02/20/12 by Cellit Staff | Blog, Development Blog | No Comments »
As a mobile developer, there is a wide array of options available to use when creating mobile sites for smartphones. While older phones tend to have trouble displaying anything other than ordinary HTML 4, devices running on Android or iOS have capabilities rivaling modern desktop browsers. The question is how to most effectively take advantage of those capabilities.
For the last couple of projects I’ve worked on at Cellit, jQuery Mobile has helped with this aspect on the frontend and integrated well with our own proprietary mobile web framework that we use on the backend. The project’s creators bill it as a “Touch-Optimized Web Framework for Smartphones & Tablets,” which in buzz-free English just means it’s a great tool to have around when building a mobile site that needs to function and look as close to a native app as possible. Using HTML 5 and its namesake JavaScript library, jQuery Mobile enables developers to seamlessly incorporate advanced JavaScript behavior, such as smooth page transitions and touch-based event handling, into mobile sites. As an added bonus for designers, jQuery Mobile includes a convenient theming system called ThemeRoller that allows for rapid theme development alongside the backend work.
What does this mean for clients?
Cellit’s clients now have an easier decision to make when it comes to choosing between a native mobile app (developed exclusively for either Android or iOS), or a mobile web app (accessible on all modern mobile browsers). The decision can now be based more on functionality than behavior. In other words, if you don’t want to limit your audience to a particular platform, but still want all the snappiness and sleek looks that come with a native solution, that is all the more possible now. Generally, one of the advantages of native apps has been that they can achieve a faster, better-looking end-user experience with the catch that it only works on a particular platform. While there are certainly still reasons to go the native route, such as platform-specific functionality and integration, mobile web apps no longer have to sacrifice the performance and user experience categories.
The end-user experience
For users, this is a win-win situation. As more and more web development is geared toward mobile devices, the web as a whole will only improve for everyone. According to StatCounter, mobile web usage has doubled every year since 2009, and that trend isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. As a project, jQuery Mobile is still in its infancy (version 1.0.1 was recently released), and it isn’t one of a kind. Other similar frameworks have popped up and as more alternatives become available to developers, this will unquestionably lead to a more effective, efficient, and mature mobile web.
Get in touch with Cellit today to find out how we can make your presence on the mobile web more engaging.
02/06/12 by David Wachs | Blog, Marketing Blog | No Comments »
Today, there is no “mobile”. That’s redundant.
To label one thing “mobile” and another thing “not”, is–quite honestly–labeling one thing relevant and the other antiquated. Everything must be mobile. You must be able to participate with a brand–whether through a promotion or an ongoing CRM program–on your desktop, on your laptop, on your tablet and on your cell phone. You must have a strategy that enables fluid communication and interaction with the user regardless of the device. If your brand doesn’t do this, it doesn’t need a “mobile strategy”; it just needs a strategy!
Today, the iPhone–not Apple, just the iPhone!–is bigger than all of Microsoft. It’s bigger than the Xbox gaming division, the Microsoft Office productivity division, the (profitless) Internet Explorer division combined. Why? Because the iPhone is demanded by consumers because it can do all of this. We live in a world where gaming lives on the phone, email lives on the phone, and browsing lives on the phone. So why is there a distinction between mobile and desktop? There shouldn’t be. Mobile shouldn’t live in a silo.
Mobile shouldn’t live in a silo, and neither should Cellit!
In order for Cellit to help consumers create robust mobile programs — um, I mean robust programs — we must think bigger. We have to provide solutions that drive the user online, offline, to their phone and to their desktop. We have to provide solutions that manage the entire experience. We have to create a singular view of the consumer. We have to practice what we preach. And we are.
We are now officially part of ePrize, the leader in multi-channel interactive promotions and loyalty. We are extending ePrize, combining our knowledge of the mobile experience with their mastery of the online experience and the social experience. We are building a core for promotions that don’t live in any one place, they live everywhere; just like today’s consumer.
We’re already starting to see great opportunities by combining. Client’s (both ours and theirs) are seeing the opportunities. Driving participants in a promotion to an ongoing loyalty program with rich mobile overlays. Using the mobile CRM to drive participation in online programs. It all just makes sense. The experimentation by brands is over and now the integration begins, and we’re here to help.
Look for great programs and case studies in the months ahead. Or, become a case study. Contact me. We’ll get you going and you can be our next success story.
12/02/11 by Steve Nahrup | Blog, Marketing Blog | No Comments »
During this holiday season I have been involved with developing and launching creative mobile marketing campaigns for top retailers in an attempt to drive holiday sales. Since I am new to the campaign creation side of the mobile industry, I had not witnessed the extensive reach retailers possess when equipped with these mobile tools. Out of all the campaigns this season, there are three that really caught my attention: Cross-Media Scavenger Hunts, Deals of the Day, and Check-In Rewards.
- Cross-Media Scavenger Hunt – This campaign engages the customer by sending them a daily multiple-choice question. The questions are drawn from different advertising vehicles that the retailer uses such as social media sites, their print catalog, or their website. Each time the customer answers the question correctly they are entered for a chance to win a grand prize at the end of the scavenger hunt. This type of campaign forces the customer to pay attention to all of the retailer’s advertising, and the consumer eats it up. In fact, retailers have seen 26% of their entire mobile subscriber base participate in their holiday scavenger hunts.
- Deals of the Day – Multiple retailers run campaigns that send their customers a deal each day on a particular item that is marked down lower than it normally would be, even if it was on sale. These deals are sent the night prior to the items going on sale. This campaign enables the retailer to target certain items that their customers may not normally consider purchasing. Retailers usually see 25% of their entire mobile subscriber base participate in their deals of the day campaigns, creating a sense of exclusivity and building brand loyalty.
- Check-In Rewards – A new way that retailers take advantage of social media using mobile is by social media’s “Check-In” feature. For instance, when a customer “checks-in” at a store on Black Friday they are able to unlock a secret keyword that enables them to text that keyword in and receive even more discounts and rewards. When the customer checks-in, the retailer is accomplishing two things: they are given an advertising vehicle to display their brand or company on the internet and in the social media space, and at the same time growing your mobile club. This also is a great holiday campaign, as users check in; their social status update shows that they are in your store.
These three campaigns are merely a few examples of how retailers are able to engage their new and existing customers. What sets these campaigns apart from standard ongoing SMS campaigns is their unique, interactive nature which drives participation and ultimately ROI for the retailer. Contact me to learn more.
11/03/11 by Cellit Staff | Blog, Marketing Blog | No Comments »
Many retailers are turning to mobile to help enrich their customers interaction with their brand. According to NCR, 86% of shoppers currently use mobile phones, many of which use their devices for researching products, sharing information or making purchases. Some retailers have put in place mobile marketing programs to give incentives to consumers, which creates a more intimate relationship. These programs include mobile coupons, sending out timely alerts, or creating mobile applications.
Stores.org published an article featuring one of our clients OfficeMax, who offered how mobile has helped them:
“We have the ability, via mobile technology, to provide a better, more personalized experience for our customers, and customers are eager to use the technology to simplify their lives and engage with brands in a way that provides value”
Read more of the article at Stores.org. If you’re interested on how Cellit can help you move your mobile marketing program forward, drop us a line.
