By Price Glomski

I start the work day with coffee, granola, a few emails, industry articles and a high level review of iGoogle.

Like most iGoogle pages, I have an assortment of gadgets including my local weather forecast, yesterday's sports updates, funny quotes and two or three product-of-the-day shopping feeds. The page is never static and is ever-changing with color, product, news, humor and creativity.

Much like a good cup of coffee, the iGoogle page has become a key part of my morning ritual.

Advertisers must have a certain amount of savvy in this particular marketplace, which has grown quickly through viral widget distribution and on-site education.

Marketers have seen the success of emerging media applications and many are attempting to integrate similar strategies in the mobile channel while it is still affordable to test and while consumer adoption is a bit unhurried in the market.

This development in mobile strategy begs a few questions:

â?¢ Although retailers have begun to embrace innovative ideas in the mobile market, are consumers ready to do the same?
â?¢ How can we as marketers stimulate adoption in the mobile environment?
â?¢ What are a few key focus points that marketers should consider when developing mobile widgets?

According to a JupiterResearch study, the top reason for non-consumption of mobile media-related activities is "no interest or perceived need" (73 percent of subscribers).

Focus on simplicity
Example: The Woot.com mobile widget. If having an impulse buy on your iGoogle page wasn't enough, now you have it at your fingertips.

Woot.com is an online store and community that focuses on selling "cool stuff cheap" (self-proclaimed). The mobile application is uncomplicated, much like its site. It simply delivers a single product at a deep discount.

With many consumers still using traditional mobile phones, which lack the screen resolution or size of an iPhone or Treo, advertisers need to concentrate on the basics.

A stripped-down version of most product widgets is data-feed-driven, so why not deliver an SMS/MMS-based product update during the day? If you are experimenting in the market, keep it simple.

Focus on consumer value and relevancy
Example: eBay's auction widget allows consumers to keep track of their bidding and selling on their personal mobile. Mobile applications are basically executive dashboards. They should act as a quick reference for you on the go.

EBay's widget is successful because it provides consumers an outlet to review prices, search for specific items, tag items that catch their eye and to also view photos.

One of eBay's originals flaws was the lack of flexibility during auction time. Now consumers have real-time access during the bidding, watching and winning process, which means that auctioning is no longer a stationary process.

Each widget needs to have some type of long term relevancy (i.e., eBay's monitoring widget). The application should provide consistent value on a day-to-day basis so that it becomes a consumer habit.

Marketing in this way is only worthwhile if you become a regular part of a consumer's life. Whether through entertainment, functionality or education, your mobile effort must become a habit to the end user.

Distribution is key
Example: ESPN has been an expert in the mobile space for some time and rightfully so, considering that its mobile arm receives more traffic than the Web site.

ESPN's mobile service provides scores, standings, fantasy league updates and schedules. The brand created awareness through consistent messaging online and offline -- not to mention a very relevant product offering.

Retailers that find themselves wary about this particular market should latch onto these growing application providers, such as ESPN. They have done a lot of the legwork on the development side and most have a fairly adoptive demographic.

Knowing this, retailers should collaborate on widget plug-ins or ad opportunities within the existing application.

Nine times out of 10, widgets fail because of poor distribution strategies, so marketers need to approach this with a good mobile foundation and knowledgeable leadership.

Other distribution channels to consider include mobile paid search, SMS distribution, partnerships and submission of widgets to galleries or directories.

And keep in mind that one of your most powerful assets for distribution is also the one you have the most control over -- your Web site. Onsite promotion and full integration with your other online and emerging media campaigns is key to successful distribution of mobile efforts.

Mobile is different. Retailers need to play efficiently and smart to make a dent in this particular channel. They need to create consumer immediacy through straightforward applications, relevant service offerings and strategic distribution points.

By researching your competition, gathering channel information and partnering with established vendors, you will be able to maximize your mobile dollars.

Price Glomski is account director and integration strategist at Range Online Media, a Dallas/Ft. Worth-based search and interactive marketing firm. Reach him at