The Power of Mobile Web for Tourism

the power ofmobile web for tourism presented at Technology Solutions for Tourism, Edinburgh http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/karen_roe

Part 1: The mobile landscape http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/egfocus/6310425940

77% of the planet owns a mobile devicesor 5.3 billion at the end of 2010 – U.N. Telecommunications Agency, http://www.itu.int

85% of new handsets now include a web browser ...and (most of) the rest can easily install oneSource: Tomi Ahonen Consulting http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/bitchbuzz/3839355559

1.3 billion already use the ‘mobile internet’...includes WAP and ‘real web’ via Tomi Ahonen Consulting

...and for some of us, a mobile device is the only access point Russia 19% UK 22% China 22% USA 25% India 59% 25% of Egypt 70% American’s don’t use the 2-3GB home ADSL Internet at all data ~$100/mth, ~$2/mth PAYG unlimited mobile data ~$17/mth Indonesia 44% S. Africa 57%Based on “Users who never or infrequently use the desktop web”, Source: On Device Research, Dec 2010Related: Opera mobile-only study speciﬁc to India (May 2011) and NY Times article on lack of Internet access in rural America (Feb 2011)

“One of the interesting estimates is that there areabout 35 billion devices connected to the Internet.Soon, there will be so many that we’ll stopcounting.- Eric Schmidt, Google http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

but mobile devices aren’t just small http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/scobleizer/5263223798

they’re whatever shape... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/mackarus/4289960218

we can dream up...http://green.autoblog.com/2011/03/17/elon-musk-tesla-model-s-third-party-apps/

“ With current growth rates, Web access by people on the move—via laptops and smart mobile devices— is likely to exceed web access from desktop computers within the next ﬁve years....or by 2015 - Source: ITU vis mobiThinking http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/whiteafrican/2938685296

Part 2: Mobile behaviour

using the internetis no longer “an activity”... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/whatcouldgowrong/5320553588

envir onme n t focused user privacyreliablenetworkunlimited data comfy chair with a speciﬁc context full-sized keyboard work surface reliable power source http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/22019163

...and therefore web browser the best computer is nowthe one you have with you http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/ghewgill/5046616680

“...the mobile internet is more convenientthan my home connection...say 30% of respondents - Yahoo/Nielsen Mobile Shopping PDF http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/earlysound/4490601295

this is having a dramatic impact onour behaviour and our expectations... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/misbehave/2352753067

public space distractions this is (still) ‘mobile’... limited aention glanceable? one hand simple? tedious input personal http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/oimax/3800475934

environment reliable network focused user unlimited data full-sized but it’s now also this... keyboard privacycomfy work surface chair reliable power source http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/othree/5224045406

focused user 1hr train ride privacy reliable network? comfy unlimited wi ? chair two handsreliable power source? and this...

typing with prone to one hand interruptions and this...gravity http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/jakecaptive/156377806

...and soon this“Sir, we’ll be landing soon. Could you please shut oﬀ your book?”- Flight attendant, April 2011

mobile stereotypes are still correct http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/perspective/551635568/

mobile is incredibly useful “on the go” http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/unlistedsightings

80% use mobile during miscellaneous downtime...Source: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010 http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/akashkurdekar/2959140399

80% use mobile while waiting in line or for an appointment...Source: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010 http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/bensutherland/5279672723

is she a “typical mobile user”? what is a “typical mobile user”? but the device and contextno longer go hand-in-hand http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/7802947@N02/5547816310

mobile is increasingly being combined with longeror completely ‘non-mobile’ contexts or activities...

