On Wednesday, May 23rd, we gathered for a Tweet Jam to discuss the business case for mobile, among other things. From our tablet devices, smartphone and mobile apps, we came together to better understand what goes into creating a great mobile experience. Should you develop a mobile app or optimize a mobile site? What metrics should you track? Most importantly, what drives us crazy about the current mobile experience?

A Focus on the Functional Mobile Experience

Something we learned from this experience: we'll never call it "mobile first" again, that's for sure! But more importantly, we were able to bring the user experience to the forefront, not from a design standpoint (though that is still important), but rather from a functional, transactional standpoint. Additionally, no matter where you want to be it's still all about the people, the process and technology.

[View the story "CMSWire's May Tweet Jam: Creating Great Mobile Experiences #CXMChat" on Storify]

CMSWire's May Tweet Jam: Creating Great Mobile Experiences #CXMChat

On Wednesday, May 23 at 1 p.m. EST, our panelists shared their insights about the mobile customer experience and how mobile is affecting organizations today. What follows is a summary of that conversation.

Storified by CMSWire.com · Thu, May 24 2012 09:15:52

Question 1. What is the business case for mobile?

Q1 Assess audience needs quickly, address 70% with unified WEM solution incl optimization, address the rest iteratively #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q1: The business case seems to speak for itself - device trends (smart device vs pc) #cxmchatDan Lewis

Q1 It won’t be long before the majority of online customers are mobile. If you don’t have a mobile strategy, it’s already too late #CXMChatCoreMedia

A1 users are demanding mobile access, trick is apps that are as good or better than the browser #cxmchatDaniel O'Leary

@cmswire Q1 Mobile devices are already outselling PC's. By 2014 most Internet traffic will be mobile. #cxmchatGabe Sumner

Q1-Depends on purpose: some applications emerging quickly due to customer/user demand #CXMChatJulie Hunt

Q1 Mobile is a channel of a multi-channel strategy, moreso than it's own strategy. A powerful one, but not on it's own. #CXMChatNate Barad

Q1: Not sure a business case is required for mobile. Yet challenges I often hear is managed devices and an overall integrated UX. #CXMChatRich Blank

Q1 - Customers seeing strong conversion, especially B2C. They are starting small, but after seeing the numbers investing more. #CXMChatDavid Hillis

Q1 - In India, mobile penetration is much higher than any other computing device. that's a strong business case. #cxmchatapoorv durga

Absolutely! RT @kimberlymccabe: Q1 Context is becoming critical to engaging. #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q1 - for a lot of people, mobile is their first, and usually the only way to access web. #cxmchat #indiaapoorv durga

Important point! @deb_lavoy mobile is an oppty to serve immediate and contextual needs #cxmchatCMSWire.com

mobile is more than another channel - it is another interface for business #CXMChatdlavenda

Mobile message must be consistent with other channels. 27.8B more mobile searches than desktop in next 5 years (Kelsey) #CXMChatNate Barad

Q1 Mobile access serve not only enterprise but also users needs #CXMChatOpenText Iberia

Q1-beyond mktg, uses such as BI/Analytics on uptick due to exec/mgr use of mobile devices to consume intell 4 real-time deicisions #CXMChatJulie Hunt

mobile access must be the same as in the office in order to be really useful #CXMChatdlavenda

mobile can be fundamental to the value prop - depending on biz, market, geography. q1 #cxmchatdeb louison lavoy

Q1 - We surveyed our customers. 90% see mobile as critical and have or are working on a mobile solution. #cxmchatDavid Hillis

The device owner carries you in their pocket, predict their next need (Forrester) - excellent business case. #CXMChatNate Barad

Q1 Our (and other analysts’) views on mobile usage suggest that the mobile e-commerce will approach $25B by 2014. #CXMchatTony White

Q1 imho, there's no need to build a business case for mobile. Its given. Its your cost of doing business. :) #cxmchatapoorv durga

Consensus: Device trends, customer demands and necessity are more than enough to make the business case for mobile. Don't take our word for it, though -- look at where your customers are and then be there.

Question 2: How does a mobile first strategy change your overall approach to CXM?

