Mobile Landscape 101: Part Three- Mobile Websites

When mobile devices first became popular, all anyone could talk about were Applications.They were popular because connection to the internet through phone companies was still slow; an application could be downloaded and used offline without waiting for frustratingly slow load speeds. However, in recent years, as mobile internet speeds improve, more people are using their mobile to search for and access information. This is why mobile websites are now vital to the future success of a business.

Why does a regular website need to be customised for someone using a smartphone to access it?

Very good question!

There are three main reasons why your business needs a dedicated mobile website:

• Normal websites are difficult to read and to navigate on a mobile device, particularly phones.The text runs off the page and the links are too small to be pressed easily.
• Search engines are recognising when a user is on a mobile phone and allocating higher ranking to those businesses who have a mobile website design.
• Mobile interfaces provide additional opportunities to connect with consumers, including geo-locating technology and quick links that tie in with other applications like maps.These additional features can send your customer right to you or have them calling your office with a simple press on the screen.

What’s the difference between a mobile website and a mobile application?

A Mobile Application is a separate piece of software that needs to be downloaded from the Application store of a user’s operating platform.

Mobile Apps require significant development and potentially maintenance but also provide the business the opportunity to customise the user experience quite significantly. You also need to create an app for each of the major operating systems; Apples iOS, Google’s Andriod and even Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. Mobile Apps are preferred for products with high levels of sustained usage like games or banking platforms.

When you create a mobile website, on the other hand, you are building a version of your current website developed for someone on a smartphone regardless of the operating system they have. Customers use their internet browser, like Safari or Chrome, to navigate to your website. There is no downloading required and the information isn’t available when they are no longer connected to the internet.

What does a mobile website look like?

A mobile web design will look similar to your current website, with the design and layout changed so that it fits comfortably on the mobile device. The most important information for a customer on-the-go should be easily accessible. Simple interface and big buttons is the rule. Here is an example of one of our clients’ sites.

What will a mobile website do for my business?

A mobile website will make information about your business easily accessible to consumers using their mobile phones. Typically in a situation where consumers are using a mobile phone, they want information quickly and easily. With a mobile website, your business will get:

• higher traffic from customers on-the-go
• increased engagement including more clicks and longer time spent browsing
• a higher rank in searches from mobile devices

To create a mobile website is simple but you need great mobile web design to really make an impact on the consumer. Great design comes from understanding your consumer and years of experience in developing excellent websites. Need a mobile website expert? Look no further than Complete Cloud.