"Come 2014, there will be at least one billion mobile payment users around
the world." These are the findings of a study undertaken by IE Market
research. Given these stratospheric statistics, it is safe to say that at
least some of your current website users are visiting on their mobile
phones. Subject them to the torturous navigation of a desktop version using
their iPhones or Androids and you can be certain of one thing - they will
leave. And never come back.
The world of technology is rapidly evolving, so much so that what was
relevant yesterday is often obsolete today. It therefore pays to be as
informed (and flexible) as possible when developing your site. Here we'll
look at some absolute essentials that need to be implemented on-site to
ensure that your mobile visitors don't head out the door immediately after
arriving.
5 Basics - Get These Right First
Create a Mobile Sub-Domain
The first step in becoming mobile friendly is providing a separate
mobile-friendly website. It's just not wise to try serve both desktop and
mobile users on one site. Create a subdomain (generally something like
m.yoursite.com) and install a detection and redirection script (there are
many options to choose from) on your desktop version to ensure that mobile
visitors are automatically sent (or at least given the option to go) to your
mobile site.
Create a Smart Navigation
The second thing you should do is to create a smart navigation. What this
means is generating a clean and unobtrusive navigation for your website by
considering the practical implications for a mobile user:
* Are the key areas of the website easy to access using big buttons (or is
it more likely that a mobile user is going to hit another button by
mistake?)
* Are important pages prioritized and other de-prioritized? It's unlikely
that mobile users are that interested in your privacy policy or community
initiative. Get them out of the way and make buying/inquiring easier for the
mobile user.
Basically, you need to offer visitors distinct and clear methods for getting
to your most essential content.
Write Clear, Concise Content
Next on the agenda is content. Ensure that your writing is clear, concise
and to the point. Now more than ever, you will want to seize the reader's
attention right away. Ensure you have persuasive headlines which enable
readers to know what they are going to experience. Content should also be
unique, original and informative. Get to the point and initiate a call to
action as quickly as possible. As far as mobile copy is concerned, less is
definitely more.
Scrap the JavaScript and Flash
The fourth essential is to avoid all JavaScript and Flash. All
justifications aside concerning the significance (and aesthetic appeal) of
Flash, it is typically a safe wager that not all cellular devices can
support both of these technologies. The ideal practice would be to maintain
plain HTML standards for your mobile website. Remember that you'd rather
have a user see a slightly less "exciting" page than no page at all.
Mobile Preview
The last step is always to run your website through W3C Mobile to ensure
compatibility across web browsers and devices. Be sure to dig as deep as
possible and not just settle for a simple homepage check. The last thing you
want is a poor conversion rate caused by a dysfunctional contact page
script.
Wrapping Up
Whether we like it or not, the fact is that more and more users are
accessing the web via mobile, and we as marketers need to adapt to this. The
mobile space is incredibly dynamic and ever-evolving, and as such it really
does pay to stay informed and up-to-date with mobile web development, or
partner with someone who does.
If you have any questions or comments please contact me.
Regards Gerald
Website: http://www.webcraft.ws
E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws
Twitter: WebcraftGuru
Facebook: Webcraft Guru
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