Q2 Mobile First starts with creative assets that are created for flexible usage #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q2 Regardless of whether you put it first or last – you can’t quarantine the mobile experience and treat is as an ancillary channel #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q2-#CXP is all about best use of any channel, the way cust wants to use it incl #Mobile - Strategy must orchestrate channels #CXMChatJulie Hunt

Q2 We need to extend the concept of mobile first to embrace a strategy based on true responsive Web design principles #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q2 On First contact, communicate your value and their action. All Signal, no room for noise. #CXMChatNate Barad

Q2. It’s a top level channel that cannot be under estimated. Don’t assume it’s just like any other channel. #cxmchatRobert McCarthy

Q2 One of our clients ($20B revenue) just chose one CXM vendor finalist over the other, citing lack of mobile functionality. #CXMchatTony White

The CMS stops being the website and starts being A digital hub for managing and channeling content. That has always been our view. #cxmchatDavid Hillis

UX for mobile and desktop must be the same to be really engaging - changing behavior is really tough #CXMChatdlavenda

@cmswire Q2 "Mobile first" is a bad mindset. We need to embrace progressive enhancement techniques that target all scenarios. #cxmchatGabe Sumner

Q2 Mobile lets you interact with visitors across more stages in the customer lifecycle = more opportunity to build relationships #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q2 It forces a strong Information Architecture in order to support and a CMS that doesnt "get in the way" of mobility #cxmchatDan Lewis

I a gree. RT @gabesumner: @cmswire Q2 "Mobile first" is a bad mindset. #cxmchatCoreMedia

Agree! RT @juliehunt Q2-#CXP is all about best use of any channel, the way cust wants to use it incl #Mobile #CXMChatOpenText Iberia

Q2 should it be mobile first or adapting the CXM to design for multi-device? #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

problem is - disparate platforms like iOS and Windows make a uniform UX tough - they don't integrate well #CXMChatdlavenda

Q2 - Lots of practical concern. Flash, iFrames, and Tables need to go. #cxmchatDavid Hillis

Q2: mobile first might not be the right framework. what can i do for you in your pocket where you are? how is that diff from web #cxmchatdeb louison lavoy

Q2 Mobile first is too simplistic and implies that all mobile devices are the same #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q2: #CXMChat A mobile first strat = supporting multiple devices/os. Expensive & painful tosupport. Mobile strategy impacts development.Rich Blank

Q2-best use of #Mobile depends on excellent segmentation/knowledge of cust use of Mobile for different purposes,best-fit 4 devices #CXMChatJulie Hunt

@deb_lavoy I absolutely agree. We need to be more focused on delivering what the visitor needs NOW. #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

Q2 orgs need to take a hard look at what their content priorities are when accessing if they should go with a mobile first approach #cxmchatChris Graham

Q2 What's the difference between what a mobile can offer you vs a pc #CXMChatOpenText Iberia

Q2: #cxmchat mobile 1st strategy makes u think more about "how do we monetize smaller screen real estate" with more limited bandwidth.Rich Blank

Q2 - Many orgs have too large a web investment to go mobile first. We talk about Web Layers - Layers of desktop, mobile, tablet UX #CXMChatDavid Hillis

So it's not about putting mobile before desktop, but optimizing mobile to deliver for transaction goals.. #cxmchatCMSWire.com

purpose and context should guide RT @cmswire: not putting mobile before desktop, but optimizing mobile to deliver 4 trsxn goals.. #cxmchatdeb louison lavoy

Q2 in my view, mobile first just means "treat mobile users with the respect they deserve". & not necessarily that its more imp.. #cxmchatapoorv durga

Q2- Meeting cust needs/expectations via #Mobile channels-also realizing that cust's interact on other channels >seamless experience #CXMChatJulie Hunt

Consensus: It's not about putting mobile first, it's about making it useful to the user. The concept of layers is interesting. So maybe it's about putting the customer experience first and optimizing all the layers (web, mobile, phone, email) accordingly.

Question 3: Mobile site v. Mobile app?

You knew this was coming. We had to ask and we got an earful.

Q3 Customers now see the full picture what it takes to maintain a great multi platform experience #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q3 Both are part of a smart, multi-tier mobile strategy – the challenge is implementing both while maintaining a unified experience #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q3 App v Mobile Site: focus on delivering right content. No apps just for sake of sexy functionality. #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

@cmswire Q3 Use an app if you're making a game. Otherwise, use a mobile site. :) #cxmchatGabe Sumner

Q3. Mobile site, desktop apps where appropriate, have been replaced with web apps. Mobile will go the same way. #cxmchatRobert McCarthy

Q3 Mobile sites make sense when data needs to be constantly updated – apps are better when regular offline use is required #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q3 Apps are not going away anytime soon. How many of you are using twitter's web app for this #cxmchat?apoorv durga

Q3 Nothing matches agreat App. If audience, price, maintenance cost and update speed are in line, go for it #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q3: Mobile web, hybrid wrappers for distribution if needed, responsive design when appropriate #cxmchatDan Lewis

Q3 However, as mobile sites look more like apps and provide the ability to work offline – the distinction between them will fade #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q3- mobile app vs mobile site? May need both for flexible presence, service for custs - w/ both may come innovation, new directions #CXMChatJulie Hunt

Q3 Opting to develop a mobile app is common when site/app visits are task-driven … flight check-in, tracking packages, e.g. #CXMchatTony White

Q3 - there are mobile apps, & Mobile Apps: bunch are 'toys' - others are purposeful offerings for biz, some 'hybrids' #CXMChatJulie Hunt

Consensus: A hybrid approach is preferred, but never a bad thing to have a functional mobile site.

