Over half of internet usage is coming from mobile devices now. This means more people than ever are turning to their phones and tablets for information, tips, entertainment and services. So how can you turn your carefully crafted website into a mobile-friendly site?
K.I.S.S.
One of the best pieces of advice my grandmother ever gave me was “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Granted, she probably wasn’t talking about mobile websites but like most grandmotherly wisdom, it can be applied universally.
- The average mobile user is looking for an easy and painless experience while they’re waiting in line for coffee. You can get their attention quickly by offering an intuitive layout and navigation. A potential customer is more likely to keep scrolling through your site if everything is easy to find and read. For a sense of continuity, try to include similar designs and themes on your mobile website as the desktop version readers are used to.
- Fumbling thumbs are a major downside to the mobile experience. To combat this inevitability, try to provide as many clickable options as possible, rather than text boxes. After all, choosing an answer from a pull-down menu is a lot less time-consuming than typing one out.
- Last but not least, simplify your content! If a potential client is using their phone or tablet, they are looking for only the most essential and relevant information. Chances are if you make them swim through unnecessary content, they’ll end up leaving your site.
Don’t forget: Facebook is still the number one social media site for referrals to your mobile site. You can take advantage of this traffic by adding blog and article links in your status updates and creating ads specifically for the News Feed (which appear on both mobile and desktop versions).
Now it’s your turn! How have you enticed clients with your mobile site? Let us know in the comments below.