Business and Mobile Web
Does My Business Need a Mobile Website?
For most businesses, an ideal website will be responsive to desktop computers, tablets and smart phones. When planning to design or redesign your website, however, you need to consider if you want to target a mobile audience. If so, what do you want to convey to them through mobile? Some statistics…
- 56% of people who own cell phone use their phone to go online
- 50% of smart phone owners use their phones for social media every day
- 34% of mobile website users would visit a competitor’s mobile site, if they had a bad mobile experience with a business
- 30% use their phone to decide whether to visit a local business, such as a restaurant or retail store
Top activities on Smartphones:
- access local information (maps, directions)
- search for general information
- participate in social media
- access news and entertainment
- find local services (ie., restaurants)
Since over half of cell phone users go online with their mobile devices, many businesses (especially local storefronts and restaurants) would benefit from a mobile site. To avoid frustrating your audience, consider the following details:
Mobile Web Design should:
- keep branding elements (logo, colors, etc.) consistent with the desktop website version
- simplify navigation, so it is easy to understand and select options from a smaller screen
- be thumb friendly–easy to click with little typing needed
- give an option to view the full website version
- use white space and minimal text for better viewing
- clearly show contact information, directions and map
If you think you need to have your website accessible by phone, then consider the design, target audience and goals. Analytic tracking of mobile activity is a must and should be implemented to gauge the value of the mobile site. Otherwise, how will you know if your efforts have delivered a good return on your investment?
Statistical data from Pew Internet
