination of providing solutions. The DBSPayLah! App is a sound example on how a brand is trying to solve a specific problem in the mobile space.

2)From static to interactive

Many mobile touch points are driven by static back-end codes whereas in reality, the mobile consumer is on an interactive platform. Add in interactive elements to your mobile touch point(s). The brand cannot run on analog when the consumer has already gone digital.

The basis of interactivity should be about optimising the ‘mobile journey’ and not as a fun graphic titbit. In Singapore, the Uniqlo:SG app provides an interactive experience to the users.

3)From standalone to intuitive

Make your platform intuitive in nature. An intuitive mobile back-end not only will speed up the ‘mobile-journey’ but also help build user confidence. This is a key differentiator between the ‘good’ and the ‘great’ in the mobilesphere.

4)A Winning User Interface (UI)

Finally (and most importantly) a successful mobile touch point will have a seamless user interface. The user journey should ideally be between 2-4 clicks (taps). Less taps is indeed more in the mobilesphere. A simple reason why apps like ‘timehop’ are gaining traction in Singapore.

To succeed in the mobilesphere, you need an audience. Not advertising. Be it a campaign based on organic growth or paid media, a mobile-optimised strategy will help your brand to ‘go-mobile’ whilst preserving its core architecture.

In conclusion, Mobilesphere is not another digital dump to showcase the plethora of products/services we offer. The sooner we realise this, the faster we could catch up with these new prosumers as a creative industry.