2013 The Year of the Tablet - Steve Jobs Changed History More Than We Thought

[Pepper P Oldziey]

The tablet was invented - Steve's early idea. iPads were born three years ago in early 2010 and became very popular. Now everyone has invented a tablet, not to be overtaken by Apple and what looked like a one company goldrush. This type of device has turned into a game-changing way of life. We all wanted them, they made them, we bought them in outrageous numbers last month, and there you have it. The world flipped from phone to tablet at the end of last year. Happy 2013 to everyone! We are now in a very new future.

If 2012 Was “The Year Of Mobile,” 2013 Will Be “The Year Of The Tab...

This MarketingLand article by Greg Sterling reports the newest statistics. As of December 25, the numbers were 51% Tablets and 49% phones. This is radically different from the numbers the previous year. Close to a reported 90 million tablets sold in the US now, compared to only 200 million PCs. That's only one small jump into the future as people shift habits away from the PC. The 7inch tablets travel with you like a phone. The 10 inch tablet entertains you at home while you watch tv! You saw all the seasonal commercials - what did you think would happen? People love tablets, its like having "Star Trek" for real in your hand with a 7" tablet. (Remember how they held those writing devices they had on Next Generation?) It is a "no-brainer". But what we are not thinking of is how it changes the way we will now do business.

Only 7% of Retailers Have Tablet Friendly Sites

In another article by Greg Sterling, we can see not only "click-through rates" but also the comparison value of orders by phone, tablet, and desktop. Desktops are losing. The higher purchases are on tablets. What has happened here is that popular demand has changed the way we purchase, and it has done so literally overnight . . . or while we slept on Christmas Eve, to be more exact.

Google Survey Reveals What Users Want From Mobile Sites

Next try this article by Greg Sterling. We know what users want from mobile sites, and we also now know that they are viewing those sites on tablets. Just put two and two together. Lets apply some of these ideas:

Actions Users Want to Take on Mobile Business Sites

1. 76% want to get a location or operating hours

2. 61% click to call the business

3. 54% send an email

4. 53% download an app

5. 48% go to the company's social networking page

6. 41% play a video clip

This is from the article mentioned above, so go see it to view the rest.

Smartphones Are For Shopping, Tablets Are For Buying

From another article by Greg Sterling, we read the following: "Product research is also something done quite heavily on tablets — even more than on smartphones. But tablet owners are much more inclined to use those devices to convert and buy things vs. smartphone owners."

I think it is perfectly obvious where we are going here. It's not what I like or what I think or what you like or what you think. The water from this tablet tsunami has swept over us like a wave and literally changed the way we function, and it will flow on into the future carrying us with it.

I'd love to just focus on cool phone apps. But there is no future in it, because, unless you know exactly who is viewing your mobile site and what they are viewing it on, it is a dice roll whether you will embarrass yourself with a three inch image on a large ipad, or show up with a giant email asking for a pinch and a squeeze on a phone. (By the way, Google Analytics does provide number counts on screen sizes of devices visiting your site now. That's another eye opener I'll share in a few days!)

It would be nice if it was easy, like the past, even a year ago "in the year of the phone", but perhaps it will help to think of it this way. The potential creativity and fun we can have now is unbelievable. The sky is the limit for great tools, great shopping, cool design, and new marketing experiences. Jump on a flexible surfboard and ride the wave. The sun is shining again. People are having fun learning and shopping and doing all the things that will help your business serve them in new ways.

See my next article in which I list sites that provide all the instructions you need for coding responsive emails. This stuff is so exciting, I can't sit still. Here is a taste for you. Take this link and see one of the coolest glimpses of this new email style . . . you will love it! This is a "Starbucks Petites" email created and provided by "Smartfocus" as an example of the way a responsive email will work. Squeeze your browser down to iphone size and back out to see it completely change content twice!

http://preview.smartfocusdigital.com/go.asp?/mPJSB64F/bEST001

Instructions for coding this type of email are coming your way in a couple more days!

 

Pepper Oldziey is a graphic designer who has been in busisness for 43 years, a web coder and developer, a trainer and educator, a search engine optimization specialist and a corporate web strategist. Her company is Peppergraphics Design Studio. She is available for consultation on your company's web strategy.

 

 

[Nancy Williams]

Amazing, isn't it? Even my 70 year old mother wanted a tablet for Christmas. What's really funny is some of us might remember the first cell phones which were big and bulky. Then they made them "razor" thin - the smaller the better. Now, we're using 7" tablets as our phones. Well, all the changes in technology will certainly keep all of you that make a living on the web busy. :-)

[Drew Becker]

This tech is soo cool. I love how the graphic shifts to make room for the text and the design of the graphic makes this work without losing the context. Thanks for sharing!

[Jaleh Neshat]

Thank you for this informative article, Pepper. We appreciate your help in keeping up with what is happening in the digital world.

[Pepper P Oldziey]

Thanks Jaleh and Drew and Nancy for checking out my article. It's all pretty techie stuff, but it will impact the way we communicate and market all our businesses in the coming year and afterwards. It is a big change!

The shifting email is done so it can go from one size device to another - you can make it phone sized and small tablet sixed and big tablet sized. The magic is that this is still just one email and all this magic is only done with a few lines of code. It is so easy and cost effective to plan email marketing this way and get one email to look good no matter what device it is viewed on.

I was playing with code like this producing some html emails today for my work. A coded file is submitted by developers to a service like "Litmus" and then you see it previewed on every device and every web browser and email software on every platform - so you can be sure it shows right on everything. Watching an email so clearly show as a page in email software and then big and bright in two an a half inches on all the phone devices - its just exciting. As a coder this stuff enthralls me.

[Michael Kimsal]

Very little to argue with here - lots of food for thought. I suspect tablet-size (7" and 10") devices are here to stay for a while. Combining a standard form factor and a few standard browsers, it's easier than ever to focus on mobile-friendly sites (vs native apps).

[Pepper P Oldziey]

Thanks Michael! Nice compliment from someone who designs and produces mobile device friendly software every day!! May we muse on all these changes a lot as we move into the future. The implications for new ways of working and communicating are many.

[Jennifer B. Albright]

Thanks for such an interesting article, Pepper. I sure am glad to be alive and swimming along in this tsunami of technological change. And the speed at which people are shifting their tools! Who said people don't like change?! I can imagine a place for all of the various forms of technology; I still like to type sitting in front of my desk top. Ok, I'm old in that respect, but the tablets and smart phones are the best when we're out and about. Keep it coming, Pepper.

[Pepper P Oldziey]

Yay I love these comments! Yay someone else is swimming too! I'm a desktop typer too. Problem is I can't remember passwords well, so rarely can I respond to anything when I'm out and about, even on their lovely tablet sized websites. My passwords are remembered by my home computer and that's what works for me. Though I am rarely without my 7 inch tablet now.

[Robin Thomas]

My iPad remembers my passwords, though I password protect entry into any use of it. Those 7" tablets are an odd size for me... can't see any of the verbiage with or without my glasses. Guess I'll stick with my larger iPad for now.