Thursday, May 31, 2012

It's Time to Go Mobile

By Gary Klingsheim


It seems as though everyone today has some kind of mobile device with them that has access to the internet. Smartphones. Tablets. Even e-readers can have the capability to surf the web. Only a handful of years ago this would not be the case. But the future is indeed now, and it is time that you make sure your business embraces it. After all, if people can check out your site and make purchases or contact you any moment of any day, isn't that worth a little site tweaking?

However, your site may actually be the one thing that slows them down or stops them in their tracks. If their phone doesn't support something on your website, then they may just leave and go elsewhere. If they can't find something on the small screen without having to scroll up, down, left, and right a great deal, again they may get frustrated and leave. The best way to handle this dilemma is to simply create a mobile webpage.

Mobile formatting is different than a typical webpage. It's a much simpler version, primarily with text and a basic arrangement that suits a mobile device. Videos and images can be removed or routed to a different area to provide uncluttered viewing. For example, if you have a video on your main page, you may want to remove it so that page loads after. You can put in a link directing the person to your opening video if it provides them with important information. It's important to remember that mobile devices are much smaller in terms of screen size, which is why getting rid of clutter on your site will help people view things better and leave them with less area to scroll through.

In terms of what to keep on your site, you will want to hang on to links and other bits of important text that tell people what your site is about. Make product pages easy to find and easy to use. Ensure that links don't go hiding either, because if a person cannot find what he or she wants in a timely manner, they will become frustrated with your site and simply leave for one of your competitors. Design and navigation will go hand in hand with a mobile site. Think for a moment about how you would want a site to look on your mobile device. Visit several other locations on your device to see how they show up and what good ideas and bad ideas are used. This way you'll have a better idea of how to go about making your own site mobile and avoiding any unwanted mistakes.

Test your mobile site through various other websites. They'll often let you see what your site will look like through a variety of phones as images on the site. You may also have the chance to see your site through tablets or e-readers. Testing is an important part that should not be overlooked. You don't want to make your mobile site available only to realize much later that there is a glaring oversight. If people see it before you do, you can be sure that they're going to tell someone else, and this may very well lose you future visitors and potential customers.

Once you make your site mobile, don't be afraid to announce the changes on social networking sites you may be with. Let your Facebook followers know that your site is now mobile and looks great! Encourage them to visit and even provide feedback so you can further improve it. People love to be interactive with their favorite businesses and websites and this will also help spread good word of mouth (free advertising!) about the updates to your business. That's what you want, and then when more people visit your site with their mobile devices, you'll have exactly what they need waiting for them.




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