responsive web design, native mobile websites and mobile apps using wordpress
DESCRIPTION
Increasingly, Internet users globally are using mobile devices as the default mode of going online. In this respect, web sites and blogs need to take into consideration that the web is more often than not mobile and there is a raging debate on how to best tackle this approach using responsive web design, native mobile web sites and mobile apps. This presentation looks at how users of WordPress can take advantage of all of these approaches to reach mobile users effectively and efficiently on a global basis.TRANSCRIPT
Responsive Web Design, Na1ve Mobile Web Sites and Mobile Apps Using WordPress Moses Kemibaro WordCamp Kenya Maanzoni 2012
A li8le but about me… • Award winning TechBlogger @ MosesKemibaro.com
• UnEl recently Sales Director for Africa at InMobi, a leading global mobile ad network
• Founding Regional Manager at Dealfish East Africa (Now OLX Kenya) for online classifieds
• Founder at Dotsavvy, a leading digital agency in Kenya established 10 years ago
Africa, and Kenya are Mobile!
• Over 90% of all phones in Africa are mobile. • At the end of 2011, Africa had 650 mobile subscribers. At the end of 2012, this number will rise to 735 million
• Kenya now has approximately 30 million mobile subscribers – 75% mobile penetraEon
• Mobile accounts for over 98% of ALL Internet subscripEons in Kenya.
• East Africa has approximately 70 million mobile subscribers
Sources: GSMA and the Communications Commission of Kenya
Demographic Profile
GENDER
AGE
18% 45% 25% 12%
15-‐19 20-‐24 25-‐34 35 and above
Source: Decision Fuel and InMobi research; sample n = 1,047
59% 41% *Sample weighted to underlying mobile populaEon
CITY TIER
34% 25% 11% 30%
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 1: Nairobi Tier 2: Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri
Tier 3: Other City or Town Tier 4: A Small Town or Rural Area
111
86
88
39
37
6 HOURS OF MEDIA PER DAY
THE AVERAGE MOBILE WEB USER IN KENYA CONSUMES
Using mobile (ex SMS/calls) Nigeria:
- 113 mins South Africa:
- 113 mins
Watching TV Nigeria:
- 73 mins South Africa
- 110 mins
Listening to Radio Nigeria
- 52 mins South Africa
- 75 mins
Online via desktop/laptop Nigeria
- 50 mins South Africa
- 43 mins
Reading Magazines /Newspapers Nigeria
- 40 mins South Africa
- 40 mins
Source: Decision Fuel and InMobi research; sample n = 1,047
77%
Mostly via desktop Evenly split between
both Mostly via mobile
77% use mobiles as either their primary or exclusive means of going online
‘How do you typically go online to surf the web?’
Only via mobile
2% 21% 49% 28%
SOUTH AFRICA: 72%
NIGERIA: 67%
KENYA: 77%
Source: Decision Fuel and InMobi research; sample n = 1,047
“I can use it privately”
24%
“It’s easy to use”
34%
34%
24% 29%
23%
4%
It's easy to use
I can use it privately
It's always there
Saves money Boredom
Source: Decision Fuel and InMobi research; sample n = 1,047
For mobile users in Kenya, mobile web time is “found” time: it’s usually an incremental media experience
19% While watching TV
Lying in bed KE: 61% ZA: 63% NG: 70%
17% Waiting for something
14% Commuting
19% Spending time with family
4% Shopping
3% In the bathroom
10% social event
5% in a meeting or class
WHERE?
Source: Decision Fuel and InMobi research; sample n = 1,047
7% Shopping 18% Local Search
12% E-‐mail
13% Games
17% General Info (Search, Sports,
News etc.)
19% Entertainment (music, videos etc.)
25% Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twi8er etc.)
WHAT:
Source: Decision Fuel and InMobi research; sample n = 1,047
6%
8%
13%
15%
26%
26%
26%
28%
52%
Virtual experience / augmented reality
Shopping
Search for local informaEon and
Bill payments
Mobile banking
Entertainment
Search for general informaEon
Send and Receive E-‐mail
Social Media
In Kenya, growth in mobile use in the next year is likely to come from social media, followed by general search, e-mail and entertainment
GROWTH
WHAT NEXT:
7% Shopping 18% Local Search
12% E-‐mail
13% Games
17% General Info (Search, Sports,
News etc.)
