Mobile devices have become larger than PC sales while 86% of adults own a mobile phone and 52% access the internet with it. Mobile Internet use is up because it’s more convenient and we carry them everywhere we go. Mobile Internet is becoming the Internet. To ensure these mobile users don’t encounter any problems when they try to access your website and interact with it, you need to have a mobile-friendly website.

Should My Business Have an App?

While apps are a good fit for some businesses, for most, a mobile website is a better solution. The problem with many apps produced by small to medium businesses is instead of enhancing someone’s mobile experience, they actually take away from it. If someone just wants to see when your business is open or if you’re currently having any sales, they can simply navigate to your mobile website and find out within a matter of seconds.

But with an app, they first have to download the app (which may require typing in their password for iTunes or an equivalent account), followed by going to their home screen and launching it. Because that can be a hassle, many people will simply abandon the process and go with a competitor that isn’t as complicated.

How to Make a Great Mobile Website

The most common mistake businesses make in regards to a mobile website is simply cloning their existing site. One of the main strengths of a mobile site is you can optimize it to provide the best possible experience on a smaller screen. Since what’s ideal for a 3.5″ iPhone screen is obviously going to be different than the best design for a 14″ laptop screen or 22″ desktop screen, here are the key areas of mobile website design where you want to focus:

Fast

While it’s fine to use images, be sure to compress them so that your site loads quickly even when it’s being transmitted over a slower mobile connection.

Easy to Read

Use large font sizes so people can read the text on your mobile site just by glancing at it.

Emphasize Contact Information

You’ll want to put the phone number and address for your business at the very top of your mobile site. You may also want to provide a map or at least a link that automatically loads your address into Google Maps.

Simplified Navigation

If your standard site has a lot of menus, you’ll want to consolidate them into a shorter list of mobile navigation options.

Ability to Switch

Although most people will prefer your mobile site, some may want to access your full site on their mobile device. To avoid frustrating them, be sure to add a Switch link to your mobile site’s footer.

Don’t Forget to Test

Prior to rolling out your new mobile website, don’t forget to ask your family and friends to test it out on their various mobile devices. Not only will this allow you to catch and fix any technical glitches, but it will also give you a chance to get feedback in terms of how usable people find your mobile site to be.

Once you’ve completed testing and ironed out any kinks, you can push the site live and start fully engaging potential customers regardless of where they’re accessing your site from!

Michelle Hummel is CEO of Web Strategy Plus a full-service digital marketing agency focused on Franchise Marketing. She was recently nominated for the Woman-Owned Business of the Year! She’s a passionate Social Media Trainer with 15+ years of successful online business development, sales, and marketing experience. She also holds a valuable Internet Marketing Degree however with the ever-changing world of web marketing she strives to learn something new every day.

She travels Nationwide visiting her 22 Social Media Enthusiasts Chapters delivering in-depth social media training. She also provides Social Media Certifications through founding Web Media University. A current contributing editor to The Franchise Dictionary Magazine and she has written 3 books in her series called, “The Social Media Magnet: Everything You Need to Know to Attract Customers with Social Media”, where she shares her best-kept secrets to success. She also specializes in helping Franchisors and Franchisees develop an integrated web marketing program to drive leads. She’s available for interviews via email, telephone, Skype video, news segments on location and more. Just let her know how she can help!