Mobile migration methods: improving business efficiency and enhancing service.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: TELECOM & TECHNOLOGY

Last year, the Matanuska-Susitna Convention and Visitors Bureau (Mat-Su CVB) made a well-calculated move by launching a separate website--Alaskavisit.mobi--to cater specifically to smartphone users. Visitors connect seamlessly through the main site at Alaskavisit.com, which detects their mobile device platform and redirects them to a modified version of the content. The mobile site ties directly into the database of the main website, and visitors hardly notice they're browsing a different web address. "We wanted responsive design," says Mat-Su CVB Marketing and Communications Manager Casey Ressler.

The mobile site is essentially a pared-down version of the full website: Mat-Su Valley Alaska. Built for speed, it delivers quick access to information most people want to know while visiting the Valley. "We're trying to make it as easy as possible for people to stay longer and see and do more things in our area," Ressler says. "The mobile site gives us an opportunity to continue marketing to them while they're here."

The adoption of the mobile site is going well. From last summer to this summer, the site has seen a 20 percent increase in mobile visits, according to Ressler. He's not surprised, given the increasing popularity of mobile devices and demand for mobile content. Creating a more mobile-friendly website was inevitable. "Two years ago, we thought it was cutting-edge to get a mobile site," he says. "Now if you don't have one, you're behind the curve."

Alaska businesses and organizations like the Mat-Su CVB are taking advantage of a variety of solutions to migrate to the mobile space. They're tapping local and national resources to implement mobile websites, applications, and payments, as well as social media, quick response codes, and other solutions.

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Mobile and Responsive Websites

With nearly 60 percent of American adults owning smartphones and more than 30 percent owning tablets, it's no wonder Alaska businesses are migrating to mobile.

Many businesses are definitely aware of and understand the value of the mobile market, says GeoNorth Project Manager Andrew Clary. GeoNorth specializes in information technology solutions such as geographic information systems, database design and development, web design and development, and mobile applications. Clary is seeing an emerging interest in mobile solutions in a variety of industries, from sports and energy to oil and gas.

In previous years, GeoNorth had to convince clients of the value of mobile websites. Now clients have flipped the script. Clary explains: "Within the last year, pretty close to every website client has at least asked about mobile. It's definitely on people's mind."

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