In August 2012, Google released a research study, The New Multi-Screen World: Understanding Cross-Platform User Behavior, taking a closer look at how consumers are interacting in a multi-screen world. It’s safe to say that a majority of us spend a great part of our day in front of some sort of screen and most likely a combination of TV, computer, tablet and smartphone.
One of the major findings of this study is how these devices are used together: either simultaneously or sequentially. Simultaneous use is when you watch watch a program on TV and use your tablet or smartphone to Tweet about it. Or when you look up an IMDB profile because you and your spouse can’t agree whether that actor was in that other movie or not.
I find the sequential use findings much more interesting. Especially when looking deeper at eCommerce. The study found while we are bouncing from screen-to-screen throughout the day, the smartphone has the highest number of daily interactions and serves as the starting point for most sequential use activities. 67% of the study participants started their research on their smartphone and continued to another device; 61% of those on a computer, 4% on a tablet. I do this myself. While riding home on the train, I remember I need to buy paper towels, so I launch my Peapod app and add it to my cart. However, I almost always use my laptop for final checkout.
What I find really interesting about all this is what it means for responsive design. You cannot ignore that a great, not good enough, multi-screen experience is crucial now. Responsive design made it into Forbes’eCommerce Marketing Checklist for 2013, reinforcing the importance of this approach. But many companies are still reluctant to invest in it.
Creating a consistent multi-screen experience can be daunting if done outside of a responsive design framework. No one wants to update a web site and a separate mobile site, AND manage the SEO and analytics across the two. Responsive design frameworks, like Bootstrap or HTML5 Boilerplate, enables content to be designed once and published in many channels, letting you be agnostic, and truly focus on delivering and optimizing your message.