Newsletter

If you are one of the world’s 450 million mobile internet users, you’ll already know that are two primary methods of accessing online content from your mobile phone, smartphone or other wireless device – mobile websites and mobile applications. Read more about: Mobile websites versus mobile applications

As mobile penetration increases and sophisticated handheld platforms mature and develop it’s extremely interesting to study the impact of trends in consuming published content, and how printed media is adapting to changing times.

As we went to press this week, we awaited the imminent release of a long-awaited new iPad device from Apple. This will join existing published content consuming devices available in the UK which include Apple’s own iPhone, the Sony eReader and the Amazon Kindle in vying for the eyes of readers worldwide. Read more about: An all-consuming interest in mobile content

By Marty Carroll

This month’s newsletter combines November and December. In this last newsletter of 2009 we reflect on a difficult but eventful business year.

We saw customer experience play a critical role for many organisations strengthening their digital presence and cross-channel offering in order to provide the best possible levels of service for existing and new customers alike.

Looking back at 2009, Paul assesses how predictable the current landscape was at the outset, and then looks positively towards a tricky but exciting 2010. Meanwhile Amanda shares her insights from a conference on mobile, for those more concerned about sweating the small-screen stuff, and Lis takes a look down both sides of the narrowing divide between mobility and accessibility. Also, I look at the non-rational consumer, a lucrative segment.

Finally, Clare has been analysing our research into online retail habits ahead of the festive shopping season. If you would like a copy of the whitepaper as soon as it’s released, please e-mail info@foviance.com

I hope you have enjoyed your regular newsletters throughout the year. I’d also be very happy to hear from you directly with any feedback.

Marty.

In this issue:

• Looking back on 2009 and forward to 2010
• Researching the mobile experience
• The fine line between mobility and accessibility
• Tapping a lucrative segment: the non-rational consumer

If there is one word that sums up the year we have just been through it would be ‘unpredictable’. I have heard it said again and again in every area of our customers’ and our own business.

A year ago, when I put together my round up of the year for the 2008 year end newsletter, the recession was really gaining momentum on the back of the credit crunch and we already faced a very difficult outlook. In 2009 with the recession in full-swing, business was in constant flux – one day there would be no projects underway the next there would be a half a dozen urgent propositions. Like every agency and consultancy in our industry, we had to become masters at expecting the unexpected and delivering great experiences for our clients. Read more about: Looking back on 2009 and forward to 2010

As the mobile customer experience specialist here at Foviance, I take every opportunity to attend professional events that are dedicated to the smaller screen.In November I went along to the mobileSQUARED Roadshow in central London, which showcased strategies and case studies to guide businesses wanting to embrace the mobile web. With over four billion handsets in use around the world and approaching one billion owners connecting to the internet using those phones, the business opportunities in this sector are immense and will grow significantly over the next decade. Read more about: Researching the mobile experience

A recent discussion about the nature of mobile applications got me thinking about the many overlaps between accessibility web design and content designed specifically for mobile phone users.

It’s not a huge leap of imagination – after all it’s inevitable that there will be some similarities between the barriers faced by individuals who are differently abled and individuals attempting to enable online services with different platforms and appliances. Wouldn’t it make sense to apply some of the knowledge and skills learnt in making web access more accessible to improving the mobile web experience? Read more about: The fine line between mobility and accessibility

By Marty Carroll

Economics has not fared well in the current financial crisis. Economists placed too much of an emphasis on people’s likelihood to act rationally when making decisions. People do not always act in their own self interest and this is largely a consequence of biases that affect our ability to make decisions.

Economists and psychologists have been exploring our perceptual biases since the 70’s, but these biases have come to assume a new prominence in the most recent crisis because of the writings of behavioural economists such as Richard Thaler, Dan Ariely and Robert Shiller. Read more about: Tapping a lucrative segment: the non-rational consumer

By Marty Carroll

In this latest issue we take a look at the continuing transition of customer experience analysis and consultancy, from valuable but finite one-off projects, to complete end-to-end strategies that should be considered a key part of any modern business’s overall digital operations.

I kick off proceedings by explaining the imperative for companies of all sizes to begin embedding customer experience thinking across their business culture and to spread awareness of the growing power of the collective consumer voice. Billie picks up these reins and looks in more depth at customer experience in the ever expanding world of social media. Clare questions whether businesses are already beginning to focus experience strategies on their highest value customers. And Sean explains how targeted customer experience investment can be more than justified by taking a fresh approach to calculating ROI. Finally the second part of Paul’s interview with Ashley Friedlein of Econsultancy is available for download on Customer Experience.

As ever, if you’ve got any queries or would like to chat about how we can help you to align your customer experience and brand, I’d also be very happy to hear from you.

Marty.

In this issue:

• The need for customer experience strategy
• Social media strategy starting points
• Focusing customer experience strategy
• The ROI of customer experience
• Econsultancy CEO interview