I’m often asked about mobile websites.  How are they different and do I need one?

The answer to the latter is a resounding yes!

According to Google, 40 % of all internet searches are currently being done on mobile devices.   We consumers use our smartphones for everything – information, news, entertainment, shopping, research, purchasing decisions, and much more.  Translation: if you’re not found via smartphone, you may not be found.

What’s even more intriguing is that an astonishing 85% of Americans are never more than three feet from their cell phones.  Many of us go to bed with our phone on a night stand, checking them first thing in the morning or just before sleeping.  While that’s not a habit I personally subscribe to, it’s a fact of our very mobile, very smartphone dependent culture.

A mobile website is no longer a luxury for your business to consider.  It is the new way of communicating with your customers.

What makes a site mobile?

Traditional websites are slow to load and hard to view and navigate (without pinch-zooming) on most mobile devices and tablets.  Mobile users are rarely “surfing” on your website.   They are looking for specific information on your brand and want quick access to your business – a phone number, contact form so they can leave a message, hours of operation, directions, etc.  Your mobile website needs to be a streamlined version of your current website.  It must render quickly and provide content that is both concise and relevant.

Mobile users want two things: they want fast information to utilize in a buying decision and they want to know how to reach you.  When planning a mobile website, it is imperative to prioritize content for the multi-tasking, on-the-go user.  While traditional websites often contain a wide array of content, mobile sites should include only the most crucial functions and features.

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Key information about your brand should be clearly presented but keep in mind that a mobile visitor is typically looking for specific information.  Features such as Click-to-Call and Click-for-Directions make it easy for consumers to call or find you.  These features allow for easy and convenient communication.

No longer just a trend…it’s a language we must learn to speak.

We’ve reached the point where using mobile and tablet technology is not just a trend.  Mary Meeker, head of Morgan Stanley’s global technology research team, predicts that within the next five years “more users will connect to the Internet over mobile devices than desktop PCs.”  Mobile technology is here to stay.  It is the new language of the internet.   Your website, your brand must be able to speak to mobile consumers in their language.

Let’s start talking, shall we?

image via Flickr