Research suggests by the end of the year, majority of the cellphone subscribers in the US will be using smartphones and mobile web browsers and by 2015, mobile web will gain popularity over traditional desktops.
1&1 Internet, a webhosting service provider has reported that majority of small businesses haven’t made changes in lieu of these developments.
Viewing a website on a traditional computer and on smaller displays such as smartphones or an iPad are two different things. Websites may appear clustered and difficult to navigate on a smaller display implying the need of a mobile-optimized website.
Although, businesses are hesitant in embracing this advancement, yet, it is the newest trend among cellphone users. These businesses need to use Google Analytics to assess the increasing number of people that have accessed their website through mobile web.
According to Christopher Penn, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Blue Sky Factory, if the number of mobile web visitors is greater than 1%, the company needs to devise a mobile strategy. If it is greater than 10%, the company needs to start implementing the strategy. With mobile web users more than 25%, the company is losing business if the website is not mobile-friendly.
The first step in creating a mobile-optimized website is determining the content that will be available of the website as suggested by Brian McDonald, Marketing Communications Consultant at MCDezigns. Typically, mobile users are looking for specific information. It is important that this information is easy to look for. Also, your contact information and phone numbers should be clearly visible for users who want to make a call to you, suggested McDonald.
The mobile-optimized website can be similar to your regular website with just basic information such as product and services offered, contact information, maps and hours of operation.
The layout should be simple with very less graphics and a company logo. Pages may be displayed as icons on the homepage and may have a home link to return back, says McDonald.
McDonald also advises to avoid complicated navigation tools and to use few pages with short titles.
Following options are available for building a mobile-optimized website:
If WordPress or Blogger is used then plug-ins might be required. If another blog application is used then it is important to ensure if these functions are provided by mobile themes.Services like MoFuse.com and Mippin.com can help to create mobile-optimized websites.A website developer may be hired to create a .mobi website from ground zero.Majority of small business owners make use of mobile web in their day to day functioning. It is important to keep in mind the needs of these customers while designing a mobile-optimized website.
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