Mobile marketing: if we build it, will they come?

• Author: Harvey, David J.

In the era of the iPhone, iPad and Android phones, mobile device use is exploding. In fact, Gartner predicts that mobile phones will surpass PCs as the most common way to access the internet by 2013. For legal marketers, that means new challenges to provide content that is easily accessible through these devices, and at a level of quality consistent with our website efforts. In addition, the advent of mobile applications (apps) has unleashed a torrent of creativity in the business-to-consumer space. Is there a role for apps in the professional services industry as well? I'd say the answer is a qualified "yes" and, as with most things marketing, depends upon the positioning and branding of your firm.

Walk Before You Run

Before you consider whether your firm needs an app, test the current user experience of your customers and/or prospects by accessing your website from a mobile device. Download your website from your mobile device. For example, if you're not able to read attorney bios from your device, then your user experience is already sub-optimal. A developer can create a "Mobi" version of your website; this is a mobile-friendly version of your site that appears on any hand-held mobile device that has a web browser. Typically, it is a stripped down version of your site, including the basics such as attorney bios, locations and news headlines.

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Multiple Platforms to Consider

Now that you've determined that your website is optimized for mobile viewing, you can consider the advantages/disadvantages of producing an app. Complicating this decision is the fact that there are three main platforms/devices to consider: Apple's iPhone (apps will also run on iTouch and iPad devices), RIM's Blackberry, and Google's Android operating systems. Unfortunately, these systems are not compatible, so you will incur basically the same development costs for an app developed on each of the three platforms. With which app should you start? If any of the big three is already a client, then you have an easier decision to make, as you now have a client relations benefit to producing the app, in addition to the marketing and public relations benefits. If not, the decision is more difficult as each platform has its pros and cons.

The platform with the largest market share of corporate users is RIM's Blackberry and RIM is rapidly working on building up its app store. Still, to date, Blackberry app usage pales in comparison with Apple's App Store...