Part 1 Recap:
In crafting a recent website redesign strategy I was reminded to question my firm beliefs on Mobile Website Optimization, and asked myself “Does this company really need a mobile site?” Based on the usual metrics, mobile website visits, and a demographic breakdown of the target audience, I initially found a weak case for mobile optimization. But after careful consideration of the future forward marketing strategy we were planning to pursue it became extremely evident that those usage patterns will change, and that a mobile optimized website really did make sense. Then came the question: do we have room in the marketing budget for mobile?

In Part 1, I discussed the “Why” of choosing to optimize for mobile. In Part 2 of this 3 part series, I will share my experience in finding a vendor:

Part 2: Finding a Vendor

I have to admit that I have cheated a little bit on this one. A significant part of my consultancy practice over the past 4 years has revolved around planning, designing, and producing websites for my clients through partnerships with excellent agencies. However, I’m used to dealing with significant budgets and for this particular project, this was not the case. It required a bit of creative planning and an airtight scoping process to ensure vendors are able to provide only the leanest of quote.

Establishing Criteria

Knowing that a mobile site was extremely important for this project I needed to find a vendor that was experienced in producing both dedicated mobile and responsive design websites. Even moreso, they had to be good enough at it that they would understand how to make the best possible site for the mobile experience even if not optimized. From here I came up with the following list of factors to use in my evaluation:

• Agile Production Capabilities
• Proven Track Record (Portfolio)
• Knowledgeable Project Manager
• Ability to Meet Strict Timelines
• Efficient Project Budgeting
• Attentive Communication

Finding a Short List

Luckily I have a fantastic list of contacts of high quality, well established web designers in my phone which was able to cut a great deal of time out of my search. Through some brief phone calls, tweets, and emails I was able to narrow my list down to 4 local vendors that met all the items in my criteria. Some were stronger on their respective list items, but all would pass the acid test of “More than Capable”.

Evaluating Against the Criteria

In working directly with the various vendors, they helped me shape my project into one that could be completed within a short time and included my laundry list of demands without too much effort. Each vendor had great advice on how to optimize for mobile as well as some great tips for usability and workflow. It was a rewarding experience making my decision all the more difficult. Of course, only one could get the contract so I had to be diligent of making one stand out amongst the others.

I presented my recommendation to the client and here is what happened:

1. Two of the four scored better in areas that were important to my client – Proven Track Record and Attentive Communication.
2. Budgets across all four were nearly even, with only slight variations. In fact the top two were so close that we had to review and review and review before determining a winner.
3. Three of the four had strong recommendations on mobile optimization within the project budget
4. Ultimately it was trust that won out and my client chose the vendor with which they already had an existing relationship.

What We Found

In the end it all came down to trust. We knew that all four vendors would provide excellent service, agile production in order to meet our deadline, and would work off of their extensive experience to produce a solid end product. My client’s existing relationship based on years of consistent results and promises kept won out over other characteristics that ended up being more trivial when put under the microscope. I should note that this was not a decision based solely on this trust. The selected vendor is capable of producing top quality websites for a lean budget. Furthermore, their advice on mobile along with their unique production capabilities is certain to produce a strong mobile experience whether we chose a mobile optimized website or not.

In the final part of the series I will answer the question “Does the Budget Make Sense?” when considering mobile website optimization.

In crafting a recent website redesign strategy I was reminded to question my firm beliefs on Mobile Website Optimization, and asked myself “Does this company really need a mobile site?” Based on the usual metrics, mobile website visits, and a demographic breakdown of the target audience, I initially found a weak case for mobile optimization. But after careful consideration of the future forward marketing strategy we were planning to pursue it became extremely evident that those usage patterns will change, and that a mobile optimized website really did make sense. Then came the question: do we have room in the marketing budget for mobile?

In Part 1 of a 3 part series, I will walk you through how we decided on the chosen strategy:

Part 1: Exploring the Why

There are many reasons to optimize for mobile, but for this particular project we looked directly at:

1. Who was going to use the site
2. Where were they going to use it; and
3. Why would they visit the site on a mobile device

Who?
Firstly, the target audiences vary but have one thing in common – they all include people who care about providing safe working environments for their employees, be it from a financial, human resources, marketing perspective, or a general sense of doing good. These people will take the time to find valuable content about safety online.

Where?
Secondly, each of the target companies have decision makers that operate onsite, whether at a mine, construction site, on the road, or in a manufacturing plant. When an unsafe incident happens, these are the same people who will have a natural reaction to want to find a solution. Hence mobile makes sense. The one question that remains to be answered is,

“Are these customers inclined to instantly find a solution on their smartphones or are they likely to wait until the incident is over to check for a solution on their office PCs?”

Why?
Finally, we looked at the motivating factors for seeking an instant solution, and explored whether or not this particular user would have the authority and/or inclination to make a decision to try my client’s product (free trial is the company’s primary call to action). Furthermore, would the mobile experience provide enough information for them to make a purchase decision?

What We Found

After careful consideration, it was determined that there is a strong reason to use mobile optimization for this company’s website. The typical usage situations do dictate that a mobile site will be valuable. However, we were still unsure if it was valuable enough to justify the added expense of either mobile optimized site or responsive design. In the next parts of the series I will share my experience in “Finding a Vendor” and “Does the Budget Make Sense?”