Why Design Your Site For Mobile At All

Designing a site for mobile  platforms should never be
an afterthought,   with   mobile optimisation becoming
increasingly   important.   More  and  more people are
accessing  the  Internet on their phones, and are often
looking for particular  content or local services. Negle-
cting these  potential  audiences,  and not going down
the route of specialising  your  website, can mean that
you fail to stay in line with  the   many companies that
have   already  created  mobile   sites,   or   that   have
optimised their sites using responsive  design to make
them  more  accessible  to phones. Looking  at  these
areas  in  more  detail,  it’s  possible  to  reinforce why
designing a site for mobile is so crucial.





Larger Potential Audiences and Specialisation
In general, mobile sites reach out to a growing audience of people that are using their  smartphones to browse and making purchases online. The kind of audience that can be found through mobiles may also be one that will remain loyal to a high quality site if they know that can receive a consistent level of service from it on a daily basis. The mobile audience is one that is growing all the time, and can’t be ignored as faster 4G speeds, and competitive prices for data storage and different speeds mean that websites will be able to provide more dynamic features.

A mobile version of a site can also be effective at breaking down your main website to be more specialised, and more able to deliver rapid conversions. A mobile site tends to be more driven by simple tasks and essential content, and can also be based around particular apps that deliver more interaction and opportunities for customers to access targeted content. The demographic profile of early mobile Internet users also tends towards those that already spend significant amounts online, and can continue to do so when on the go with their phones or tablets.


Responsive Design
When putting together a mobile version of a site, it’s important to recognise that you don’t necessarily have to design a completely new site, but rather that you can use responsive design to make a site work across different platforms. Responsive design uses CSS and other programming tools to ensure that a site will appear at the correct resolution and size depending on what device is being used to view it. Web developers can program a site to be more responsive, in this way, with the benefit of preventing users from getting frustrated with information not being accessible.

Better SEO
Not developing a site for mobile is also questionable when you consider the major Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) benefits that it brings. SEO can identify keywords that can be placed onto mobile sites, as well as links and prominent content that can be used to boost positions in a search. Having a mobile site, or a site that’s optimised for mobile, can allow you to tailor your business for mobile search engine queries, as well as for localised searches - getting in ahead of rivals on a local basis can help to build brand loyalty.

Improved Social Networking
Sites designed for mobiles also work well as a way of integrating social media and networking strategies for a business. Mobile sites emphasise interaction, as well as up to date news and feeds from Twitter and other social networks; being able to make this content part of a site, but in a more prominent way on a mobile, can ultimately help to strengthen the connection between customers and a brand.