Get Your Business Website in Shape for Today's Mobile Users

By Rob Toledo

It's no secret that technology and consumer behavior is increasingly shifting to mobile. Over 10 percent of web traffic comes from mobile users on smartphones or tablets. When it comes to online shopping, 40 percent of users conduct their research for new products with their mobile devices, and 46 percent make a purchase with them, as mobile shopping tends to be more transactional than PC shopping.

These trends predict that by 2015, consumers will do over half of their searches on a mobile device. Needless to say, your business can't afford to not be mobile friendly. Follow this guide to ensure that your site is meeting your mobile users' needs, as well as building up your reputation as being a trustworthy business.

Mobile Site Design vs. Responsive Design

The first decision you'll need to address is which type of site design will be best for your purposes. Here's a breakdown of two design types.

Separate Mobile Site

Building an entirely separate site designed specifically for mobile use is a viable option for serving mobile users. Though its visual elements (colors, themes, and content) should closely resemble your main site, this design will have a different structure. Instead of focusing on page layout, it should contain pages that are mostly filled with content. This design should feature a more compact navigational system than your main site, with limited links and no dropdown menus. It should be designed for the purpose of touch interaction, with large buttons and readable fonts.

A mobile design can be created by a professional designer, or even through a free or low-cost mobile site design service. Though a mobile design is great for user experience and faster page loads, it requires a separate HTML from your main site, which doesn't benefit your search engine optimization and ease in finding your site.

Examples:

• Burger King
• Mashable

These sites are clear in their branding by carrying out their logos, colors, and fonts on their mobile sites. They have simplified layouts, with an emphasis on buttons and scrolling content. They are both very easy to read and navigate, which makes for a fruitful and enjoyable user experience.

Responsive Design

A responsive site design allows for you to use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to create a single version of a web design that automatically adjusts its elements to translate properly on any device. As a small business, this is likely your best option because it can be created at a very manageable cost. Additionally, Google recommends responsive design because it uses a single URL and does not create duplicate content, which can damage your search results.

Another advantage of a responsive design is that it doesn't only serve one device; user-friendly aspects that might have to be skipped over in mobile design can be included so that the same information is usually displayed on whatever device it's viewed on.

Examples:

• The Boston Globe
• Just Creative Design

These sites adjust to any device by automatically resizing and reorganizing the content based on screen size. Notice that the important information and calls-to-action are placed above the fold so that users can log in or search for content immediately. The Boston Globe always offers a clickable option to access the full information on its main site, so its responsive design slightly limits its content when displayed on a mobile device.

Tips For Creating a Successful Design

Whether you decide to go with a separate mobile design or a responsive design, here are some tips to keep in mind to establish maximum mobile friendliness.

Use a grid. You might already have an established site, so you can either use its existing grid or adjust its layout to a grid system so that it converts to mobile format easily.

Avoid menu dropdowns. Make it your goal to limit your mobile design's navigational options so that users can quickly get to the page they're looking for.

Use quality images. High quality images that display well on any screen is a big contributor to brand image and reliability. When users see that quality is important to you, they'll see that you care about their needs.

Keep it simple. Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to mobile friendly websites, as users want to be able to find information or take action quickly. Don't over complicate it with content, which can slow the site down and overwhelm users.

Include useful content. The smaller screens on mobile devices make it easy for a design to look overcrowded; consider the context of your mobile users, and only include the content that will directly meet their needs. For example, click-to-call contact information makes it easy for users to take steps to interact with your company.

Maintain your brand. If you're building a mobile site or making yours responsive, remember to stay consistent with your branding. Though a separate mobile site will have its own separate and simplified design, you can subtly represent your brand through color, logo, and style.

Get Mobile Friendly

Even if your business has already begun to move in the direction of mobile friendliness, take these steps to become even more so. You will find that you're able to reach a wider and more active consumer audience. You'll gain an increase in sales, happier customers, and a reliable brand name.