It’s no secret that smartphones are in the hands of the majority of consumers today. Couple that with 3G/4G mobile network speeds and it’s no wonder you’ve seen an increase in mobile devices accessing your website. Gone are the days when people wait to get home to search the Internet from their desktop computer. They do so anytime, anywhere from their smart phones; checking product reviews, comparing prices and even purchasing.

For this reason, it’s become increasingly important that you ensure the content consumers are looking for is easily accessible through a mobile website optimized for a variety of devices.

If your website was built using proper web standards, you may notice that it renders fairly well on a smart phone or tablet. This may satisfy some site owners who aren’t thinking of the bigger picture. There are two important factors that tend to be overlooked when considering a mobile website – usability and data transfer.

Usability – Navigating a website on a mobile device that has been designed for web browsing through a computer/laptop can be quite cumbersome, especially if Flash or a drop-down menu is involved. Accessing a specific menu item or page area can involve a lot of zooming, horizontal panning and scrolling. This can create a poor user experience, leaving visitors frustrated and abandoning your site.

Data Transfer – Most websites are full of images and functionality that can require a fair amount of data transfer. Some of these features may be necessary, but many are added for visual appeal and can be left out when browsing on a mobile device. Removing these elements not only helps load pages faster but it also puts the content as priority.

Creating a mobile optimized website will allow your consumers to find the content they want within a few easy clicks and load each page quickly without putting a strain on their mobile data plan. This will create a better user experience that leaves a positive impression of your brand; increasing traffic, user engagement, lead generation and sales.

If you’re considering a mobile website, here some general guidelines to consider:

• Only include content most important to your consumer.
• Create a simple navigation system with large buttons.
• Strip any unnecessary images to speed up the data transfer.
• Do not use Flash, most mobile browsers will not display it.
• Provide a link to your full website should consumers want to access all your content.

Q4 2011 Mobile Stats Infographic (Click Image to Enlarge)

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