Cisco’s Top 5 Mobile Customer Insights

This is the first blog in a series about Cisco’s B2B Mobile strategy.

My smartphone is always on. I have just one for home and work.  It’s a part of me. I’m connected anywhere I go.

Mobile devices have reset our digital expectations.  We now expect quick, mobile-friendly content from a device that knows our location and what we’re looking for.

We’ve seen visits to cisco.com via mobile devices rising.  We needed and wanted to understand if visitors were finding what they needed.  Was there a unique mobile need? In the spring of 2013 we began our strategy with asking and listening.

Through in-person interviews, TelePresence, and online surveys, our loyal customers and advocates shared their mobile habits and preferences.  Soon patterns began to emerge.

Many customers (BDM and TDM) are using three devices (smartphone, tablet and laptop) to access Cisco.com information.  Smartphones throughout the day.  Tablets mainly in the morning and evening.  Laptops primarily during work hours.

Thinking “Mobile First” is not just about format.  Our B2B customers are using mobile devices to get educated, stay informed, reach technical support, share information, be entertained, and research buying decisions. Content, tools, and news feeds that are quick to access are ideal. Even better to have a context layer for location, an action, or individual preference. Customers are willing to watch, listen and read business content from a mobile device. Business folks prefer “trusted sources” like our blogs and technical folks prefer “interest categories” like our communities.

Make your content easy to share via email, Twitter, or other social platforms.  Embed social icons and links to topical video playlists, YouTube channels, Storify feeds, etc. when available.

Learn from mobile pilots. Thus far, we’ve launched two mobile journeys. Based on customer input, we created a customized template for mobile web pages. Each page includes a key message and three avenues for more information:  Read, Watch or Learn. Grab your smartphone and take at a look at them:

Cloud

Mobility

Measure and Reiterate. We are measuring on a 30-day and 60-day cycle and making iterative improvements.   Mobile strategy isn’t about getting it right the first time.  Establishing a mobile hypothesis with frequent metric usage is the best approach to improve the customer experience.

In my next post, I’ll continue to share what we’re learning.  Where is your organization on the mobile journey? I’d like to hear how mobile is changing your web experience.  Are BDMs or TDMs visiting your site?  Share your comments or questions below.