In the business world, the need for a strong online presence has never been so real. But these days, is it enough to create that presence from a desktop, for a desktop? Today’s consumers don’t think so, and here’s why…

Convenience

When a consumer views a site on a mobile device, they’re looking for that convenience factor. Does the site fit the device’s screen? Is the content easy to read? Does it load quickly when they scroll up and down the page? If the answer to these questions is yes, congratulations. Your site is convenient for mobile device users. However, if the answer to even one of these questions is no, your site may not be as mobile-friendly as you think.

Remember, when people view sites that aren’t compatible to their devices, they become easily frustrated. They lose that sense of convenience that they’re used to getting from that device. Rather than wait for a site to load or zoom in to see the content, they may decide to go somewhere else for their information or give up their search altogether.

Competition

Consumers generally like businesses that are willing to “hop on the bandwagon” and adjust to their specific wants and needs… and there’s a good chance your competition already knows that.

Take a minute out of your day to check out your competitor’s sites on various mobile platforms. If their sites are mobile-friendly, you’re already a step behind in consumer’s minds. This just means it’s twice as important for you to take action and make the necessary adjustments right away. It’s safe to assume that no one wants their site to fall behind the times.

On the other hand, if your competitors haven’t already, they’ll likely adapt a mobile-friendly design for their site in the near future. After all, it’s 2017 and mobile is a way of the world. Use their delay to your advantage and get with this popular trend as soon as possible.

Consumer Expectations

These days, consumers spend so much time on their mobile devices that they pretty much expect sites to be mobile-compatible. So when they aren’t, consumers find themselves feeling disappointed in the site. A bad experience on a site can lead consumers to develop a negative brand perception – and while one disappointed consumer may not seem like a big deal, multiple disappointed consumers are.

Think about the last restaurant you went to. If you had ordered steak and received salad you’d be pretty disappointed, right? The same concept applies in every industry. When a consumer has certain expectations, it becomes your job to meet them before your business suffers. In this case, consumers are becoming more and more used to seeing mobile-friendly sites. Therefore, non-responsive sites should be adapting their design to meet this expectation and avoid disappointing consumers.

Though there are many reasons to make your site mobile-compatible for today’s consumers, these three C’s are among the biggest. Overlooking even one of these things can be detrimental to a business’s image and overall sales.

However, as you may have guessed, it’s not enough to just decide that going mobile is a good idea. Designing or converting your site into a mobile platform can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. Some choose to avoid the hassle and hire a developer or designer. Those who do it themselves may choose to use mobile plugins, a conversion platform, or a responsive theme via a site like WordPress. Before joining the Mobile Takeover, you’ll need to research the options and decide which is best for you and your site.

When it comes time to design your mobile-friendly site, here are a few important things to remember:

1. Present Your Information Effectively
The difference between a mobile site and a desktop site lies within the presentation of the information. When viewing your site on a mobile platform, you want to make sure to present only the most important content. Consider the fact that people will be consuming the information on your site while “on-the-go.” Because of this, the most critical information and visual elements should be placed right up front. Get straight to the point by making this content big and easy to read/see. In simpler terms, no one’s interested in reading a book on their phone so filter that information appropriately!

2. Use Small Graphics
Using large graphics on a site is perfectly fine – as long as they’re disabled on mobile devices. Big pictures, videos, or animated effects tend to load slowly on mobile platforms due to connection issues. If you can, avoid using these extra elements as they can decrease the speed of your site and cause unnecessary frustration among consumers. Large, flashy graphics may be nice to look at, but will cause more trouble than they’re worth in the long run.

3. Test Your Site on All Platforms
It’s important to make sure that your site is active and adapting well to ALL mobile platforms. Smartphones are an obvious priority when it comes to mobile-friendly software, but they’re not the only device people will be searching for information on. Many times, consumers will use tablets, small computers, and even TV’s for similar reasons. Double check that your site automatically adjusts to provide the best experience on any screen size. If it doesn’t, you may lose a significant part of your audience to frustration.

Thanks for reading about the Mobile Takeover! We want to hear from you now. What are your thoughts on today’s mobile-obsessed consumers? Let us know in a comment below!

—Amanda Myers, Copywriter at BoydTech Design, Inc.