62% use mobile while watching TVSource: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010 http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/bcmom/375125992

64% use mobile at workSource: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010 http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/cogdog/4031808064

69% use mobile for point of sale research while shoppingSource: Compete quarterly smartphone report, Jan 2010 http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/lollaping/3327541574

mobile is also used to time-shift 59% ...and follow up sometimes on the PC visit a site on mobileSource: Yahoo mobile shopping framework study http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

34% visit a site on and follow-up on mobile the PCSource: Yahoo mobile shopping framework study http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

Research on smartphone, and so on... 67% then buy in store. Research on smartphone, 23% then visit store to check product out, then buy on PC. Research on smartphone, 16% then visit store to check product out, then buy on smartphone. Visit store, then buy 9% on smartphone.Source: Yahoo mobile shopping framework study http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

...facilitating completion of larger tasks“The most expensive item sold via eBay’smobile app was a 1985 Piper PA-46-310PMalibu airplane for $265,000.“ src: Mashable http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-46

“The largest purchase on the M&S mobileweb site last Christmas was two sofascosting over £3000 ($5000)“ src: Marketing Week and important life decisions... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/plagevinilosyadhesivosdecorativos/5549366513

herein lies the true power of mobile

the power of mobileis that it acts as a bridge between physical and digital experiences http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/MouthOff/feature.asp?c=12609

Part 3: The mobile traveller

mobile use is growingrapidly amongst travellers http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/spree2010/4930763550

over the past 6 months mobile web traﬃc to travel sites has increased by 72%Source: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72% http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/msciba/519772500

mobile now accounts for 17.4% of access to all travel sitesSource: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72% http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/paleontour/124416789

Source: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72%47% expect to use their mobile device for their travel needs at their destination

37% will use a mobile device for restaurants researchSource: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72% http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/edans/4006273845

26% will use a mobile device for attraction and accommodations researchSource: Mobile browsing on travel sites up 72% http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/anniemole/5354206703

the average length of mobile research sessions is surprisingly long... 31 min travel 19 min 17 min food & dining beverage dining food & travel beverageSource: Mobile shopping framework study, Yahoo a http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/johanl/5619897608

context and level of urgency often reﬂect the devices used....

before the journey.... “I’m planning 14% of laptop users book a hotel my holidays” for the same daySource: Orbitz travel web site http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

during the journey.... “...where shall we go next...?” 30% of tablet phone users book a hotel for the same daySource: Orbitz travel web site http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

just in time.... “@!&*...we missed our 65% of mobile phone ﬂight...!” users book a hotel for the same daySource: Orbitz travel web site http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

so how does this all add up? (a few examples....)

scenario #1planning a trip is a journey unto itself...

at homewatching TV... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/kaichanvong/5542546563

...sees a tourism advert...http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/brunoleveque/5675275834

while still on...visits the site the sofa...then saves the URL for later http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/marcoarment/1956292424

...visits the site again (while on lunch break...)then calls to make a booking... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/faceme/2882556082

scenario #2travel and serendipity go hand in hand

you’re on a city bus tour...http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/karenandkerry/2137457989

...and spota lovely pub... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/shadowgate/1232353962

...you look it up on Facebook while still on the bus..http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/preetamrai/4620829766

...and return laterthat day for a pint http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/karenandkerry/6147417120

scenario #3travel is about making (and sharing) memories

...you discover somethingwonderful at the museum... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/shadowgate/1231450023

while still atthe museum... ...look it up on Wikipedia... http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/bryanalexander/2995152153

...share photosof it while having teaat the museum coﬀee shop free wi- !! http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/globalx/4777255389

and re-live the memorieswhenever it strikes your fancy http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/krossbow/4509414056

...a trip isn’t a single event...it’s a journey

...your digital experiences shouldembrace all stages of that journey :-)

Part 4: Tips and ideas http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/chrisbrenschmidt/1832787028

TIPS For those who don’t yet oﬀer a mobile optimised experience....

developing a mobile strategy takes time,but there are things you can do today...

Step #1 Check your analytics determine which devices access your site most often and what pages or sections are most popular • this valuable information can inform testing, design and your overall mobile strategy Reminder: traﬃc to from mobile to desktop sites is approaching 10% globally (and over 17% for travel sites!)

