During Q2 of 2009, Apple sold twice as many iPhones (5.2 million) as Macs (2.6 million) and increased its iPhone sales by 626 percent over the same quarter last year. Additionally, HTC Corp.'s revenue was 38.2 billion during the second quarter of 2009, 10.3 percent higher than the previous year.
These astonishing numbers show that consumers are increasingly purchasing touch screen phones (mobile phones with a touch interface), making it vital for marketers to understand the new ways in which people are searching for, browsing through, and interacting with digital content on these devices. While search engines have typically been "destination" engines for desktop computers, touch screen phones offer users a more engaging experience that provides the opportunity to present them with the right content at the right time.
For marketers and product developers, understanding how people are using touch screen devices to search and discover content is essential in order to reach this large (and growing) audience. The overwhelming popularity of these devices means that device owners are increasingly craving touch-friendly media. With that in mind, here are five things to consider when developing content for touch screen devices.
1. Goal driven and/or recreational
Touch screen devices with their superior internet connectivity, rich interfaces, and processing power are more akin to pocket-sized internet-enabled computers than the mobile phones most of us are familiar with. But one aspect they share is that they are always with you. While accessing the internet from your mobile phone used to be a painful experience, these new devices make it a breeze to live stream or download to consume offline -- and this is great for consumers who are often on-the-go. Sometimes they'll have a specific goal in mind, at other times they'll be looking to kill some time and in recreational mode. Does your content or service meet both of these needs or just one? And don't forget not all touch screens are phones (e.g., iPod Touch), and touch screen devices are never online all the time -- so make sure your content can be viewed offline too.
2. There's an app for that -- but don't just think apps
The iPhone represents a quantum leap in user experience and the App Store ecosystem has facilitated some wonderfully innovative and niche applications. Who would have thought five years ago you would be able to turn your mobile phone into a spirit level, musical instrument, or a personal fitness trainer?
Apps give you creative freedom to innovate, but the downside is that if you are serious about reaching a broad audience, you will have to create an app for multiple platforms (Android, Palm, Blackberry, Symbian). Creating content that works for all touch devices via the browser is one route to give you the reach with lower development costs and efforts. While browser-based services are a little more restrictive, you will be surprised as to how much you can achieve in the browser with you and your advertisers in control instead of the platform owner.
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