Mobile Website Development: Why the World is Going Mobile

As the world becomes further driven by technology, the ongoing trend seems to be that everything is going mobile.  Every day there are new apps being developed to help you exercise, organize, or cook, and they are all at your fingertips in that small handheld device most users couldn’t go a day without. Cell phones are not just for communicating anymore, they serve a much bigger need than that. Just think about how much you use your phone on a daily basis. Here’s an example scenario:

You invite your friend over to your house so you can both decide on where to go for dinner and take one car. She gets there, and you both are drawing a blank. You are doing the whole, “look up to the ceiling to try to figure out where there is to eat and go down every street in town in your head.” You then both decide to just look it up on Urbanspoon.com. Odds are, you have used your mobile phone to perform this task.

I am guilty of this too. I could even have my laptop sitting right beside me, and I will still look up information on my phone. This is because my phone is always attached at my hip, it’s smaller, and it’s portable. I can drive while my friend looks up directions, numbers, etc. on her mobile phone. And think about the Urbanspoon website for a minute.  If you look this up on your phone (or even have the app), it is easy to navigate, simple to understand, and you can get all the information you need with just a tap of your finger on the screen. The reason for this is Urbanspoon has made sure their website is mobile-compatible.

Mobile-compatibility means having a website that can be viewed on mobile devices and not take away from the overall message.  Continuing with the Urbanspoon example, on the left you can see Urbanspoon.com pulled up on a regular PC. On the right is the mobile version. While not as visually appealing, the mobile version still has all the necessary information the user could want, and the screen is clear and legible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 As a business owner, it is crucial to have your website compatible with mobile devices. Users are constantly on-the-go. If they need to find your contact information, but your site is difficult to navigate on a mobile device, the user will most likely give up. In general, you have a 3 second window to capture your audience’s attention, and for mobile users this is extremely true. Consumers expect websites to perform as well or even better on their mobile devices.

Not all mobile websites have to look like the Urbanspoon example, but what is important to note is that mobile users aren’t looking for bright colors or eye-catching images. They want information as fast as they can get it, so keep it simple and clean. Whether you have been in business for a while or are just starting out, it is imperative your website is mobile-compatible, or you could get lost in the shuffle.

Over the past few months CTSI has been working to help clients develop their mobile websites, and feel free to download our brochure here for more information.

That’s all for this week everyone, and let me know any comments or questions you guys have in the comments below!

 

Thanks for listening!

Julie