2013 is the year when use of the Internet on mobile devices surpasses that of desktops and laptops. We are hurriedly getting our clients up to speed by creating mobile versions of their websites. Since only 20% of business websites are optimized for mobile, we know that this will help our clients stay ahead of their competitors.
Consequently we have become experts on best practices when building mobile websites for smartphone users. Here are some of the things we consider:
5 Things We Consider Before Building a Mobile Website
1) Satisfy the Needs of People Who are On-The-Go
Smartphone users are in a hurry. They don’t have the patience to read a lot of content. Well-designed mobile websites provide “thumb-friendly” information, such as click-to-call & click-for-direction buttons. We don’t believe that simply scraping the content from a desktop website and reformatting it for the small screen will provide users with the experience they need while on the go.
2) It Must Load Fast!
60% of web users say they expect a website to load on their mobile phone in 3 seconds or less (Gomez) before leaving and going elsewhere.
We are wary of using too many images or images that are large (1500 pixels+) because it will take time to compress the images to mobile-friendly size. Also, we try to use only high-resolution photos, as they will format to a variety of screen sizes depending on what smartphone a given customer is using.
3) Which Pages Should Be On a Mobile Website?
There’s an easy way to find out which pages are the best to make to use for the mobile website. We often use Google Analytics to determine what pages mobile users are already accessing the most. Since mobile customers already want this information, we make it faster and easier to get it.
4) Mobile Call-To-Actions: Local & Useful
Mobile users will react to Click-To-Call and Click-To-Email buttons. Instead of listing the address, on mobile, we utilize a Click-For-Directions button that opens a map. Mobile users are grateful for this quick and easy information right at their fingertips.
5) Think User Experience
In 2013 and beyond, mobile may be the first point of communication people have with a business or brand. Their experience should be extraordinary whatever device they are using.
The mobile user is a new type of customer, how can you tailor your business to fit these changing needs? To help you get to the top of the heap, here are 10 more facts about mobile to prepare you for The Mobile Revolution.