Question 3 -- continued. How does responsive design impact your thinking?

@cmswire Q3 purpose and context. is it transactional/interactive val or info retreival based? #cxmchatdeb louison lavoy

Q3 Better to enhance a basic Web layout for specific mobile devices than to use RWD to dumb down a complicated one. #CXMchatTony White

Q3 - Responsive is a design consideration. It has benefits, also has a lot of flaws. Conforming 90% of your UX to support 10% #CXMChatDavid Hillis

Q3 Start witth a response Web app, then you can select specific platforms or devices that require specialized development #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q3 Site vs. App. Ask your audience, learn how they want to interact. #CXMChatNate Barad

Q3 - It comes down to inbound marketing. Email, search and social are already wired for the web domain. Need to leverage. #cxmchatDavid Hillis

Q3 Be careful what you expect CSS Media queries to do! #CXMchat.Tony White

Q3. Responsive design important but too crude, response can’t kick in until all the desktop content has been sent to the device. #cxmchatRobert McCarthy

Q3 Responsive design is an excellent approach, for many sites, not all. Not as critical as User Centered Design. #CXMChatNate Barad

Q3 - The real indicator is offline perfmance. Apps are fast. I would not write a game in HTML5, but it is perfect for websites #cxmchatDavid Hillis

Q3 Why Hybrid Instead of Native - HTML5 is better implemented on mobile browsers than HTML / CSS were on desktop browsers #cxmchatChris Graham

Apps pose another issue: for which device(s)? It's very specific v. deploying content that can adapt to device/location #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

Q3 - also as I think @gabsumner said - why do you ask me download your app from your mobile site? i just want the site #cxmchatDan Lewis

A good argument for a response approach.RT @kimberlymccabe: Apps pose another issue: for which device(s)? #CXMChatCoreMedia

Consensus: Responsive design is tricky and still evolving. Make sure it meets your goals and provides an optimized (not cumbersome) experience.

What your marketing department heard:

(q3 blah blah blah just make it work, says the marketer :-)) #cxmchatdeb louison lavoy

Question 4: What mobile metrics are changing your thinking about the channel?

Stats helped us make the business case for mobile. When it comes to metrics, participants shared additional stats to help us better understand the outcomes we need to keep an eye out for.

Q4 The most critical metrics are those that relate to behavior – what do people do on mobile that they don’t do on a fixed platform #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q4 Adoption speed. #SBB (swiss rail) saw 40% increase in mobile traffic (June2011-Mar2012), while desktop traffic is flat #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q4. Behavior difference when compared to desktop. The device is used very differently. #cxmchatRobert McCarthy

Q4 More consumers are using multiple devices simultaneously – this says that each fulfills a different part of a broader experience #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q4 - HTML5 capable device sales (1bil by 2013 - IDC), LTE deployments, Mobile traffic, Platform trends (25% Win by 2015?!) #cxmchatDan Lewis

Q4 Social growth - mobile and social are evolving in tandem – increasingly you can’t address one without the other #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q4 India has the world's 2nd largest mobile users (919 mn) source:wikipedia. that's more than total population of some continents #cxmchatapoorv durga

Q4 65% of mobile users stated they used their device to locate a business for an in-store purchase (GOOG) #CXMChatNate Barad

Q4 I think agile approaches and quick iterative processes are key to deal with speed of change in #mobile. #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q4: #cxmchat ugh. metrics. mobile requires meaning & human behavior. perhaps sentiment analysis can help us think about mobile UX.Rich Blank

Q4 #cxmchat LukeW's Mobile First stat: mobile web growth has outpaced desktop by 8x and mobile data traffic should grow 26x over next 5 yrsChris Graham

Q4 Let's make it a mix between behaviour (what info you want in your device) and speed of adoption #CXMChatOpenText Iberia

Q4 - We start every mobile project with analytics. We have also always seen a build it and they will come effect post launch - #cxmchatDavid Hillis

Q4-to derive value from any metrics, must map into overall strategies, desired biz outcomes, goals/objectives #CXMChatJulie Hunt

Q4 #cxmchat additionally home usage of PCs is down 20% since 2008Chris Graham

Q4 50% in-store mobile users looking for other stores to visit, not looking to buy online (int'l advertising bureau) #CXMChatNate Barad

