JeffCroft.com: On the “mobile web” and contextual relevance

The so-called “Mobile Web” was a pretty hot topic at SXSW this past weekend, with at least two panels dedicated to it and mentions of it in several others. While I heard it mentioned a few times (primary by Cameron Moll), I was disappointed that no one really seemed to put much emphasis on the component of mobile applications that seems most important to me: contextual relevance.

At World Online, we have mobile version of all of our flagship sites. Wherever possible, we try to consider what people really want or need to do on their mobile devices, as opposed to simply miniaturizing the desktop version of the site. Putting the context (mobile devices) first in the design process helps you to provide real value to your mobile users.

Perhaps the best example of this is our mobile version of lawrence.com. lawrence.com is a sort-of online alt-weekly. It’s an “underground” publication in a college town that sports an incredible downtown area with a bustling music scene, a very active nightlife, great restaurants, and watering holes-a-plenty. Hell, Lawrence is a lot like Austin (but smaller). The full-featured desktop version of the site includes an extensive local band database, restaurant guide, party pictures from local bars, blogs from residents of Lawrence, movie reviews, movie listings for next week, feature stories, and a helluva lot more.

So what’s on the mobile site? Five things. Just five. We’ve parred it down to things we think people will really want to do on their cell phone or similar device, rather than simply reformatting all of our content. So what are the five things?

The first is “Drink Specials.” It lists the drink specials for today at all of Lawrence’s bars. It’s simple and it’s not especially pretty — but it’s relevant. If I’m stumbling down Mass. street at midnight trying to figure out how I can perpetuate my current state of drunkenness, it’s really useful. If you’re willing to dig a few clicks into the site, you can get all the extensive info from our bar and club database, but the upfront info has been editorially chosen as the most relevant stuff for a mobile device.

The second item is “Movie Listings.” Again, it shows movie showtimes for today in only local theaters. Yes, you can get listings for more theaters or other days, but what you see right away is what’s contextually relevant to the vast majority of mobile users.

The third item is “Today’s Events.” Much like the previous two, we focus on what’s going on today, rather than just linking you to our exhaustive database of events.

The fourth item is “Best Bets.” I use this all the time when I’m out on the town. It’s a short list (usually two or three events per day) of the biggest and best things going on in Lawrence. Downtown and want to know where the hottest band is playing? It’s probably in Best Bets.

The fifth item is the one that I especially think is a kick ass example of contextual relevance for mobile devices: “Restaurants Open Now.” Click it, and get the list of places in Lawrence where you can get grub right freaking now. Drunk at 2:30am and need a late night snack? Still up at 4:30am and need to know where you can get some french toast? Just hit a few buttons on your phone. mobile.lawrence.com tells you what’s open, and when it closes. Perfect.

None of this is special from a technological perspective. None of it is even hard to do. The only thing we’re doing at World Online that a lot of mobile sites aren’t is really thinking about what is useful on a phone and what isn’t. No one is going to read our feature stories or blogs on their phone. No one is going to look at large galleries of party pictures on their phone. But “restaurants open now?” Now that’s giving your users something of value.

Cameron Moll spoke to the concept of “mobilizing” a site instead of simply “miniaturizing” it in the Design Eye for the List Guy panel at SXSW. I think that’s exactly what we’ve done with mobile.lawrence.com. We didn’t just simply make it work on a cell phone, we made it for a cell phone.

Another great example of this is the in-game edition of mobile.kusports.com, which my esteemed co-worker Matt Croydon discussed over at his blog a month or so ago.

Comments

001 // Jacob Kaplan-Moss // 03.16.2006 // 4:35 PM

If I’m stumbling down Mass. street at midnight trying to figure out how I can perpetuate my current state of drunkenness, it’s really useful.

Now you know why Jeff really moved to Lawrence… it’s all about the public drunkenness…
002 // Jason Landry // 03.16.2006 // 6:25 PM

Thanks for the excellent example of a well thought out and useful mobile site. Although I live nowhere near Lawrence, I imagine I’ll be referencing it when I’m talking to clients.
003 // Matt Howell // 03.17.2006 // 12:31 AM

At the List Guy panel, I was scratching my head at first about why so much of it was being devoted to discussing the mobile web — but it was actually a great opportunity for Cameron to illustrate the concepts you’re talking about.

(Also made me wonder who would ever want to post a CL listing from their cell phone…)

I wonder if some sites ought to go totally barebones with their mobile versions — like, cut the whole site down to one page with contact info, a map, and simple driving directions.
004 // Keith // 03.20.2006 // 5:37 PM

This was a big part of our conversation for the Design Eye panel. We spent a whole lot of time talking about how people would use the data of craigslist in a mobile context. In fact, to me anyway, that was the most interesting part of the coversations.

You wouldn’t post a listing from a phone, but you might want to get directions to the next house, or add some notes to a personal listing page when doing a tour of an apartment or after a job interview…

As Matt (#3) talks about it was a bit strange to be talking about mobile, but I really, really pushed for that. #1 — it’s interesting to me. #2 — It’s a good way to cover something new. #3 — It’s very interesting to think about mobile context when it comes to the “client” here, craigslist.

