To celebrate Red Door’s 10th anniversary this year (double digits!), we would like to share our personality, core values, and overall excitement through a series of “top 10” blog posts on the 10th each month.
Consider these mobile quick tips when prioritizing your mobile initiatives—courtesy of Red Door Interactive. Questions along the way? We’re happy to help.
1. Use analytics to reveal the mobile behaviors of your target audience.
Web analytics tools like Google Analytics will uncover whether demand exists for mobile content, features and functionality. They allow you to segment mobile traffic based on characteristics like device and operating system. You can also track user behavior in mobile and tablet applications through analytics platforms—Localytics is one of our favorites.
2. Test mobile tactics ideas early and often with real customers (preferably with real money).
Applying “lean startup” methodologies will accelerate your learnings and validate potential business models. Your goal should be to measure real customer behavior-- especially purchase intent.
3. Collect data in the field for better context and relevancy.
Make it easy for participants to submit data while performing everyday tasks. Try an SMS short code for texting thoughts, ideas, and pictures. Experiment with tools like Surveys-On-The-Go, which enables mobile surveys based on the geographic location of research participants.
4. Create prototypes to test and iterate mobile concepts with users.
Axure is a rapid prototyping application that makes it simple to model user interfaces and interactions. Other tools like mockapp include libraries of common UI components for prototyping mobile applications quickly.
5. Test native app ideas first in HTML.
App store submission policies make it difficult to iterate native applications efficiently. Validate your ideas first in HTML and then migrate winning features into your native app. Also, users tend to spend more time in native apps on the weekends, so you’ll get more of a response then.
6. Receive user feedback immediately with on-demand research panels.
Reducing cycle time is key to rapid innovation and continuous learning. Recruit participants quickly and inexpensively with services from companies like Usertesting.com and Feedback Army.
7. Keep research participants engaged through social media.
The quality of insights generally decreases over the course of long term studies. Consider hosting your next long term study through a private Facebook group. This will encourage participation because users are most likely checking their social feeds multiple times per day.
8. Find niche target audiences on LinkedIn.
Sometimes you’ll need to test ideas within a narrow demographic profile or niche experience characteristics. LinkedIn provides a wide selection of search refinement filters to find these participants quickly. It also makes it easy to find similar users through their professional connections.
9. Formulate and prioritize assumptions.
Identify the success criteria for measuring the performance of your mobile initiatives before initiating customer research experiments. Test your most important assumptions first to maximize research time, which is often scarce.
10. Assume your product will change direction.
The point of all this research is to determine what will create real value for both your business and customers. The best teams embrace change, and individuals don’t get too strongly attached to their initial ways of thinking. Set this expectation from the beginning. We hope you find these tips helpful, and good luck with your next mobile venture!