The Mobile Service

Looking Local is accessible on almost any phone, on any mobile network, that has the capability to browse the internet. The latest figures from Netsize (2010) show that over 23.5 million people in the UK have a mobile phone with Internet capability; this is 30% of the population. Over the past twelve months Looking Local has experienced unparalleled increase in mobile usage: Usage of mobile on Looking Local during March 2010 - without any dedicated marketing - was 60,000 hits during 15,500 sessions and between July and December 2009 Looking Local recorded a 68% increase in mobile phone sessions.

IPSOS MORI research at the end of 2009 showed that internet enabled phones are now commonplace and around 22% of adults (15-55) regularly use their phones to access the web. There are still a number of barriers to usage amongst them lack of clarity around cost and/or tariffs being too high, however increasingly this is being addressed by the industry with bundled packages allowing free Internet access.

However mobile internet access figures change across different models and again IPSOS MORI reported that now 7% of all mobile phones in the UK are iPhones, and on these devices people are a lot more willing to access the internet on the move. In fact over 88% of iPhone users 'regularly use the web' and their viewing habits are in line with what they access/use via a fixed line in terms of internet services.

An increasing number of people are using Internet enabled phones to access and request services and there is a growing trend in mobile only households, ie - there is no landline;

Figures from the 2008 National Readership Survey show that mobile only households account for almost 12% of the total, a proportion that has been steadily rising over the past few years. Incidences vary for different groups. There is a higher incidence of mobile only ownership in households with young people aged 15-24 (43%), students (50%) and those in social grade DE (21%).

However a common misconception around the delivery of mobile Internet is that websites will render quickly and appropriately on the screen. In fact about 90% of a council website will be of little or no value to the mobile Internet user an the majority of handsets, hence a purposefully designed mobile offering, possibly listing just those things of value on the go, is crucial to get people to use, interact and comment via the phone.

Looking Local is specifically designed for mobile delivery, being able to identify whether someone is using the TV or a mobile to access the service, and rendering the content accordingly. Many of Looking Local's services are particularly well suited to mobile use; transport information, reporting of issues, travel updates and journey planning. Hence the increase in mobile ownership is having a direct affect on the customers our partners are targeting and the usage of Looking Local overall.

Indeed the Looking Local technology allows partners to make microsites uniquely for DiTV and mobile, as there may well be some services that are particularly useful to people on mobiles - on the move - and there are services that will not be that relevant to mobile users. So within the Starter Kit CMS, services can easily be turned on or off. It could be that you just want people to be able to access your five most suitable mobile services and no more, limiting their need to navigate and increasing the usability and relevance of the service. All of this is in your control.

On DiTV all Looking Local services are free, however on mobile access to Looking Local is charged at the mobile platforms standard rate. As with any service, promotion is key to usage. Looking Local is able to help with SMS marketing on mobiles, promoting bookmarks as well as setting up specific campaigns and targeting groups.

Benefits

• One technology handles both DiTV and mobile at no extra cost
• Ability to design mobile-specific and DiTV-specific services
• Ability to use Looking Local to deliver mobile staff solutions
• Looking Local is optimised for the main mobile browsers and delivers the content accordingly
• Filling in forms is easy using the text input function
• Looking Local offers secure and personal services just as on the web
• Mobile marketing initiatives such as SMS, WAP push and more are available
• Gives you the ability to keep up with technology and customer requirements
• No hardware, technical expertise or knowledge of the platform differences are required
• Audience specific solutions are also being designed and delivered contact us to find out more