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WebiMax Blog

Digital marketing tips and advice.

Ring, Ring – It's Your Future Mobile Web Site Calling

admin, January 4, 2012

Search engine optimization and overall online marketing create exposure for your brand.  As online opportunities increase, savvy brands make appropriate decisions and implementations.  For instance, if this was five to ten years ago, I would be unwaveringly blogging, beseeching EVERY business owner to develop a Web site.  That sentiment is old news; (I hope your brand has the main site!) today, I am passionately asking business owners to consider orchestrating mobile Web sites.

It's hard to track down real-time facts related to mobile phone usage but Facebook's official statistics reflect more than 350 million active users leverage smartphone to access the social media platform.  The consumption of mobile devices rose in 2010, up 18% from the prior year.  I want those small business owners, who believe they can get away with just a main site, hoping the majority of consumers leverage home or work computers, to take a look at this statistic; usage is high at home (93%) and at work (72%).  Remember my opening sentiment; make appropriate decisions regarding opportunities.  You can't deny the benefit of hosting a mobile site.

Don't forget browsers, whether leveraging a laptop, desktop, or mobile device have options.  Ensure your mobile design emphasizes usability amongst other things I'm about to mention:

Streamlined Design
Branding focuses on developing associations with a company's desired market.  Through repeated exposure, a brand begins to take root in a consumer's long-term memory; a company's emblem, taglines, executives, products, etc. become immediately recognizable.  I suggest your Web design emulate the look of your main site regarding colors, fonts, and general layout.

Navigation
From a usability perspective, I think this is the most important aspect.  A mobile browser will disengage if it's highly difficult to navigate your mobile site.  Think simple.  What are the most important pages on your main site?  These get first priority regarding mobile implementation.  In addition, what are your site's most visited pages?  For instance, one could be a resource page.  Browsers, familiar with your main site, grown accustomed to resources, may expect your mobile site to host the same resources – something to think about.

Consistency
Use clear, concise, and clearly labeled links throughout the mobile site.  Consider making the fonts of links large; this is useful to those who are using fingertips.

Links
I think placing additional navigation links at the bottom of the page rather than the top is less obtrusive to browsers.   Remember, consumers, want information fast and readily available.

Optimize for Multiple Devices
This is the portion of the mobile design phase that designers love the most – ensuring your site is optimized for the multitude of mobile devices available on the market.  For instance, your site may look dynamite from a Blackberry but lacks usability from an iPhone perspective.  You don't want to alienate any users; it's necessary to be diligent in checking your site from multiple devices.

Need an Expert Contributor?

Ken Wisnefski is a seasoned web entrepreneur and a frequent contributor to news outlets and business publications. Ken’s vast knowledge of how to make online businesses succeed has made him a sought after consultant from businesses wishing to improve their online initiatives. Contact pr@webimax.com to collaborate!

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