WebProNews

Tag: GoMo

  • Google Launches Mobile Playbook

    Google Launches Mobile Playbook

    With mobile internet usage skyrocketing, Google’s Mobile Ads Blog just Google+Mobile+Ads+Blog%29″ target=”_blank”>announced a new resource called The Mobile Playbook, a tool to help companies and advertisers figure out where to begin regarding a mobile campaign. Google’s guide brings 5 questions into light:

    How does mobile change our value proposition?
    How does mobile impact our digital destinations?
    Is our organization adapting to mobile?
    How should our marketing adapt to mobile?
    How can we connect with our tablet audience?

    The playbook was built in HTML5 and was initially optimized for tablet viewing, and Google urges users to test it out on this platform first. Though of course, the site can be viewed on a desktop or smartphone as well.

    google mobile playbook

    The comprehensive guide can also be downloaded as a .pdf to be read offline.

    Jason Spero, Head of Global Mobile Sales and Strategy, states, “Mobile represents a sociological shift with how users relate with both the digital and physical world. The companies that understand that all businesses are becoming mobile businesses will be primed to succeed today and in the years to come.”

    The launch of The Mobile Playbook compliments Google’s recent promotion of free Gomo sites, along with the offer of a tool which automatically optimizes existing websites for mobile – though it’s not clear if the GoMo converter would even work on the Flash content in Google’s own playbook.

  • Google Offering Free GoMo Sites

    Mobile internet usage doubled in the last year, and it has been recently reported that mobile news content has now surpassed desktop content. A recent study by Limelight networks has shown that up to 80% of customers that visit a mobile site that offers a bad user experience move on and don’t return, and Google is helping small businesses to optimize online storefronts for mobile by offering free websites via its GoMo page.

    Google’s GoMo and DudaMobile have joined together to better streamline desktop sites to be more mobile-friendly, by offering various templates, which can be customized. All a small-business owner has to do is enter their URL, and begin:

    google gomo

    The GoMo-DudaMobile site converts the content into a more mobile-friendly version in 5 steps, to where mobile maps, Google AdSense, and click-to-call features can be added, all free for a year. Also, users who sign up for the GoMo-DudaMobile service can import their existing Google Analytics trackers via site settings. Google’s promotion includes:

    • Professional templates and free hosting
    • 1 year Premium Service for FREE* (value of $108)
    • No need to submit payment details – No strings attached.
    • Unlimited Email & Phone Support

    Developers of DudaMobile point out that their platform is best for converting simple sites, and those featuring a lot of e-commerce and Flash content should contact the contact the agency that built their site, or use GoMo’s own website developer directory.

  • What is Google’s GoMo?

    What is Google’s GoMo?

    Even as the backlash about the Google Reader redesign is picking up steam, something Google seems willing to ignore in favor of its “Google-Plus-ification” of all their products, the company isn’t resting on its laurels of at least trying to develop new products and services.

    Such is the case of GoMo, a new service that helps site owners make their web property more mobile friendly. Found under the HowToGoMo.com URL, the site/service explains the reason for its existence, which essentially revolves around making a site more mobile-visitor-friendly. The site’s disclaimer states as much:

    Millions more people are using mobile devices to get online every day. Does your business have a mobile-friendly site? If not—or if you’re not sure—you’ve come to the right place to get started.

    From there, users can learn more about the mobile web, test to see how their site looks in a mobile browser environment, and get help on improving a site’s mobile usability.

    In fact, GoMo has a list of suggestions of web development companies that can assist in the mobilization process, which includes such companies like Atmio, Duda Mobile and iLoop Mobile to name a few. In fact, it could easily be said this portion of GoMo is nothing but an advertising page for companies that develop and convert sites to the mobile environment.

    It should be noted that GoMo does not actually build these versions for users, instead they suggest companies that will do the heavy lifting for you. If, however, you are looking for a free conversion, Google does link to their “Mobilize your business” service, which assists in the development for mobile landing pages at no cost. However, if you want a full conversion to the mobile environment, that’s not going to be free, at least if you’re using GoMo as your starting point.

    As for Google’s motivation behind GoMo, they have another disclaimer explaining their approach:

    Just because you can see your desktop site on a mobile phone doesn’t mean it’s mobile-friendly. Mobile sites are designed for the small screen, with the needs of mobile users in mind. A mobile-friendly site can help your business connect with customers and drive conversions.

    Perhaps the most useful aspect of GoMo is the “Test Your Site” feature, which, like the description suggests, tests a site to see how it looks and performs in a mobile browsing environment.

    Once a URL is entered, the service returns with a report generated by Google’s “GoMoMeter,” which is about as fun as it sounds. Over at the Google Mobile Ads blog, there’s a video promoting GoMo:


    While it seems like such a service is aimed directly at the new web owners/users of the world, for those of you who have been procrastinating the mobilization of your site, GoMo is a good place to start.