As more consumers utilize mobile devices for online browsing, the need for businesses to provide a mobile friendly solution for website visitors continues

to grow. In fact, Google

recently announced that websites not optimized for mobile devices may be penalized in search results.

There are three main options that allow companies to reach their target audience effectively on a mobile device: responsive design, mobile websites and mobile applications.

A website built with responsive design allows a visitor to view a full website on any device without unnecessary scrolling or resizing and is built using fluid grids and flexible images. The site detects the type and size of device being used to access it and automatically fits the content to the screen. This is a great option for websites with many pages. Other benefits of responsive design include the following:

• Entirety of Website - All website information is available to visitors, no matter what device they utilize.

• SEO Benefits – Because all

versions of the website are visited at the same URLs, a responsive website leverages the SEO strategies in place regardless of the device being used to find it.

• Simple Content Updates – When adding new pages to the website or changing page content, all updates are simple and work with the original framework. Visitors won’t have to go through any process to get updates and the mobile version of the site will always exactly match the desktop version.

• Reduced User Confusion – Because the website looks the same on all platforms, visitors will know where needed information is, no matter the device they use to look for it.

A mobile website is a .mobi site built specifically for viewing on a mobile device. Most mobile websites include a custom navigation that differs from the desktop version of the site and provides easy access to specific pieces of content that are most important for visitors browsing on-the-go. Desktop websites with very few pages easily convert to a mobile website. Other benefits of mobile websites include the following:

• Mobile-Specific Navigation – A mobile web-

As we kick off the Missouri State Fair, it is important to note that a growing number of Missouri visitors are becoming special-interest travelers who rank heritage and/or other cultural activities as one of the top five reasons for traveling. We call them cultural tourists.

Cultural heritage tourism is based on the mosaic of places, traditions, celebrations and experiences that portray this nation and its people, reflecting the diversity and character of the United States.

Agritourism is an important component of cultural tourism, and travelers who are enthusiastic about local food and drink and who are eager to learn something new share a demographic profile with cultural heritage travelers.

Both groups are well educated, well traveled, have high household incomes; they also expect to learn new things when they travel. They seek authenticity and quality in their local experiences and have the discretionary income to pay for those experiences.

Mandala Research LLC reported in 2013 that 76 percent of all leisure travelers nationwide participate in cultural and /or heritage activities while traveling. Those visitors tend to spend more and stay longer than other kinds of travelers, spending on average, $1,319 per trip

The Monthly Newsletter of the Missouri Division of Tourism

Director’s MessageSteadyRainDigital Clarity

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August 2013

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site allows companies to put the information that is most pertinent for on-the-go browsing in a more strategic navigation format for mobile visitors.

• Selective Content – For sites that are large and full of rich content, it may be more beneficial for mobile visitors to have access to only parts of the content in the mobile website (with links to the full website should they need them). This helps keep users from feeling overwhelmed.

• Affordability – While many sites can be re-skinned to allow for more responsive design components, companies may opt to create a mobile website to avoid transitioning a large, custom-developed desktop solution to a mobile format.

A mobile application is built with a specific audience and goal in mind. A full website is rarely reformatted into a mobile application. Instead, an app has a concrete function, such as bill pay, viewing sales or searching a database. Its design takes a very specific user profile into account and functions as a tool, more so than a generic marketing vehicle, like a brand’s website.

• User Interaction – With an application, visitors must invest time in its download and setup. It will also have a place on their devices, so most likely, more time will be spent utilizing it. Applications are also built to engage the user, and use is indicative of brand investment.

• Offline Availability – Mobile applications are built to house all information on the device to which it’s downloaded. Therefore users can access its information

Aug. 8-18, 2013Missouri State FairSedalia, Mo.

Aug. 18-20, 2013ESTORichmond, Va.

Aug. 23-27, 2013SYTA Annual ConferenceLos Angeles, Calif.

Sept. 4-5, 2013HSMAI’s MEET NationalWashington, D.C.

Oct. 1-3, 2013Missouri Governor’s Conference on TourismSpringfield, Mo.

Nov. 15-17, 2013Boomers in Groups ConferenceCleveland, Ohio

Coming Events

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Digital Clarity Continued Missouri Golf Day

Come help us kick off the Missouri Governor’s

Conference on Tourism

October 1, 2013Twin Oaks Country Club in

Springfield

Register at VisitMO.com/conference.

Director’s Message Continuedcompared to $820 for all U.S. travelers and $785 per trip in Missouri.

The State Fair serves as a

reminder that embracing cultural tourists is good for our industry and the economy. It’s also a great time for each of us to learn more about agriculture and its importance to Missouri. We’ll see you at the fair!

without access to a network.

• Ongoing Development – As content is changed, the application will need updates. As devices evolve, software updates will become necessary. Work on mobile applications is never finished.

• Monetary Options – While mobile applications can be expensive, depending on their target audiences, businesses can charge users for its download, allowing for recuperating development costs.

For some organizations, the best strategy is to combine two of the above approaches – for example, to have a responsive design ready for your website visitors, no matter how or on what device they navigate to your website and also have a mobile application built specifically with your target audience in mind. Or, to simply create a mobile website that complements your current desktop-friendly development. However, as mobile use rises, the most important decision is to make sure your website is available to these visitors.

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Got a news item for us to include next month?Send details and contact info to Mary.Oberreither@ded.mo.gov

October 1-3 Ramada Plaza Hotel & Oasis Convention Center

Springfield

DID YOU KNOW?Every year, we ask Missouri Governor’s Conference on Tourism attendees what they found most helpful to them and most important to their business. They tell us the “opportunities for networking/socializing, learning about new tourism trends/best practices and sessions on professional development” are their key takeaways.

With those ideas in mind, this year’s conference features: • The third annual Missouri Golf Day, set for October 1 at the Twin Oaks Country Club.• The “Rev It Up on Route 66” conference kick-off tour.• A general session on injecting humor into your communications. Discover how to ‘Find the Funny’ with Jan McInnis.• Sheila Mahony, director of brand development from Meredith Travel Marketing, gives us a look at proprietary new research on what inspires women to travel. Further, this session explores how to develop engaging print advertis-ing to drive the female traveler to your destination.• Internet marketing expert Susan Sweeney takes you on a trip into our tourism future. Learn how emerging online technologies are changing the travel industry’s ability to attract and keep customers.• Hot new trends, timely industry topics and access to the latest products from our supplier and media partners.

Don’t miss this once a year opportunity. Register now!Sponsorship opportunities are available. Become a sponsor and spread the word about your

business to Missouri’s top tourism innovators and leaders.

For additional information or questions, please contact Mary Oberreither at MDT: TouConference@ded.mo.gov; 573-751-1908

Brand USA Needs Your Help!Brand USA, aimed at attracting more international visitors

to the country, wants to point those visitors to your destination. But, they need your help to do it. That is why

they are asking for contributions of your very best photos, videos and anything else you can think of that

would make your destination look its very best.

To find out how to submit your material, contact Brian Screptock at bscreptock@thebrandusa.com

or call (202) 536-2060