If this week had a catchphrase, it would be “Hurry up, Marketers, you’re late!” Most of the articles featured here include a not-too-subtle kick in the pants – whether it’s from a mobile SEO perspective or via staggering statistics aimed at shocking marketers into action (hey, whatever gets the job done!).

Monday, September 17th

How Mobile Marketing Trumps the Web by Ramon Ray et.al. for Business Insider

Quotable
“Brace yourself for the numbers: more than 788 million mobile-only Internet users are expected to surface by 2015. It’s predicted that the estimated mobile ad revenue is at least $20.6 billion. Mobile users, much to the delight of any business, will spend $119 billion by the same year. Further, mobile browsing (for the web) is going to surpass desktop browsing by 2015. Clearly, there’s a fundamental shift in an average Internet user’s browsing habits and choice of devices.”

Ray’s article takes the “if you’re not mobile you’re crazy” approach, reminding marketers that they’re already late to the game if they’re not marketing to consumers on mobile devices. If you’re looking for compelling numbers to help make the case for increasing your company’s or client’s mobile marketing budget, this article is your new favorite read.

Tuesday, September 18th

Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard for Mobile Devices Fits in Your Pocket by Anita Li for Mashable

Quotable
“For those who think haptic feedback is no replacement for the real deal, Jorno is a foldable bluetooth keyboard that works with the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.”

Here’s a fun one for you. A product that fits in your back pocket and turns your smartphone into a full-fledged word processing engine – but is that really how you want to use it? Is Jorno clinging to an outdated technology (a physical keyboard), or trying too hard to encourage device behavior that isn’t actually wanted/needed? What’s your take? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section.

Wednesday, September 19th

The 6 Top Mobile SEO Must-Knows by Crispin Sheridan for ClickZ

Quotable
“The concept is simple: offer a mobile site with the same or similar content as the desktop site to satisfy those who use mobile devices for some, most, or all of their web searches. Sure, there are a lot of overlapping aspects with traditional SEO, but the idea and practice go far beyond that, focusing on true mobile SEO. There are some very important aspects that will help you take charge of your brand’s mobile web presence.”

Beyond simply having a mobile site and making sure it’s accessible to Googlebot-mobile, Sheridan encourages marketers to think of optimizing their mobile sites for user behavior as a method of SEO. Did you know that Google’s Keyword Tool offers a special mobile-only filter? Or that page speed on mobile greatly affects search results? This is a nice overview, but by no means a deep dive into mobile SEO.

Thursday, September 20th

The Myth of the ‘First Screen’ by Paul Palmieri for Forbes

Quotable
“Does this mean mobile is the first or second screen? The reality is that what you label it doesn’t really matter–the point is that it’s the only advertising medium available continuously for advertisers.”

Palmieri does a great job articulating why mobile is so crucial for advertisers – because mobile is a behavior (not just a technology) it opens doors to advertisers that were never previously available. Younger generations don’t just put up with mobile ads, they want them as long as they’re engaging and well-targeted. This article is definitely a must-read!

Friday, September 21st

Controversy brewing over responsive web design by Rimma Kats for Mobile Marketer

Quotable
“‘The premise of responsive design is certainly a good one, at least at first glance,’ said Wilson Kerr, vice president of busines development and sales and Unbound Commerce, Boston…’However, as mobile commerce and tablet commerce and desktop commerce expand and differentiate themselves, it is clear that providing different experiences is not a negative,’ he said.” 

Not to toot our own horn, but we wrote an article about the pros and cons of responsive design back in May that explains why having a separate mobile website is often a better choice for marketers – not only because mobile behavior is different, but also because responsive design tends to lead to a slower, less-optimized mobile experience for visitors on smartphones. Kats raises similar concerns, and does a great job of explaining why responsive looks like such a great option to marketers and developers, though it may not be the “holy grail” after all.

Thanks for joining us for ‘This Week in Mobile’! Feel free to add your own favorite articles in the comments section.