Mobile Matters for B2B Marketers

B2B marketers don’t need convincing that mobile matters. As Forrester Research shows, mobile marketing spending will quadruple over the next five years, rising to $106 million in 2014. Knowing the value of mobile marketing doesn’t answer the question of how to start creating mobile experiences as part of a B2B strategy.

In a previous post, B2B Mobile Apps vs. Mobile Websites, I presented 6 considerations before deciding to develop a browser-based mobile site or an app. A year later, the decision of either app or mobile web has been made: BOTH. (Oh, and your website still matters too.)  But since apps are all the rage—whether iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, whatever—let’s start with…

The one thing you must know about building a B2B mobile app: 

        You aren’t building a tool for a DEVICE. 
        You are building an experience for a PERSON.

Got it? Now remember these essential things for designing a user experience for mobile.

User Experience Design for B2B Mobile
 
Know your users.
You can’t design an effective mobile experience without involving the people you expect to be a part of it. Do your research. Find out what users want, how they think and work, the devices they use, and where they use them.

Start with needs not the tactical solution.
What can you create that will makes something better, faster, or easier for users? Identify this before designing the solution.

Don’t let technology lead.
iPad and iPhone apps are hot. How many of your target audiences use these devices? Can you design something right for the device that is valuable to them? (More on How Designing for the iPad is different from iPhone.)

Focus on what you can do well and streamline it.
Don’t try to do everything. Mobile design requires streamlining. Reduce tasks down to the 3-5 key things users want to do. Cut things out and simplify.

Know the competition but understand the value.
It’s good to know what competitors are doing. It’s better to know what competitors aren’t doing and you should be. Figure out what unique value you can provide with your mobile solution.

Design for an uncontrolled environment.
Mobile is wild. Design for short and partial attention spans. Anticipate interruptions and stop/start behavior. These situations can make it difficult to multi-task and easy for users to get lost; so your interface has to be intuitive and agile.

Have a goal at the beginning, but realize there’s no end.
Establish a strategy and metrics at the start of the project, but remember improving the experience is never finished. Supporting, promoting, and improving your mobile solution is never done.

Related Mobile UX Design Posts

    Blog: Smashing Magazine’s Making It a Mobile Web App
    Article: UX Matters Designing for Mobile Web
    Slideshare: Mobile UX Essentials (Rachel Hinman, Nokia)
    Video: Designing for Mobile First (Luke W)