Q4 Mobile search will generate 27.8 billion more queries than desktop search by 2016 (Source: BIA/Kelsey report, 2012) #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

@cmswire Q4 - Mobile users expect the site/device to automatically discover their intent through very limited interactions. #cxmchatGabe Sumner

It seems that metrics for mobile are only as good as your strategy, customer behavior and the service you're providing! #cxmchatCMSWire.com

Q4 Think about how many large purchases are mobile-influenced, even if they aren’t made online or via mobile. It’s a huge number. #CXMchatTony White

Q4 Quick example: how many of you have done a Google Shopping price check while pondering a purchase in a retail store? #CXMchatTony White

@arslogica Q4 < raises hand > #CXMChatbillycripe

All the time. RT @arslogica: Q4 How many of you have done a Google Shopping price check in a retail store? #CXMchatCoreMedia

Q4 10% more people who use a mobile app than don't have purchased in-store within the last week. #CXMChatNate Barad

Of 53% of consumers who stopped in-store purchase while using mobile phone-30% b/c they found better price online (IAB 2012) #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

Consensus: It's all about customer behavior and the transactional goals available to them. Once you figure out what they are -- measure it!

Question 5: What's the biggest gap you in the mobile experience market today?

Q5 You need to get away from “mobile projects“ towards “mobile processes“ #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

@cmswire Q5 we still have yet to perfect that online/offline thing. QRcodes underperforming so far #cxmchatdeb louison lavoy

Q5. Deep integration, many mobile sites are too shallow. #cxmchatRobert McCarthy

Q5 Big Gap = In store adoption. Folks have struggled for one to compliment the other #CXMChatNate Barad

Q5 Too many still see mobile as an afterthought. #MobileFirst #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q5 Reliable monetization – Facebook bought Instagram in part because they thought they could help solve this challenge #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q5 Big gap: cross-channel coordination. #CXMchatTony White

Q5 Stop making me try to adapt. Adapt to me. I want to spend so stop throwing pinching and scrolling hurdles! #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

Q5 Apps that link the mobile experience with the physical environment that surrounds us – apps that respond to real world context #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q5 - Portals and personalization are also lagging on mobile devices #cxmchatDavid Hillis

Q5-Same gap for all channels: understanding behavior, needs, desires of target customers; real segmentation of target customers #CXMChatJulie Hunt

Q5 Too many companies still treat mobile as a sub-set of the desktop site when it needs to be at the heart of the CXM strategy #CXMChatCoreMedia

Q5 Bigger gap: app design that’s inconsistent with the look-and-feel of device OS. #CXMchatTony White

Q5 @natebarad yes! I'm in store. I don't want to navigate a desktop experience. Help me find what I want that's where I am! #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

Q5 Biggest gap - Tablets and proper reusable content... Very few getting it right #cxmchatDan Lewis

Consensus: In store adoption, monetization, strategic content, cross-channel coordination, and personalization are among participants' biggest pet peeves when it comes to current mobile experiences.

Bonus: Is there anyone who you think is offering a great mobile experience already?

@cmswire united isn't bad (yeah, surprise) and sbux is getting there #cxmchatdeb louison lavoy

@cmswire ESPN - esp on iPad - their mobile web gamecast feature takes into account orientation and everything! #cxmchatDan Lewis

SBB.ch does a good job in quick iterations to improve mobile experience #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Q5 Nothing comes to mind. The market in general is lagging behind mobile web expectations. #CXMChatKimberly McCabe

Phonak is also using a great iPad App mobile experience for their field sales easing sales process for hearing aids #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

Final Thoughts?

Mobile is changing so quickly, make sure your processes and projects are at least at the same speeed #CXMChatGunnar Klauberg

If you still think of mobile an a secondary channel, then you have already lost #CXMChatCoreMedia

#cxmchat Orgs should consider content priority and implications on experience and brand across all devices and offer graceful degradationChris Graham

Final: best part of mobile the focus on Signal v Noise. Communicate your value to the visitor immediately,Great exercise for all #CXMChatNate Barad

#CXMChat mobile must stay agile. Don't forget the 50% of world that is still primarily engaged via SMS & Email. Baby & Bathwater & all...billycripe

Has Our Thinking Changed that Much?

In July of 2011 we held our first CXMChat Tweet Jam focused on the mobile experience. We asked many of the same questions. The answers? Well the more things change, the more some things stay the same. Read the summary of that tweet jam and decide for yourself.

Tweet Jam Summary: Managing the Mobile Experience #CXMChatCMSWire hosted a Customer Experience Management tweet jam this past Wednesday, joined by a great line-up of industry experts. Our attenti...

Thanks to everyone who participated! We look forward to seeing you at our next Tweet Jam in June.