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Get Your Moneys Worth From Mobile Website Design

Mobile website design was considered a somewhat arcane art for quite a while, mostly because smartphones were so new and nobody knew quite what the mobile market was going to be like. But we’ve had a few years to break it down, and we’re getting used to it. Here’s what every small business’ SEO company needs to be doing to maximize their client’s profits from their mobile sites:

Make sure your mobile website queries for resolution and displays in the height and width correct for the device it’s displaying on. Too many times I’ve gone to a site on my Kindle Fire and found that it natively displayed in a column 2/3rds the width of my screen. That’s just bad design.

Optimize for navigation, not information. If you have to move information two clicks further along than it used to be, that’s OK — as long as the path to navigate to it is obvious and easy. A few more finger taps never dissuaded someone determined enough to browse on a mobile device in the first place, but being unable to find the information they want in a reasonable timeframe totally will.

Simplify, edit, simplify, cut the extra, and then simplify again. Traditional websites are meant to be viewed on a nice big screen, giving you comfortable places to put everything — and even then, the best, most usable websites often just have a big catchy graphic and several well-placed links. Mobile sites need to be even simpler than that: they need to maximize the core, relevant information and leave everything else to deeper pages that the surfer can click through to if need be. Breaking the http version of the site into multiple pieces and arranging them in an intuitive hierarchy is an excellent start — but removing the unnecessary bits is even better.

Keep your questions simple. The one thing that unites all smartphone users is a vague (or sometimes very specific) loathing of their keyboards. So if you can avoid forcing them to use their keyboards, do so. If your squeeze page can get by with a ZIP code and an email address, don’t ask for anything else.

Follow the fundamental law of mobile sites: user experience before all else, and your mobile website will be profitable in the end.

65 thoughts on “Get Your Moneys Worth From Mobile Website Design”

  1. I’ve been working on a website for a couple of months now, and I’m designing some themes, to make it where my users can pick a theme they want at their discretion, and I’ve ran across a few that are fluid layouts, but I prefer fixed, but would it be alright to have a mixture of fluid and fixed layouts, or should I just stick with fixed?

  2. Hi looking for a website that is designed for use on a mobile

    I have found gcsepod and bbc bitesize and do not provide me with enough info

    Gcse revision

    Thanks

  3. How do you make your website load a different page if the user is using a cell phone?

    what do I need to do to make the webpage work best for mobile users?

    Thanks!

  4. I need to design a mobile website and need a software. do yo know any software that can do this swiftly and easily. mind you, i do not know how to use codes.

  5. i have the new Nokia n900 and im wondering if i can use it to control and design my website…its not a blog or a page that needs only text to be intered.. is there any generic software for mobiles or a specific software for the maemo or an online web designer which could help….. thanks a lot

  6. I just found out that I can create my own website that can be accessed with my cellphone. I tried using Zinadoo (www.zinadoo.com). I created it and all, I published it, but apparently I can’t access websites ending in .mobi
    Know any other sites or programs where I can create my own mobile website?

  7. Hi I have my own website and I wanna make a,Mobile website or same as ipad so people can view it on their devices how can I do this please explain I use dreamweaver any videos any codes I’m very interest doing this and how do I put it on my website and just incase someone launch my website in their device with my website address how will it work I’m so interest in this!!

  8. Hello, I currently run a website design website at http://www.driveyourwebsite.co.uk.

    I was thinking about offering out designing mobile websites but I wasn’t too sure about the market for it.

    Do you think it is a good idea? How much would you roughly charge depending on the amount of pages?
    If you could also give me your opinions on my website (written above). Please be constructive with your criticisms or praise as all feedback is useful feedback and is highly appreciated. Thanks. 🙂

  9. Jeanelle the Retard

    I’m recreating my website to be viewable on a mobile phone, and just wondering what the average width and height for mobile phones are? I’m trying to create the background because it is not going to be plain white and I don’t want it to be too small or too large. I don’t really want to measure my phone because I don’t think mine is the average size. Any ideas?

  10. im working on my own website but want it to look different on mobile like to it show part when i use my mobile anybody know any examples of old codes i can look at , lets just say i google for like 2 hrs and counldnt find any good

  11. What are the main criteria to consider when developing a responsive website.. and any idea of the cost for 15 pages website

  12. Something that breaks down the design process (with a lot of visuals – wireframes, mockups, etc.)

  13. I have a mobile app and am evaluating services that can give me stats. I see Localytics is popular but the premium version is expensive. Google Analytics is free and now has a service for monitoring stats just for Apps. I am wondering what the features separate the two.

    (I have been doing research online and see that the Localytics team is diligent to reponding to questions like this. Note to Localytics staff, I realize Analytics is a service for website stats, but I am particular interested in knowing what features your premium product has over the fairly new Analytics app service)

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