Data visualization for mobile is not a new concept but it’s far from losing its relevance, especially in the world of marketing. After all, more than relying on quality information, it’s necessary to ensure the right conditions for its analysis. That is the reason we use graphics, animations, and other visual resources to facilitate the process.
An increasingly common practice is the use of smartphones and tablets for data processing. Creating mobile-friendly content can bring significant benefits but it involves several factors, such as screen size and image resolution.
So, is it worth investing in data visualization for mobile? How to do that? In this text, you’ll find out:
- What is data visualization?
- Why go mobile?
- How to implement data visualization for mobile?
Keep reading!
What is data visualization?
Data visualization refers to the graphical representation of data. It’s a concept present in the everyday life of several professionals, as the ability to assimilate information is essential for any activity. In marketing, for example, it’s a valuable resource to identify trends and behavior patterns.
The idea is to express data in a way that it can be properly understood and interpreted. The research process that generated the information can be extremely rich and bulky but you should expose the results simply and directly.
It’s easy to understand the importance of this. Imagine a strategic meeting in which all participants need to read an elaborate report, interpret it, and then come to a decision. Counter-productive, do you agree?
On the other hand, if the information is expressed more intuitively, the time spent will be less and the efficiency will be greater.
The whole concept becomes even more important when we talk about strategies that require quick and precise actions, such as Content Marketing. Data visualization allows the rapid identification of details and patterns that may indicate not only problems but also their possible causes and solutions.
With the use of visual resources, the comparison between different metrics also becomes more accessible. A quick look at a graph, for example, is enough to discover the variation in the conversion rate over a given period.
There are different data visualization techniques, ranging from traditional pie graphs to animated videos. In all cases, adapting the content for mobile can be an important step for your strategy. In the next topic, we’ll show why.
Why go mobile?
Data visualization is widely applied in the company’s internal processes but it can also impact its external actions. Offering infographics, for example, is a very effective way to educate the public about the market and present the benefits of the brand’s solution.
It does not matter if your focus is the public or your employees: the fact is that the more positive the experience, the better for your company. After all, the idea is to make it easier to understand what is being presented. But what does all of this have to do with the use of mobile?
The answer is clear. To begin with, both your employees and your consumers are likely to use mobile devices. Notebooks, tablets, and smartphones are part of our routine more than ever, even increasing the phenomenon of remote work.
A GetApp study found a 400% increase in the number of people working remotely at least eventually. Another study, by Buffer, suggested that 99% of people would choose to include the practice in their routines.
Do you see how data visualization for mobile can be an advantage for your company’s management? Its application makes internal processes more flexible and even contributes to collaboration between teams, which can share data more efficiently.
As for the customers, their habits also point to the consumption of mobile content. Worldwide Internet traffic is already mostly mobile, as pointed out by Statista’s 2020 report. Therefore, if you want to reach your persona, you need to invest in mobile-friendly content.
What is interesting is that thanks to modern consumer behavior, content suitable for mobile can generate quick results. The fact is that the public, led by millennials, is more and more used to shopping experiences wholly based on the digital environment, often through their smartphones.
A survey mapped the journey of consumers over 6 months and concluded that, during that time, 79% of them made at least one purchase using a smartphone. In addition to purchasing, they also seek information. Google indicates that 51% of users have found a new brand after a mobile search.
Thus, data visualization for mobile is a valuable tool for both consumer attraction and conversion. By making it easier for them to understand the details of the brand or product, you can guide them towards the buying decision.
How to implement data visualization for mobile?
Now that you understand why it’s vital to invest in data visualization for mobile, you must be thinking about how to implement it in your company. The first step is to define your goal, which includes setting the audience you want to reach.
For this, creating a persona to reflect the characteristics of your ideal customer is fundamental. Entirely understanding the preferences and particularities of the audience facilitates decisions regarding the type of data that will be displayed and the formats that will be used.
During the process, it’s important to avoid common mistakes. Many companies fail when trying to adapt to mobile the content that already existed on the desktop. Below are 5 tips for you to apply this approach successfully. Check it out!
Think mobile from scratch
One of the most important tips is to resist the temptation of copying your desktop content to mobile. Although this practice may seem like a way to save time and reuse your material, the results are not acceptable. Therefore, you should think mobile from scratch.
The user experience on mobile is different from the desktop approach. Therefore, it’s very likely that your graphs and tables will simply not work on both channels. You need to take into account, for example, the screen size of the device to avoid messy and unreadable data.
Other factors, such as the design, also have their particularities. No user wants to access pages via their smartphones and encounter a scrollbar equivalent to that of a desktop. If this happens, the user experience will be impaired, negatively affecting the brand.
Therefore, throughout the development process of data visualization for mobile, make sure to create new content, 100% focused on the mobile experience.
Consider mobile features
Instead of thinking mobile and desktop as one thing, take advantage of their differences. Mobile devices have unique features, which can be used to enhance the consumer experience. One of the highlights is the GPS.
If you are creating interactive maps, which are excellent content to engage the consumer, geolocation can be applied to optimize navigation. You can, for example, highlight different points on the map to indicate areas that contain specific information.
An excellent example of map usage for data visualization is the tool that monitors the Covid-19 pandemic.
The user can zoom in on any region of the world, including their real-time position, and access detailed information about the disease’s numbers in the selected location. Also, the higher the occurrence of cases, the larger is the circle representing the state, which makes interpretation even easier.
Prioritize content relevance
For data visualization to have the desired impact, you need to know who you are communicating with.
Therefore, for marketing purposes, it’s important to work thinking about the persona’s interests and preferences. What kind of information does the public want? In what format does the audience prefer to consume the data?
The answers to these questions should guide the whole process — after all, the content strategy has to focus on attracting and retaining the audience’s attention.
The same idea stands if you want to present data to your managers and workers. What metrics need to be highlighted? What kind of information should be presented first to make it easier to understand others? It’s vital to plan the whole process strategically.
Choose the right tools
Finally, it’s essential to choose the most appropriate tools. Data visualization software allows the integration of different data sources, making it easier to display them in a single platform. Besides, the Business Intelligence feature automates processes and produces valuable insights.
An excellent tool uses various formats to transform numbers into visual content. Infographics, treemaps, timelines, and interactive maps are some examples applied frequently. Before deciding which software to use, check if the program features mobile-friendly functions.
Data visualization for mobile is relevant for both the internal and external actions of your company. Internally, it represents the possibility of identifying patterns and trends more effectively. In external campaigns, it’s useful to streamline consumer’s experience throughout the buyer’s journey.
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