Mobile Measurement – Module 8

There are several differences when it comes to evaluating desktop users objectives when compared to those of a mobile user.

To my amazement, our top-level domain (generalmills.com) doesn't have a mobile version. I’ll assume this is for two reasons:

   

   1.)  This domain is really designed to be the corporate General Mills site, and as such, someone might assume (incorrectly in my opinion) that the majority of “everyday consumers” will never visit the site.

   

   2.)  Someone simply hasn't gotten around to making one yet (we’re a big company, and we manage more than a quarter million domains globally.)

However, you will find that other, more consumer-oriented sites (with consumer oriented content) DO indeed have mobile versions in place. (i.e. bettycrocker.com)

When a user on a desktop computer visits this site, they could be looking for anything from recipes, to product information, to app downloads. Our mobile version of the same site is more focused on what we believe to be the content our mobile users would want:  quick access to recipes and coupons, as well as our “Main Ingredient” recipe engine that allows you to select some things you have in your fridge, and subsequently suggests one of our (or a users) recipe utilizing those ingredients.

While our top-level domain has yet to go mobile, our other brand sites like Betty Crocker and Pillsbury all follow a similar, user focused format – offering quick access to the most pertinent, consumer focused information with a few simple clicks.

GMI measures mobile users much like those on the desktop (i.e. unique visitors, time-on-site, etc.), but we also have a few goals aligned with these sites (i.e. # of coupon downloads, # of recipe lookups, etc.) 

I am positive that our sophisticated analytics tools measure the activity on these sites to a depth I am legally prohibited from discussing J

I would suggest that GMI design a nice mobile version of our top-level domain, and deploy it ASAP. This would afford those interested (i.e. shareholders, local community members, general consumers) quick and easy mobile access to company public documents, contact and stock information and more. 

In my view, not having a mobile version of the top-level domain hinders our mobile strategy in ways that could (and should) be prevented.