I’ve written a lot this year about mobile web sites because it really is a big issue in Internet marketing these days. In the time and space allotted, I’ve been focused on the big reasons why its important to have a mobile version of your web site. The fact that mobile devices don’t play Flash and therefore do not play Flash video is a big reason to have a mobile site. Also, the fact that more than 50% of Internet traffic is conducted on mobile devices these days is a major reason to emphasize a mobile design a priority. The fact is that one size does not fit all anymore on the Internet. Mobile browsing is a major player and your standard web site does not fit.
Many people have responded and we have done a lot of mobile web sites this year. However, we are still seeing clients and prospects that need mobile sites delaying adding this important feature. So, I’ve decided to illustrate the benefits a little more clearly.
If you don’t have a mobile site and a mobile visitor comes to your web site...
1) Navigation is difficult.
A standard web site is designed for display on a larger screen. Therefore the navigation buttons are appropriately sized when the web site is on your computer screen, be it a laptop or desktop. At the size it was designed, it should be relatively easy and intuitive
2) Your orientation is wrong and your site does not present well.
Standard web sites are designed in a landscape orientation, meaning the longer aspect is horizontal. On mobile devices, the orientation is portrait, meaning the longer aspect is vertical. So, your mobile device either shrinks the presentation to meet the horizontal orientation or only displays part of the design. Both are bad first impressions. If your site has to be sized or otherwise finangled to be seen on a mobile device, you are really not making your site convenient to use for mobile users. And, if your site is shrunk or only partly displayed for mobile orientation, then certainly the whole navigation is not displayed. All of this results in a less than pleasing first impression. If you can afford to inconvenience web users who are trying to assess you as a cosmetic surgeon or cosmetic dentist, then you can afford to show this bad first impression to mobile visitors. If you really want to be competitive for each visitor, then this is a big reason why you should make the minor investment in a mobile site.
3) You are not addressing the needs of the mobile user.
Search and use patterns on mobile devices are basically the same as desktop users of standard web sites. The only difference is that mobile users expect a new level of convenience. Of course, the Click to Call feature is the hallmark of mobile browsing. A mobile user expects to find what they want and immediately connect, either through voice or the phone’s mapping features. This makes the mobile user a little better of a marketing target because they are using a device on which they are more apt to connect. So, it is important to address their expectations. They expect the same thing a desktop user expects, a presentation made for easy use on the hardware they are using. They want a presentation that fits their device (orientation and size), they want easy to find information (navigation) and they want to be able to act (click to call, map). This is how mobile web sites are designed.
Here is quick test to see if you need a mobile web site to go with your standard site. Look up your site on an iPhone or Blackberry or Android. If you have to scroll, size or adjust in any way, if you have to wait forever for a graphics-heavy presentation to load, if your navigation is not apparent, if your Flash does not load, if your video does not play, you are making a good impression on the mobile browsers at all.
Mobile sites do not require any additional technology. They are inexpensive at only $1000 for a 7-page starter site. And, amending and adding to mobiles sites is easy.
Check out your web site on a mobile device. What you are seeing is what others see... many on a first impression. If you are ready to add a mobile web site to your Internet strategy, please email me today at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
