We are writing to you today regarding the effectiveness of mobile campaign websites with young adult voters.
When you enter Romney’s mobile website, the primary focus is on donations with a hard-selling approach that doesn’t resonate with young voters without disposable incomes. There’s a small button to register for e-mail updates, but that’s it – many key features are hidden in an obscure “Full Menu” button, and even that lacks many key features of the desktop site.
Obama’s mobile website offers interactivity with 13 social mediums wow, while Romney’s facilitates three.
We think this is a disastrous choice. Research shows that, after interacting with political comments on social media, mobile is used for fact-checking; in this election, mobile donations are still developing.
Obama starts with a squeeze page using a bumper sticker as an incentive, and it uses a soft sell for donations with an inspirational quote as an emotional appeal. More importantly, the first screen allows visitors to volunteer, “Get Out The Vote” (GOTV), and his agenda – all lacking in the Romney website and key to strategy.
In particular, his GOTV page allows users check their voting registration and find a polling place. Eric Frenchman, with Connell Donatelli, says this is very important – “[GOTV] is probably the last screen someone will look at when going in to vote.”
According to a 2008 study by Pew, 66 percent of Americans under 30 voted for Obama ‑ a trend that’s likely to continue given Romney’s lack of effectiveness on mobile.