In the past, “mobile first” was just a design approach – design your websites and applications for mobile devices (and users) first, then adapt them for laptops and desktops. At the time, smartphones were poised to overtake desktops and laptops as the Internet-enabled device of choice. Mobile first design made sense…and still does.
But, what if we took the mobile first strategy and applied it to our entire business. What if we thought of our companies first as technology companies, and second as the product or service we provide?
That is exactly what is happening at some of the most innovative companies in the world.
Mobile first is now much more than a recommended design principle, it’s an entire business strategy.
So, What is a Mobile First Company?
A mobile first company asks how they would provide their product or service in a country where 77% of people (customers, employees) own a smartphone. Rather than doing business like their industry has for decades, they look at their products, services, operations and entire customer and employee experiences, with a lens for today.
Instead of making their mobile users an afterthought, mobile first companies put them at the forefront of their strategy. Click To TweetBenefits of a Mobile First Strategy
The benefits and outcomes of taking a mobile first approach to your company are enormous:
- Create a USP that differentiates you in the market, competitive advantage
- Create an industry-leading customer experience
- Reduce overhead
- Leverage Big Data and customer insights
- Create new sources of revenue with expanded products or services
- Increase productivity and reduce manual errors
- Go paperless, move your data to the cloud
You’re probably already familiar with some well-known mobile first companies. Lyft and Rocket Mortgage were mobile first from their inception. Others like Domino’s Pizza have been around longer, but are transforming their products and operations to meet the demands of today’s mobile-savvy consumers.
To those companies in industries that have been around for decades: How can you re-imagine your business and break away from processes that were set in place long before smartphones existed? Your customers are ready, are you?
Mobile First Companies Ask: How can we take what we do and re-imagine it as an experience you have with a mobile app? Click To Tweet
