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What’s YOUR First Screen?
First Screen. Second Screen. Third Screen.
I went to a seminar about a year ago where a marketing/technology expert referred to the smart phone as a consumer’s “third screen” through which they receive news, entertainment and stay connected. The event was sponsored by a TV station – so, of course, Television was the first screen; the computer screen, the second – and, the smart phone was the emerging third.
Being of an older demographic, I understand this perspective – and, I have mentioned it in presentations and discussions occasionally. As marketers, it is important to remind clients of the high degree of local search being done from mobile devices and how prevalent smart phones are becoming. When I mentioned this “third screen” idea during a recent presentation, a “twenty-something” marketing staffer in the room quickly interrupted me and said – “not for me…it’s my FIRST screen.”
Indeed the smart phone is the “screen of choice” for a growing number of consumers. I-Phones started the trend and Android-equipped phones accelerated it in 2009 and 2010. According to a recent CNN report, Smartphone usage is growing at an amazing rate. Having only an 11% market share in 2008, it grew to 17% in 2009 and 27% in 2010. Looking for those figure for 2011. The percentage grows daily. For more and more consumers, it is becoming the primary source of search, information and connectivity.
Is your website mobile friendly? Is it easy for consumers to find you from their smart phones? Is your site optimized for local and mobile search? If not, your business runs an ever-increasing risk of not being found at all by an ever-growing portion of the consuming public.
Your Site Sucks – I’m Sorry
I am a long-time fan of Chicago; the Band. I loved the early brass-rock days of CTA and “25 or 6 to 4” up through “Beginnings” and “Saturday in the Park”. However, they started to lose me in the Peter Cetera days when they cranked out sappy-chick-hits with high note hooks like Hard for me to Say “I’m Sorry.”
That song has been hooked in my head this week here at the office. It IS hard for me to say “I’m Sorry…..” especially to prospects, suspects and newly landed clients.
“It’s Hard for me to say – I’m sorry”….but:
1) Your Website is confusing. I have no idea what problems you help me solve or what opportunity you are presenting to me. I am not even sure what industry you are in or what your specialty might be.
2) Your Website is poorly constructed. It lacks a logical flow. I cannot find what I thought I was looking for. Content is stale and not relevant or current.
3) Your Website Graphics are somewhere between ugly and awful. I cannot read your logo. The colors are obnoxious. You tell me you sell luxury items – but, your site looks like you paid the neighbor’s nerdy kid $75.00 back in 1997, and have not updated anything since.
And the biggest – “I’m sorry….
I am truly sorry that you just spent a bunch of money on a new site design – AND, it’s STILL confusing, poorly constructed and in fact, graphically hideous. Those are probably only a few of the reasons potential customers aren’t finding it.
SEO is about defining a logical flow of a website and identifying content in such a way that sites can be identified, indexed and FOUND by search engines. We do our customers a disservice when we sugar-coat the tough-love of identifying and correcting marketing and functional site flaws. It’s difficult enough for us to get a site found when all the dots are connected properly; impossible when we are forced work with faulty building blocks.
I have to learn to say “I’m Sorry.” To do otherwise would be like throwing deck chairs off the Titanic; we are improving the situation – but, the ship is ultimately going down.
Michael Davidson, Creative/Media Services SterPoint Marketing
