Mobile Mandate
One of the most popular tradeshow questions has involved the search of a magic translator to convert HTML to text – the underlying hope is to improve rendering on mobile devices. Unfortunately there’s no current witchcraft to make the translation possible… and the applications that attempt, seem to leave much to be desired.
Since there is no quick fix, the only approach is through the application of best practices – yeah it’s the hard way, but it greatly reduces the surprise factor. Here are a few pointers:
Notepad not PowerPoint – One of the most common mistakes is that you’re in a world without images; in simplest terms you’re now presenting to an audience who cannot see the graphics-heavy PowerPoint you worked so hard on. This includes logos, tag lines, product shots etc. etc. So be clear, convey in words who you are and what you’re offering.
Break it Up – In addition to being word bound, you’re space bound. The best copy and offer can be lost if you’re sending huge blocks of text. Keep it short; lines should only be around 30 characters for mobile devices, paragraphs should have spaces between them and each paragraph should include only a couple sentences. Following this formula reduces funky line/ word breaks, keeps your message from being one huge pile of characters and makes it easier for the reader – remember, they could be walking (or driving) while reading.
Pyramid Scheme – As a journalism major, I’ve heard the theory of the inverted pyramid one too many times. Think of your daily newspaper – the most important items are at the top of the story, as the piece continues the less important items fall into place. This format helps you organize and helps the reader; because most of us lose attention somewhere in the middle… the inverted pyramid keeps the most important points at the top so everyone gets the chance to see them.
The Missing Link – Current crack-berry addicts know that messages render links in a different font, with broken spots scattered among the occasional word; keeping links to a minimum will help your reader understand the message. The corresponding links should be included at the bottom of the message; this way the recipient can click through from their PC – the reality of someone actually visiting your site from their mobile device is slim… remember you’re dealing with a recipient with limited time and bandwidth.
These are just a few pointers that apply to the process of creating a separate text-based offer, standard practices still apply – you must test, preferably on your phone or a mobile rendering format. You should also consider construction, hopefully you’re not slapping together your current HTML messages – your text version shouldn’t fall into that category just because it isn’t as “pretty.” Remember that you’re standing out in the mind of the mobile recipient.
Check other posts on the subject, we’re penned a few others on the topic – Good ‘ol Text and Email on the Go.
