Is your website ready for mobile search? The harsh reality is that more and more searchers are using their mobile devices to find the product/service/information they’re looking for. The mistake many businesses online make is assuming that those using their mobile devices will experience the same view as someone searching on a laptop or desktop computer – but it isn’t true! If you don’t have a mobile-friendly version of your website today, be sure you have it ready to go in the next few months and years. Otherwise, you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity to build leads and increase sales – and you just may face the wrath of consumers!
What are the best practices in mobile web design? Here are a few considerations:
Is your website formatted for touch? Today, most mobile apps work by touch. If your website is hard to navigate by touch, or users have a hard time enlarging pictures or other items that interest them, they’ll quickly sail off to your competition.
Avoid Flash for videos. Many videos online use a program called Flash; unfortunately, this program is not friendly with iPhones. Are videos on your website created using Flash? If so, it’s time for a do over. Your videos should be created using techniques that are easily delivered on an iPhone or smartphone, such as HTML5.
Fast and basic are the name of the game. Anything that could slow down the loading of your website on mobile devices should be removed on your mobile website. Those who use Smartphones and other mobile devices are in a hurry, not willing to wait for your website to load. Remove any background “noise” such as fancy images and moving banners. Simple, appealing and to the point is the name of the game.
Countless pages of text – not necessary! Some website are “heavy” with content, containing hundreds of pages. In most cases, you can scale down your content considerably for your mobile website. Just include the most important pages and add a link to your desktop website so users can find further information if they need it.
Scaling down the dimensions. Imagine someone trying to search a website designed for a laptop computer screen on the itty-bitty screen of a Smartphone – it just doesn’t work! It’s like trying to fit all of the possessions in your home into your car. Your mobile website design should account for the fact that what’s visible on your desktop website won’t necessarily fit on the screen of a mobile device. Sidebars should be removed as well as large images in the background. Include a logo so that users recognize where they are and a visible menu button the user can find without scrolling.
There are dozens of considerations to keep in mind when designing your mobile website, and it’s important that you do! With much of the population of the world quickly migrating to mobile devices, you’re liable to be left in the “dark ages” without a mobile website.
