With the proliferation of mobile devices (laptops, tables, and smartphones), you’ve got to make sure that your website and content is easily consumable that way. How do you do that? Here are 8 tips to help you get mobile-ready.
Tip 1: Does your current website look good on a mobile device? Have you tried it? A lot of website designers are incorporating a mobile presence in their work, however if you’ve gotten custom work done on your site, it may not be there. Always tell your designer that you want to see a mobile version too.
Tip 2: Since users are reading your content on the go, keep it simple. Much like having a simple layout, having the “right” amount of content load on your page is key. It should be easy to read on any device, and easily scrollable too.
Tip 3: As 85% mobile users expect their devices to load content more quickly than their laptops or desktops, you’ve got to make sure your content is optimized to be fast. Avoid graphic-heavy content, and specialized website coding languages like JavaScript, Flash, and CSS files.
Tip 4: If you’ve ever seen someone jab at a touchscreen as if it were a button, then you know exactly what I mean here. Most users are comfortable with touch technology, so your mobile site should be designed to take that into account. They’re not clicking a link or button, they’re touching the screen for the option. Consider using more buttons than links or drop-down lists.
Tip 5: While most tablet users access your site on their iPad, not all smartphone users have iPhones. According to Gartner, Apple only has 7.5% of the worldwide smartphone market. Samsung tops the list at 22%. This means that your mobile content should look good on ALL operating systems and mobile devices, including those with different screen sizes and options.
Tip 6: Your mobile site should automatically detect the device type and serve up the appropriate version to the user. But don’t neglect giving them the option to view the full site too. Sometimes that is useful.
Tip 7: Depending on your product offering, you may consider developing a company-specific app for smartphone and tablet use. This gives you additional penetration with your target market, and could generate new leads.
Tip 8: If you do develop an app for your users, consider making it location-based (if it makes sense, naturally). Give incentives and content to people based on their location.
Next time you pull out your smartphone to check your email or find some information on an app, remember these 8 tips for your own business’ site:
- Choose a good website template/layout for mobile use.
- Keep the content simple.
- Be fast – load and not many graphics.
- Remember that users are “touching” and not “clicking”.
- Don’t build just for Apple products – build for all types and O/S.
- Give users the option to view the full site too.
- Consider developing an app for your product/company.
- Use location-based apps for your products.
What are you doing to ensure your content and site is ready for mobile consumption?
