By having a mobile website, you can experience a rise in web and in-store traffic, and ultimately profits. However, you can’t just optimize your desktop site for mobile. That is definitely a no no. And, that isn’t the only one.
57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site. (CMS Report, 2015)
Design is no longer just about looks — it’s all about the experience. Now, more than ever, great UX has a higher ROI.
When building a mobile site there are some very important “Need to Knows” that you should keep in mind because just having a mobile site isn’t enough, for instance you need to consider the following:
Design
Keep the look simple using modern design elements and HTML5 for a richer user experience and rendering a better-looking mobile site.
Content
Content should be clear & concise and kept to 2-3 scrolls. Page content can go beyond text such as connecting users to locator maps, reservation scheduler, downloads, video and more. Nevertheless, whatever content you choose, the approach needs to be relevant to your audience.
Optimize Images
Make sure your images are optimized/compressed as much as possible while still looking sharp on high-resolution or Retina displays. There are several effective photo optimization/compression applications that can shrink your image file size, which speeds up load time without affecting appearance.
Check your Page/Load Speed
Because of hardware and connectivity issues, page speed is even more important for mobile users than desktop users. Beyond optimizing images, you’ll want to minify code, leverage browser caching, and reduce redirects.
Optimize Forms for Mobile Users
Since screen and keyboard size are smaller on mobile devices, and mobile users have little patience, limit the number of data fields a user has to complete and use dropdown menus when applicable.
URL
Try and use a distinctive mobile URL such as www.company.mobi or m.company.com to distinguish your desktop and mobile sites. Additionally, make sure that you add code on your desktop site that redirects a user to your mobile site when accessed from a mobile device.
Click-to-Call Numbers
For user convenience, offer email links and click-to-call numbers. Click-to-call is simple, effective, and very easy to implement and your users will thank you! It’s recommended to include the full international dialing code with the number – this will ensure that the call will be successfully placed regardless of where the site visitor is located.
Browsers
With multiple mobile browsers and varying functionality, ensure that your site is compatible. Use a smart phone or mobile emulator if the actual device itself isn’t available for testing.
Test, Test and Test Again
Before publicly launching your mobile site, make sure that you view it on multiple Devices. You should test and retest any form submissions, click- to-call numbers and all URL links to ensure everything functions properly.
Promote
Now that your mobile site is ready to go – promote the URL on all print materials, your desktop site, as well as via broadcast media.