There’s one source of unquestioned authority on anything related to internet search: Google. So it’s worth paying attention when Google CEO Sundar Pichai drops some new insight, as he did in their last quarterly earnings call just over a month ago.
Pichai announced that for the first time ever, there are more mobile searches than desktop searches.1 With 2/3 of all Americans (and 85% of all Millennials) now owning a smartphone, it’s easy to see that mobile needs to be an important part of marketers’ focus.2,3
When people want to know something, they expect the tiny computer in their pocket to deliver the answer instantly.
Recognizing that mobile has become the first stop on the information superhighway is the easy part. But what about when it comes to developing a mobile strategy? It requires putting the user first and remembering that they are looking for answers. It’s not about what a brand wants to say. It’s how well the brand answers a user’s questions that makes or breaks the brand’s mobile strategy.
Google calls the question-answer scenarios of a mobile strategy the “micro-moments.”4 There are four micro-moments that you should craft your mobile experience around:
- I-want-to-KNOW moments – “I want to find information I’m looking for.”
- I-want-to-GO moments – “I’m here, but I want to go there. How can I do that?”
- I-want-to-DO moments – “What can I do here/there?”
- I-want-to-BUY moments – “I like this and I want to buy it now.”
Bringing the micro-moments to life
In early 2014, Greektown Casino-Hotel (GCH) approached us to redesign their website. Because we preach the importance of designing for these micro-moments, our first question was, “Who is this for?” Followed immediately by, “In each moment, what do they want from you?”
We explored these questions ourselves, interviewing casino guests and speaking with staff. We walked casino floors and sat at casino bars. We threw dice like whales, ate like kings, and partied the night away (Yes, this job is fun!). We explored competing casinos and carefully looked at everything the industry was doing in desktop and mobile. Through this discovery process, we learned how to best answer questions at each micro-moment.
We found that out-of-town guests and event planners primarily view GCH’s site on desktop, so “brochure-style” content is optimized for large-screen viewing for I-want-to-KNOW moments.
By contrast, mobile users’ primary questions are around I-want-to-GO moments. So the mobile landing page leads with links that answer those questions, like booking a room, getting directions, or dining at GCH.
As the user swipes down, the visual emphasis is on the casino’s current promotions, answering users’ questions in I-want-to-DO moments.
We created a mobile-optimized, industry-first format for quickly and easily presenting players’ account information so they can instantly convert points and comps, capitalizing on I-want-to-BUY moments.
Let’s give it a try
When you break it down into simple scenarios, you can see that crafting an extraordinary mobile strategy isn’t rocket science. But it does require taking time to understand your users, putting their needs first, and then being there with the right content for each micro-moment. Not sure where to start? We’re happy to guide – call anytime!