Step #2 Test the most critical and commonly accessed content from your desktop site using the devices discovered in step 1 • ensure mobile users can accomplish key tasks such as logging-in, reviewing a menu or events calendar, or completing a purchase or booking (even if the overall usability is sometimes poor) • ﬁx as many problems as you can and/or add them to your mobile strategy roadmap

BONUS Test all your partner services! • third party services such as advertising, font hosting, social media widgets, and even analytics may not work on all mobile devices • some may fail while others may slow page load • be sure to test any service that delivers key functionality (e.g. commenting plugins, analytics and even social widgets if you rely on these to track engagement)

BONUS Be pragmatic • take advantage of services that are already well optimised • Facebook • TripAdvisor • Twitter • Google Maps • YouTube • SlideShare Note: ‘well optimised’ means lightweight, with mobile friendly layout, good level of site-to-site URL integrity and support for most modern smartphones.

Step #3 Lighten up! • look for opportunities to reduce page weight • this will also assist laptop users who may access your site using unpredictable coﬀee shop and airport wi-ﬁ (besides...no one likes to surf a slow web site)

Step #4 Enhance where you can • look for opportunities to enhance content using new technologies (which are often supported on mobile and desktop browsers) • you don’t have to be on a mobile to appreciate the value of location technologies when using a store locator feature • mobile users will always appreciate being able to click a phone number to automatically trigger a call

origin of visitors to Scotland many visitors pay Scotland for data while travelling 39% Overseas 17% England 40% Rest of UK 4% Overseas visits comprised of: • 51% Europe • 15% US • 4% Canada • 4% Australia • 26% Rest of worldSource: Tourism Scotland 2007 http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/brunoleveque/5675275834

BONUS Provide free wi-fi • offering free wi-fi can drive traffic • free wi-fi will encourages visitors to post photos, share comments, or even consult your web site while they are on-site • if your attraction is outdoors, or extensive in size, consider providing free wi-fi at common rest points such as toilets or the coffee shop

wi-fi hotspot traffic is now primarily coming from mobile changing patterns in mobile usage at wi-fi hotspots 2008 99.9% 2008 88.5% 11.5% 2009 73.9% 2010 65.9% 34.1% 2011 41.1% 58.9% laptop mobile deviceSource: Boingo wi-fi hotspot trends http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelsea_nj/4223680604

TIPS For those who already oﬀer a mobile optimised experience (could be a native app or a mobile web site)...

Check your URLsensure users who email, Tweet or link to content canaccess that URL from any device• if equivalent content doesn’t exist on one of your sites, implement a friendly error page oﬀering the most likely alternatives(...if that content is ‘trapped’ within a native app, you maystill have a problem...)

TIPS For everyone...

Think of the user journeyexplore other ways to tie the experiences together• can a user begin a transaction on one site, and complete it on another?• can mobile phone users bail out of a transaction and easily trigger a call (...reference number in hand so an agent can complete that transaction)?• could you better align language and task ﬂow, to improve usability for users who drift from one site to another?

...should I even bother opening thisemail marketing oﬀer on my phone? 40% use mobile email “almost every day” (in 2010!)Source: Comscore http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/zenilorac/698514624

BONUS Start simple and experiment • experiment with simple solutions that you can launch quickly and cheaply • think of ways to use tools that are already on the device your audience is carrying • use these trials to inform your long-term mobile strategy

...what is a cheap,and quick alternative to a paper map? ...or an expensive, bespoke interactive one? http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/janekm/217195273

downloadable PDF maps sized to ﬁt the most common devicesaccessing your web site (based on the data in your analytics) most devices now have very nice, zoomable, searchable PDF readers http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/webtreatsetc/4860505549/

remember, this isyour journey as well.. http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/puptoes74/4805467277

have fun... take your time, andlisten to your visitors :-) http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/lyng883/298967414/

scontact uat hello@yiibu.com find this presentation and many others at... slideshare.net/yiibu many thanks to the amazing photographers on http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0 thank you http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 @yiibu http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinou/453593446