Tag Archives: mobile website

Farm Service Agency Mobile Website: Nice Try, But…

QR Code Hit or Miss

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A few weeks ago, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency went mobile, and it made pretty big news, surprisingly (at least here in Iowa):

“Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse said as more farmers and ranchers are using mobile devices and high-tech tools, so the government must keep up.” —KCCI

Good reasoning. Good strategy. So we took a look. This is what we found:

Clockwise from top left: 1) FSA's mobile landing page. 2) An article headline page. 3) Article text. 4) News release page.

This is not the best of mobile websites. It may be more readable than a desktop website on a mobile device, but it still has some less-than-ideal qualities. Here’s what we didn’t like:

  • Hyperlinks: The bright blue hurts our eyes! And the links aren’t very thumb-friendly. We’d suggest buttons or wide text blocks to direct users to the articles. Also, we’d like to see shorter headlines that fit better on mobile.
  • No navigation bar or buttons: How do we get around this site? The navigation is not immediately clear, making for a clunky mobile experience.
  • Images: The images seem too small across the top. And the lack of images (and design elements) throughout the site make it seem a bit dry and text-heavy.
  • Text: Again, it’s just too small. Text on a mobile phone should be about 16-point size to minimize eye strain and improve readability.
  • Reader: You see the “Reader” button in the URL bar for the article page? That’s a nice feature to improve readability. Click on it and you’ll go to a page that’s better-formatted for mobile, but there are still some vertical spacing issues that detract from the content.
  • Other issues: Inconsistency with the article format. On some stories, the text isn’t too small — it’s too big, forcing you to scroll left-to-right to read it. Tipping your phone doesn’t help, and you can’t pinch to make it smaller.
But there is a bright spot in this mobile experience. The “AskFSA” button on the home page takes you to a new window with a beautiful mobile landing page. The text is big, there’s plenty of white space and easy-to-read buttons. And the buttons load up content that’s perfectly sized for mobile — complete with big buttons at the bottom asking if you thought this answer was helpful. There’s also a large (semi-transparent) dropdown menu navigation bar that leads you to the homepage or to the contact page. Overall, the AskFSA page is easy on the eyes (and thumbs), so we approve.

 

Have you seen a good (or bad) example of a mobile website lately? We’d like to know! Leave a comment below to get in touch with us.

QR Codes Lead to Sales: Help Your Clients Use QR Codes Effectively

QR Code Hit or Miss

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torsion mobile qr code

Reportedly, half of smartphone users have scanned a QR code in their day. That’s a fairly predictable stat. But  what’s more impressive is how consumers use QR codes to make a purchase is impressive:

18 percent of QR-code shoppers make a purchase after scanning a QR code.

QR codes have been dismissed for a few years as that new technology that isn’t quite reaching its full audience potential yet. But that seems to be changing, as more people buy and use smartphones —and as QR codes have cropped up absolutely everywhere. (Although Mobile Commerce Daily reports that only 21 percent of smartphone owners know QR codes by name). Over 70 percent of QR code users find them easy to use — and that’s impressive, considering most folks don’t even know what they’re called.

The other impressive stat is that only 41 percent of people who use QR codes found the information to be useful. Often times, QR codes don’t lead to mobile-friendly websites, which can cause a user to abandon a site shortly after scanning.

QR code growth and a vast pool of sites to optimize for mobile is good news for marketers. There’s huge potential to make use of QR codes for your clients — as long as they lead to mobile-optimized websites. Marketers can help their clients use new technology to rake in business with a sleek and effective process (and by building stunning mobile sites).

Mojaba websites make a great user experience on mobile — especially when they’re accessed via QR code. The end user has an enjoyable experience by first scanning a QR code (let’s face it — scanning is fun). Then they’re taken to a site that is easy to navigate and visually pleasing. It’s made custom for their mobile device. Then maybe — just maybe — this visitor will be part of the 18 percent who makes a purchase.

Mojaba QR Code Selections

Mojaba automatically creates QR Codes for the mobile website and all panels. Download them to use with printed materials, brochures, point-of-sale and other contexts.

To see how your client’s QR code could lead to a mobile-friendly Mojaba site, sign up for our Beta program.