Commentary: For Government, Go Mobile and Go Native

Following is an essay by Folsom-area IT CEO Rich Foreman, reprinted from LinkedIn and supplemented with some links to related material.

The public sector and nonprofits are typically slow with technology implementation. But increasingly, there are good reasons why nonprofits and public-sector organizations must adopt — and in some cases are leading the way toward — a citizen-friendly mobile strategy. There are real-world consequences for not doing so. 

1. The Population Has Already Adopted Mobile

The main reason that a mobile strategy needs be adopted is that the population has already adopted mobile. In the few short years after the debut of the iPhone, these devices have had unprecedented growth. There are lots of studies and statistics to prove this point. My favorite is that there are more mobile devices than there are people in the world.

2. Mobile Searches Exceed Desktop Searches

Recently Google reported that there are more searches done from mobile devices than from desktop computers. This is significant because it represents a tech trend that needs to be acknowledged and adopted. If more people are depending on mobile for their needs, it would make sense to have an effective mobile strategy.

3. Google’s Algorithm Favors Mobile-Friendly Websites

In 2015, Google changed its algorithm so that a search done on a mobile device will favor mobile-friendly websites. Based on points 2 and 3, organizations that have a mobile-friendly website will have an advantage over those that don’t.

4. Mobile May Be the Only Means of Internet Access

In a recent study, mobile was the only means of access to the Internet for 23 percent of families below the poverty level. So for organizations that deal with providing social services, a significant part of the population they serve can access the Internet only via mobile device.

5. Desktop-Friendly Designed Sites Are Hard with Mobile  

A good example is the California State Legislature's website. This website is hard enough to navigate on a desktop computer; if you're accessing the website as a visitor, you're probably doing it from a mobile device — and you'll find it a challenge to navigate.

When developing a mobile strategy, there are some key points to remember:

— Develop a responsive-design website that will adapt to the user's device, be it a desktop or a smartphone. This will address most of the issues listed above.

— Communicate via SMS (text message). I see a lot of communication from the public sector done via email marketing. Sadly, with an open rate of only 22 percent, it’s really a futile way to communicate. SMS, on the other hand, has a read rate of 98 percent. The good news is that there are a lot of SMS marketing tools out there that are relatively inexpensive. I’ve actually seen a couple of organizations that realize that SMS is a better way to communicate, and employees end up using their personal mobile devices to send out text messages.

— Developing a mobile app can be an effective tool for a public-sector organization serving a local population. A mobile app that is used specifically for a platform or device is what’s called a "native app." Some agencies, such as Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties, even have their own app stores. And some governments are creating products that work with digital assistants such Amazon Alexa and Google's AI assistant.

If you manage a public-sector organization, I hope this article gives you reason to develop a mobile strategy and a native app. You will find this an effective way to communicate with the population you serve.

Rich Foreman is CEO of Apptology and Director of Startup Grind Sacramento. He co-authored the book Tap into the Mobile Economy and his blog has been listed in the Top 20 Mobile Marketing Blogs of 2014. Follow Rich on Twitter at @ApptologyCEO or attend a Startup Grind Sacramento Event.