Is Your Site Mobile Friendly?

• Mobile Web Design

Are You Missing Out?

A number of surveys have shown that having a mobile friendly website today is an ABSOLUTE MUST.

Mobile phone users are increasingly using their mobiles to access the web and email. Having a great mobile site is becoming increasingly important. Potential customers will keep looking for a mobile friendly website until they find one that works for them. That means your competitors will benefit if your site falls down on the job (and vice versa).

Almost half of all UK internet users are going online via mobile phone data connections. 45% of people surveyed said they made use of the net while out and about, compared with 31% in 2010. The most rapid growth was among young people, where 71% of internet-connected 16 to 24-year-olds used mobiles [Office for National Statistics] and 1,200 US consumers, over 75% of the mobile phone users use their mobile web browser to browse the internet.

More recently a study in October 2012 by Gartner and highlighted by Mashable showed mobile traffic currently makes up 10% of global internet traffic. Today more people will use mobile phones than PCs to get online.

A further study by Sterling Research and SmithGeiger commissioned in September, 2012 by Google found:

• A mobile-friendly site is important to 72% of users, while 96% of users say they've encountered sites that were clearly not designed for mobile devices.
• 79% of people who don't like what they find on one site will search for another site.
• 74% say they're more likely to return to a mobile friendly site.
• 67% of smartphone users say that when they visit a mobile-friendly site it makes them more likely to buy a company's product or service.
• 61% of users said that if they didn't find what they were looking for right away (probably within about five seconds), they'll click away to another site. Half say that even if they like a business, they'll use its site less often if it doesn't work well on their phone.
• 52% of users said that a bad mobile experience will made them less likely to engage with a company.
• 48% of users say they feel frustrated and annoyed when they get to a site that's not mobile friendly and this makes them feel like the company doesn't care about their business.

Google's advice: Create a fast mobile site with big buttons and text, keep steps to complete tasks to a minimum.

What Makes A Great Mobile Website?

The key to a great mobile-friendly website, or a dedicated mobile site the goal is three-fold - make the site aesthetically pleasing but at the same time simple enough that it provides the right information and loads quickly. Here are some important points to keep in mind:

1. Prioritise the content that is required on the mobile website. Display your company's most important information at the top of the screen e.g. your company name, contact information and a brief description of what you do.
2. Don't complicate navigation across several pages. Keep it simple , the more straightforward, the better.
3. Make buttons and links large and information easy to read.
4. Don't include Flash on your mobile site. Many devices don't support Flash animation so it's best avoided. If flash or video are an absolute requirement consider alternatives e.g. HTML5 video but bear in mind that video eats up data and can take a long time to load.

The bottom line is the fastest path to mobile customers is through a mobile-friendly site. If your site offers a great mobile experience, users are more likely to make a purchase. Having a great mobile site has become a critical in building a strong brand, nurturing lasting customer relationships, and making mobile work for you.