Mobile Website Are A Must for Every Business
Whether we like it or not, mobile is fast becoming the preferred method of browsing the web and up to 50% of local searches are now performed on mobile devices. 
Currently in the U.K alone up to 8 milion people access the internet every day using ‘I phones’ or ‘smart phones’. So with approximately every other user viewing the web (and possibly your web site) via mobile phones, have you stopped to consider whether your website is mobile ready?
Many of you may think that your website is mobile friendly but how many of you have actually tested this by browsing your website from a mobile phone?
Statistics show that 80% of people will leave your website immediately if they have a bad mobile experience.
So what changes can you make to ensure that you offer a good mobile experience?
Be Speedy
Google claims that 60% of mobile web users expect a mobile site to load within 38 seconds or less and will not go on to recommend a business with a bad mobile site. Therefore it is imperative to ensure that your website is able to load quickly. There are various plug ins available, (especially if you have a word press site) that can help you to speed up your site.
Have Good navigation
Many mobile users generally use their thumb to navigate their way around a website therefore it is beneficial to have larger navigation buttons on your website to accommodate this. You will also need to make sure that your site consists of clear and effective ways to access important content. For example you do not necessarily need to have as many footer, header and side bars on your mobile site as you have on your traditional website. It is better to only include the ones that offer content that is most relevant to mobile internet users. 
Less Is More
It is important to remember that most mobile screens are considerably smaller than those of traditional pc’s hence lot of the traditional website content will appear shrunk when viewed on a mobile screen. With this in mind it is crucial to re think the content and images that you include within your mobile website. For example, make sure to include headlines that will grab the readers’ attention straight away and that your content, even in its shorter form, will still be compelling to read.
Using fewer images is also better for a mobile friendly website. Due to the reduced amount of space available, too many images will detract from the content. Reducing the size of the images will also help to reduce the loading time of your mobile site by up to 90%.
When re-designing your website to accommodate mobile web you will also need to ensure that you do not have any banners that may obscure your content on a smaller screen.
Include Footer link To Full Site
It is important to still include a link to your traditional, full size website as some people may still want to view additional content on your traditional site.
Automatic Mobile Device Detection
If your budget allows, setting up an automatic mobile detection that can automatically detect when to divert a mobile phone user to your mobile friendly site, can prove to be a great asset. Additionally, it is also important to analyse your mobile audience to identify how many people are using the mobile web version of your site and of those people what type of mobiles are they using? For example are more people using an ‘I Phone’ than a Blackberry. This information will allow you to develop your mobile website further to better accommodate your audience.
Without any doubt, mobile web is fast becoming the most popular way of searching for content on the world wide web. With mobile web usage growing so rapidly, it is vital for all businesses to ensure that not only are they using mobile marketing to reduce marketing costs and to increase revenue, but that they also have a website that’s mobile ready for those people browsing the internet from mobile devices. In a nutshell when re moulding your website to accommodate mobile internet users, companies need to take into account the main hurdles that need to be overcome including slower connection, slower screens and smaller screen sizes.
The good news is that, as previously mentioned, there are many ways to overcome these problem areas one of which is to install various plug ins, to ensure that your website is mobile ready. If you’re not sure what to do then seek some advice before it’s too late !
Kind Regards
ROY DERRICK
Tags: bad mobile experience, browsing your website from a mobile phone, develop your mobile website, internet from mobile devices, mobile internet users, Mobile web, Mobile web usage, mobile websites
