What is a mobile-optimized website?
For us, a mobile-optimized website is more than a shrunken version of a traditional, desktop-friendly website. Mobile design not only suits a smaller screen, but it brings with it a number of other constraints as well. What is needed for the client impacts the approach we take to optimize the site for mobile.
It depends on the situation. Depending on the website that’s already in place for a client, the best approach might be to create a dedicated mobile site that allows users to switch between the two versions as they see fit.
Responsive Design for Mobile - Otherwise, if the client’s website is new enough and developed with a modern framework, you might use responsive design to detect what device it is being used and the site automatically will adapt to suit the screen size — a website chameleon if you will.
Traits of mobile-optimized websites
There are several ways to optimize a website for the mobile-viewing experience. Here are a few traits we often see in sites that have been implemented with mobile in mind:
How does neglecting to have a mobile-friendly website affect a client’s business? According to Google, not having a mobile optimized website is akin to shutting down the business for one day every week.
So how does one decide if a website design is mobile friendly? There’s an easy way to check using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. If the test comes back negative, you’ll know there is some work to do in order to maximize the mobile user experience of the website.
10 benefits of a mobile website
1. Most people have chosen mobile.
The No. 1 reason to make sure your company’s website looks good and works right on everyone’s mobile devices is simply because so many people have one, including your potential customers. About two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone and 87 percent of millennials have their smartphone at their side day and night.
Many people have already been using smartphones and tablets for years, while seniors and young students are just starting to learn how useful they can be. Either way, you want to make sure your online presence is functional and attractive for the increasing number of people who will be accessing your site through their phones, tablets and laptops.
2. Most of a site’s web traffic comes from a mobile device.
Let’s face it, desktop computers are no longer flying off store shelves like they used to. Mobile devices now account for more than half of all e-commerce traffic.
At this rate, the next generation of consumers might not ever see a traditional desktop website because they won’t have a machine to access it on! This means that their first introduction to your store will likely be with their mobile device, so it’s critical to make a good impression at this stage.
3. Mobile users behave differently.
Mobile users aren’t using their phones to hunker down for long periods of time to write research papers — they are likely using them for a few seconds at a time while they are waiting in line at the grocery store, or outside of the movie theater to check showtimes. They are using their devices frequently, but at shorter intervals.
Mobile users don’t have time to wait for massive graphics to load quickly, or have the attention spans to click through to the fifth page of your website to find the information they are after. Research shows that 40 percent of people are willing to abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load, so mobile-optimized sites are designed with this type of user behavior in mind.
4. Mobile users are bigger buyers.
The psychology of this next point is still anyone’s guess, but studies show that mobile users buy more than people who primarily use desktop computers. We believe this is because mobile devices give people the power to be informed consumers. They can use their phones to instantly read product reviews and compare brands, which removes second-guessing every purchase.
TheMillCreek.net Website Design
It depends on the situation. Depending on the website that’s already in place for a client, the best approach might be to create a dedicated mobile site that allows users to switch between the two versions as they see fit.
Responsive Design for Mobile - Otherwise, if the client’s website is new enough and developed with a modern framework, you might use responsive design to detect what device it is being used and the site automatically will adapt to suit the screen size — a website chameleon if you will.
Traits of mobile-optimized websites
There are several ways to optimize a website for the mobile-viewing experience. Here are a few traits we often see in sites that have been implemented with mobile in mind:
- Sites are quick to load.
- Sites have less text.
- There are fewer moving parts.
- There are fewer pop-ups.
- There are fewer text boxes to fill out.
- Menus are simplified drop-downs.
- Contact information is strongly featured.
- Store hours are large and in charge.
- Calls-to-action information are prominent.
- Buttons are large and easily targeted.
- Google and mobile websites
How does neglecting to have a mobile-friendly website affect a client’s business? According to Google, not having a mobile optimized website is akin to shutting down the business for one day every week.
So how does one decide if a website design is mobile friendly? There’s an easy way to check using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. If the test comes back negative, you’ll know there is some work to do in order to maximize the mobile user experience of the website.
10 benefits of a mobile website
1. Most people have chosen mobile.
The No. 1 reason to make sure your company’s website looks good and works right on everyone’s mobile devices is simply because so many people have one, including your potential customers. About two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone and 87 percent of millennials have their smartphone at their side day and night.
Many people have already been using smartphones and tablets for years, while seniors and young students are just starting to learn how useful they can be. Either way, you want to make sure your online presence is functional and attractive for the increasing number of people who will be accessing your site through their phones, tablets and laptops.
2. Most of a site’s web traffic comes from a mobile device.
Let’s face it, desktop computers are no longer flying off store shelves like they used to. Mobile devices now account for more than half of all e-commerce traffic.
At this rate, the next generation of consumers might not ever see a traditional desktop website because they won’t have a machine to access it on! This means that their first introduction to your store will likely be with their mobile device, so it’s critical to make a good impression at this stage.
3. Mobile users behave differently.
Mobile users aren’t using their phones to hunker down for long periods of time to write research papers — they are likely using them for a few seconds at a time while they are waiting in line at the grocery store, or outside of the movie theater to check showtimes. They are using their devices frequently, but at shorter intervals.
Mobile users don’t have time to wait for massive graphics to load quickly, or have the attention spans to click through to the fifth page of your website to find the information they are after. Research shows that 40 percent of people are willing to abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load, so mobile-optimized sites are designed with this type of user behavior in mind.
4. Mobile users are bigger buyers.
The psychology of this next point is still anyone’s guess, but studies show that mobile users buy more than people who primarily use desktop computers. We believe this is because mobile devices give people the power to be informed consumers. They can use their phones to instantly read product reviews and compare brands, which removes second-guessing every purchase.
TheMillCreek.net Website Design
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