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Monday, April 16, 2007

YELL.COM Declares 2007: The Year for Mobile Web


YELL.COM Declares 2007: The Year for Mobile Web

Yell.com has commissioned some very exciting new research UK mobile users and why many are now ready to embrace the internet on mobile devices.

The report, due out on Wednesday1, describes a new market segmentation for mobile users called FUN-ctionals. The biggest drivers for people to use the mobile internet are maps/directions and local information - email and instant messenger - and banking.

Research that is NOT based in Hype!

What I like the most about the report is that it does not require me to put aside any core beliefs - the data actually stacks up and makes sense. This is in stark contrast to so many research reports that provide borderline unbelievable results for the sole purpose of supporting even more unbelievable business plans!

The report states - and I agree - that "cost is still the overriding barrier to wider mobile web adoption." Until operators make flat rate data pricing plans available there will be limited adoption. In short, there is a lack of consumer trust when it comes to mobile data because so many consumers have been burned by outrageous mobile data charges.

Not unlike early mobile content providers in the ringtone market, mobile network operators have damaged their trust relationship with their consumers. It will take time even after mobile data pricing is made effective to restore consumer trust and then to see some growth in mobile data. In preparing to host this week's Carnival of the Mobilists I also came across an article by Russell Buckley that gives me hope that flat rate pricing for mobile data may actually be on the way!. Read more about The Mary Elizabeth Mapes Dodge Effect.

According to Yell.com,
"it has always been Yell.com mobile's opinion that a fixed mobile data package is integral to the mainstream adoption of mobile web. While we will consider partnerships with mobile operators as one channel to reaching mobile consumers, we do intend the bulk of our customers to come direct from Yell.com mobile - as applications you install yourself have far more "stickabilility" in the minds of consumers than those pre-installed on the handset."
Why the research? Why now?

Of course, all of this research is very helpful to the major push from Yell.com for their mobile search application. And although I didn't have a great experience the first time around - I have since become not just a convert, but a regular user of the tool.

If you read the first post, you'll note that I had a few questions that I wanted to ask the product manager at Yell.com - and guess what. He called. More importantly, he had answers to each of my questions.

In a telephone interview with Martin Wilson, Head of Yell.com mobile Marketing, I took the opportunity to ask him each of my questions and to have a more detailed look into Yell's approach to mobile search.

In short, it seems that the OOH (out of home) marketing teams got a bit ahead of themselves with those exciting bus shelter ads and took advantage of the special December marketing push before the Yell.com mobile application had been released across the full suite of handsets and devices. Indeed the S60 platform is well catered for and indeed Yell.com has an excellent view as to who their target audience is (as evidenced by this new research ) and which devices they are carrying.

By the time we had the interview, the new application had been released and was easily downloaded and installed onto my Nokia N73 Series 60 phone. I've had occasion to use it to search for a number of different things and found the interface very well organized and easy to use. I was especially pleased with the predictive suggestions available in the categories section to make things easier.

For me, the most vital part of the application was the maps associated with the search results. Although the maps provided are good, I would have to say that in integration with Google Maps would have given me a better and more accurate result. And it is possible that a Google Map would require less bandwidth thus implying faster response times and (for now at least) reduced data charges.

So - it seems that Yell.com jumped the gun with a bit of advertising - and I jumped the gun in harshness of my initial evaluation.

Yes - there has been a lot of press about Yahoo Mobile 2.0 - Microsoft mobile search and of course Google Mobile, However, after seeing the Yell mobile application and the subsequent research due out later this week, I believe that Yell.com is on the true path to mobile search - the path which leads to providing consumers with information that they want, when they want it and in a form that is best suited for the device available to them.



1You can view the full announcement and press release HERE.
For more information on the Yell.com Mobile Application, please check the http://www.yellmobile.com website.

posted by Troy Norcross at 5:04 PM  

1 Comments:

Ted Wugofski said...

Troy,

I could not agree with you more.

On the relevance of price, according to FierceWiFi, Parks Associates released a report saying that at pricepoint of $35/mo for AYCE mobile broadband, the total worldwide addressable market is 100 million subscribers.

Its a vicious cycle -- no subs, no business, no offers, no subs -- that I mentioned recently on my blog.

Frankly, I don't see how direct-to-consumer models fair any better vs. operator-based models. At least with an operator-based model, the operator can elect to 'carve out' data used by your service.

Cheers,
Ted

4:25 PM

 

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A few words about why we're here

Since consumers first started to use SMS marketers have had the idea of text message marekting or marketing sms - also known as mobile marketing. And since that time marketing sms messages have grown and changed and new technology like bluetooth marketing, marketing bluetooth style to phones in close proximity to an advertisers.

And since the e-mail spam scourge took over the media, people have worried that there will be mobile phone spam. Spam is just another way of saying that advertisers send unsolicited text message marketing, marketing sms, bluetooth marketing or any other form of mobile marketing - it's mobile phone spam. There are even guides on how to spam phone s.

Consumer Preference is about permission based marketing, permission marketing solution. If, as an advertiser you can execute permission based marketing campaigns then you can certainly find ways to benefit from mobile marketing. And permission starts with understanding the consumer marketing preference. If you can understand consumer marketing preference, then you can execute permission based marketing. And permission marketing is not mobile phone spam.

There are many mobile marketing company listings that can be found on the Internet - and most mobile marketing company websites will tell you how they focus on permission marketing. Make sure that the one you partner with does more than tell you about it on the website. Opt-in marketing starts with your traditional marketing soliciting for permission.

Yes - Mobile marketing starts with traditional marketing - print, web, radio, television - all of the old standards. Because before you can send the first message to a consumer, you must obtain their permission... and that means that you understand consumer marketing prefernce.

Please enjoy reading consumer-preference.com - and if you feel that there is a point I'm making you'd like to share - then put a link to it from your own site. And always feel free to leave comments!

Troy Norcross

 

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