Simply developing a mobile website is not enough these days. If businesses are to reach people everywhere, they need to implement a proper strategy to reach and engage mobile users. People crave information and they want it delivered fast, but speed alone won’t make your digital properties successful with mobile users. Follow the steps below to learn what will:
Mobile-friendly website design
Just because your current website is performing well doesn’t mean it is mobile friendly. The manner in which your website performs can change dramatically when viewed on mobile devices, which means you may be turning off customers without even realizing it. Consider revamping your website to remove graphics or videos that cause your page to load slowly. You can also have a unique mobile version of your website, which is actually a subdomain of your main site where users who browse via smartphones or tablets are automatically redirected.
Focus on user experience
Mobile searchers are more likely to be concerned with their user experience (UX) than users who search on desktops. As such, your goal should be to provide interaction with customers whenever possible.
For example, a beauty salon might allow visitors to “try on” different hairstyles using a photograph of themselves, while a cooking site could suggest a menu based on a list of ingredients. In the end, you want your customer experience to be seamless, which is why making your site as user-friendly as possible is so important.
Although not required, a mobile application may sometimes be preferred over a mobile website if it improves the overall user experience.
Encourage purchasing decisions
If people are interacting with your website, odds are that they will be more inclined to make a purchase. You’ll want to make it as easy as possible for them to do so by ensuring that shopping cart and payment information is readily accessible. If they must navigate through multiple pages or perform an excessive amount of scrolling, they might become discouraged and leave. As such, any calls-to-action you have should be simple to find and highly visible, but not to excess.
Location-based services (LBS)
Take advantage of location-based services (LBS) to provide your users with useful information while they are visiting a given area. Location-based services are software applications that utilize information about where a mobile device is located in order to better target them with offers. Allowing your customers to opt into location-specific offers makes it more likely that these individuals will respond positively to any deals you do provide. Location-based services are great for spurring impulse buys, particularly if you use them to notify people about unannounced sales or special one-time offers.
A successful mobile strategy will include all of these things combined, but can actually involve quite a few other elements, including mobile ads and mobile app monetizing. Your strategy should be tailored toward your particular business, and carefully evaluated from time to time to ensure it keeps pace with changing technology.