19% Entertainment (music, videos etc.)
25% Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twi8er etc.)
Source: Decision Fuel and InMobi research; sample n = 1,047
MosesKemibaro.com – Unique Visitors
MosesKemibaro.com -‐ LocaEons
MosesKemibaro.com -‐ Browsers
MosesKemibaro.com – Mobile OS
MosesKemibaro.com – Mobile Devices
What are the numbers telling us? • As a blogger or business, you need to focus on mobile if you are to have a significant reach in Africa, and beyond
• However, the caveat is that “mobile” broadly defines a massive range of mobile devices spanning everything from laptops, tablets, smartphones and feature phones
• The truth is that its really hard to be truly compaEble across all of these mobile devices
brands
The reality is that over 90% of mobile internet usage in Kenya is done over low-‐cost feature phones that typically have GPRS/EDGE speeds. The most popular mobile internet device from research is the Nokia 1680 Classic
The inexpensive Huawei IDEOS kicked off Kenya’s smartphone revoluEon 2 years ago as hundreds of thousands of units sold. Android is the fastest growing smartphone OS in Kenya. Smartphones are less than 10% of ALL mobile internet usage in Kenya
Kenya has become a global hotspot for mobile app developers on feature phones and smartphones. However, the reality is that Kenya is a very nascent mobile app market with reach being less than 5% of total mobile internet traffic.
Which way forward for WP mobile? • The reality is that when targeEng users in Kenya and/or Africa, naEve mobile web sites will give you the best reach across ALL devices.
• However, as inexpensive smartphones take off and data plans become more affordable, users want more sophisEcated engagement and therefore responsive web design and mobile apps are becoming important.
• How can you take advantage of ALL of these approaches using WordPress?
Responsive Web Design (RWD)
• The term “Responsive Web Design” (RWD) was first quoted by Ethan Marco8e
• RWD provides an opEmal web site experience -‐ easy reading and navigaEon with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling—across a wide range of devices (from desktop computers to mobile phones)
• RWD uses CSS3 media queries, fluid proporEon-‐based grids and flexible images
The “promise” of RWD
The “reality” of RWD • Its NOT the “end all be all” of web design for mobile. It’s a compromise of sorts.
• CSS3 Media queries mean it will NOT work on most feature phones. This is Africa!
• Images and elements can take forever to download on slow mobile internet connecEons. This is Africa!
• It CAN cost more and take longer to execute than a dedicated mobile web or desktop opEmized web site.
But, RWD is really easy on WordPress • Lots of free and paid WordPress Themes and Plugins support RWD
• Deployment in my experience can be done in a ma8er of minutes so its easy to do
• It can save you Eme and money to go this route depending on WHO your target market is (its not always just Africa where feature phones dominate – it can be global too)
• It just “works” right out of the box!
The “free” RWD CatchBox WP Theme
RWD WP Themes Galore!
NaEve Mobile Web on WordPress • In addiEon to RWD, and especially relevant in Africa, WP has dedicated mobile web themes that ensure a vast majority of feature phones and other mobile devices effecEvely access your web site.
• The main caveat to these sort of themes is that your web site tends to display in a fairly “dumbed down” manner on mobile devices without the rich funcEonality possible on RWD WP themes.
WordPress Mobile Pack
WP Mobile Pack is probably the most ideal mobile soluEon for WP in Africa given that most users are on feature phones. Its simple, easy to deploy and will work on most mobile devices including smartphones and tablets.
Mobile Apps on WordPress
• Although mobile apps are only sEll just taking off in Kenya and Africa, they are hugely popular in markets like North America, Europe and Asia. Therefore, it makes sense to reach these markets using mobile apps for your content on WP.
• WP has free and paid plugins that enable you to publish fully funcEonal mobile apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 8.
JoeMobi WordPress Plugin
Weever Apps WordPress Plugin
Nokia Xpress Web App Wizard
In Concluding… • Going mobile on WP is really not that complicated with a myriad of plugins, themes and approaches for responsive web design, naEve mobile web and mobile apps.
• However, the big quesEon is who is your target audience and how can you best reach them on mobile for the best results via WP.
• Its not “one size fits all” so use one or all of the mobile channels available to you via WP.
• Start off small and gradually expand across the board.
