Photo Credit: Luciano Zanardo
Mobile.
MOBILE!!!
Were it not clear from that eloquent introduction, the universe has been shoving me firmly in the direction of considering the impact of growing smart phone adoption this past week.
From webinars and blog posts on the subject, to my finally ditching the defunct Palm/HP phone for a shiny new Android (I still love you, naughty spying Google), it’s been clear that I need to address the mass move to mobile.
In a way that relates to you fantasmic creative types, of course….
Mobile Means More
Photo Credit: Johann Larson
It’s no secret that people are demanding exponentially more from their mobile phones than ever before.
Back to Basics
As a first step, it’s high time to ensure that your mobile web presence is at least an accessible version of your main website. Happily, this isn’t too tough to achieve if you’re using the right platforms.
WordPress, for example, has several plug ins that will do the basic job for you. My picks would be WordPress Mobile Pack or Wapple Architect, but you can explore any of the popular plugins listed under search term “mobile wordpress” to see which results you prefer.
For other platforms:
- Blogger will move you mobile at the flick of a switch. Simply visit your blog home page, click on the ‘Template’ section, then customize the mobile theme to your preferred settings.
- Tumblr offers a similar feature, buried down under Preferences (cog icon) > Customize Your Blog > Advanced > check the box for ‘Use optimized mobile layout’
- For standard hosted websites, you can investigate freemium tools such as Mobify and Onbile. These allow you to create a mobile version of your site based upon pre-defined themes that they provide, albeit with advertising and/or limitations under the free offerings. Be sure to test out any that you choose on a variety of devices to ensure that the look you’re going for has been achieved, especially before you consider a paid upgrade.
The goal here is to have a version of your site that allows mobile users to access the key areas with minimal navigation. This will give you useful practice in road testing your site on your own smart phone and those of others. If you find yourself scrolling all over the place or zooming in and out, it’s back to the drawing board for another try!
Next Steps
One you have this broad base for those surfing to your site on the go, you can begin to explore the more exciting elements of the mobile web.
Just what constitutes exciting for you at this point depends on your art form. Integration with apps, mobile-only content (art as wallpaper for the phone, for example), conversions specific to smartphone users (e.g. one click purchase from their preferred vendor), or many other possibilities exist for your exploration.
To give you some inspiration for each potential creative style, I recommend investigating the following resources for starters:
- Mobile Backstage - An artist to fan engagement platform based on mobile interactions and community building.
- Soundcloud – Encourage followers to follow you on the Soundcloud app, with obvious application for musicians but also potential for writers to read passages of their work, or artists to explain inspiration behind their visual work.
- Instant Encore – Tool kit covering both mobile website options and apps for artists and arts organizations.
The Long Haul
Mainstream smartphone adoption is almost here, yet many of us – the writer included – are lagging behind in making their web presence a user friendly experience for visitors, let alone an outstanding one.
The time to move towards mobile is NOW!
By getting your bearings now you set up for creating a mobile web presence that will get you noticed in the future.
Think about your fans…
- How do they want to access your art on the go?
- What can you add to make this a quick and simple process?
- And how can you capture that all important visitor data that will allow you to communicate with them further, building the fan-artist relationship?
All of these are questions that should be answered sooner rather than later, developing your creator platform to work harder for you as fan habits adapt to the ever more accessible mobile web. We’ve barely even touched upon mobile traffic drivers such as QR codes and app-based access here, by the way, so expect more detail on those areas in the near future.
Over To You…
Are you already optimized for the mobile web or does the whole thing fill you with dread? What do you most need help with?
And fans, what do you want to see from the artists you follow online? What would make your mobile experience that much better?
As always, your comments are truly valued, either below thanks to the good folks at LiveFyre or over on our slowly developing Facebook page.
Weigh in!
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