Mobile Websites are simple, affordable and ever so useful. But do I need one?

Smartphone use has done nothing but grow over the past few years and our carriers in Canada are making it easier to get on board with cheap and affordable data plans. If you are trying to find a way to reach new customers and improve the overall experience for your existing clients, then you may want to consider a mobile website as the solution.

Mobile websites differ from traditional websites because they are designed specifically to be optimized for quick loading times on mobile devices. The pages are simplified to the basics of your company but with new technology and web development languages you can make it a pretty awesome experience for your customers.

The other growing category with mobile devices is using them for search. Many customers are now in search of your local business using Google search or even Google maps on their phone. Google maps account for 50% of local search and if your website is not optimized for mobile use, your customers are using a slow site not designed for their phone or they could be viewing nothing at all on their phone! (No flash)

Now hopefully you see the value in a mobile website and here are a few tips when designing a mobile website:

• Be brief with the big picture and keep to the significant details about your company present
• Keep navigation clear, mobile friendly and simple to use
• Clutter should be minimal, keep it clean and simple
• Keep your social media profiles present and upfront

Once your mobile website is ready to go, you need to create awareness for your site. A standard in the mobile industry is to have a “redirect script” present on your current website. So if your customer searches and finds you, they will be “redirected” to a mobile version of your website.

Beyond a simple redirect script you are going to want to tweet, post, share, spread the word and you can even put up a QR Code that will redirect users to your mobile website. (Online advertising or PPC advertising are a great way to spread the word or if your on a budget, just tell your customers through a newsletter)

As your customers start treating their mobile phones like children of the family — you will want to ensure your ready for the wave!

Thanks for reading,

Josiah