I plan on learning and exploring mobile quite a bit more. Luckily I sit next to someone (Brian Fling) who knows a crapload.

Mobile is hotter than Croftie’s Flickr stream baby!
005 // Miguel Angel Friginal // 03.25.2006 // 11:57 AM

I find fascinating that, since the mobile version of lawrence is also accesible via a normal desktop browser, you can get a simplified, less busy and to the point experience even without a cell phone.

It would be interesting to get statistics of exactly how many people would use it while sitting in front of their computer, making it available through a link from the normal home page. I think if I was looking for a restaurant there right now, I would much prefer this list view than having to find my way around images and menus.

My point is that simplifying is always useful, and maybe should be available not only in mobile devices. After all context can change in the desktop too, not being the same browsing idly a Saturday morning and being in a rush.
006 // Jeff Croft // 03.25.2006 // 12:30 PM

Good points, Miguel!
007 // Steve Williams // 04.14.2006 // 6:09 AM

Glad I’m not the only one who thinks mobile content should be relevant to the circumstances in which it’s being accessed.
008 // Adam Bouskila // 05.12.2006 // 1:01 AM

Awesome, we need a lawrence.com for every city. Fantastic job on the rebirth of your site, Jeff.
009 // vanessa // 10.12.2006 // 11:08 AM

wow

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001 // Jacob Kaplan-Moss // 03.16.2006 // 4:35 PM

If I’m stumbling down Mass. street at midnight trying to figure out how I can perpetuate my current state of drunkenness, it’s really useful.

Now you know why Jeff really moved to Lawrence… it’s all about the public drunkenness…

002 // Jason Landry // 03.16.2006 // 6:25 PM

Thanks for the excellent example of a well thought out and useful mobile site. Although I live nowhere near Lawrence, I imagine I’ll be referencing it when I’m talking to clients.

003 // Matt Howell // 03.17.2006 // 12:31 AM

At the List Guy panel, I was scratching my head at first about why so much of it was being devoted to discussing the mobile web — but it was actually a great opportunity for Cameron to illustrate the concepts you’re talking about.

(Also made me wonder who would ever want to post a CL listing from their cell phone…)

I wonder if some sites ought to go totally barebones with their mobile versions — like, cut the whole site down to one page with contact info, a map, and simple driving directions.

004 // Keith // 03.20.2006 // 5:37 PM

This was a big part of our conversation for the Design Eye panel. We spent a whole lot of time talking about how people would use the data of craigslist in a mobile context. In fact, to me anyway, that was the most interesting part of the coversations.

You wouldn’t post a listing from a phone, but you might want to get directions to the next house, or add some notes to a personal listing page when doing a tour of an apartment or after a job interview…

As Matt (#3) talks about it was a bit strange to be talking about mobile, but I really, really pushed for that. #1 — it’s interesting to me. #2 — It’s a good way to cover something new. #3 — It’s very interesting to think about mobile context when it comes to the “client” here, craigslist.

I plan on learning and exploring mobile quite a bit more. Luckily I sit next to someone (Brian Fling) who knows a crapload.

Mobile is hotter than Croftie’s Flickr stream baby!

005 // Miguel Angel Friginal // 03.25.2006 // 11:57 AM

I find fascinating that, since the mobile version of lawrence is also accesible via a normal desktop browser, you can get a simplified, less busy and to the point experience even without a cell phone.

It would be interesting to get statistics of exactly how many people would use it while sitting in front of their computer, making it available through a link from the normal home page. I think if I was looking for a restaurant there right now, I would much prefer this list view than having to find my way around images and menus.

My point is that simplifying is always useful, and maybe should be available not only in mobile devices. After all context can change in the desktop too, not being the same browsing idly a Saturday morning and being in a rush.

006 // Jeff Croft // 03.25.2006 // 12:30 PM

Good points, Miguel!

007 // Steve Williams // 04.14.2006 // 6:09 AM

Glad I’m not the only one who thinks mobile content should be relevant to the circumstances in which it’s being accessed.

008 // Adam Bouskila // 05.12.2006 // 1:01 AM

Awesome, we need a lawrence.com for every city. Fantastic job on the rebirth of your site, Jeff.

009 // vanessa // 10.12.2006 // 11:08 AM

wow

JeffCroft.com

03.16.2006 // 9 Comments // News Center On the “mobile web” and contextual relevance

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001 // Jacob Kaplan-Moss // 03.16.2006 // 4:35 PM

002 // Jason Landry // 03.16.2006 // 6:25 PM

003 // Matt Howell // 03.17.2006 // 12:31 AM

004 // Keith // 03.20.2006 // 5:37 PM

005 // Miguel Angel Friginal // 03.25.2006 // 11:57 AM

006 // Jeff Croft // 03.25.2006 // 12:30 PM

007 // Steve Williams // 04.14.2006 // 6:09 AM

008 // Adam Bouskila // 05.12.2006 // 1:01 AM

009 // vanessa // 10.12.2006 // 11:08 AM

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