Best Practices for Mobile Websites | Mastermind Blog

Best Practices for Mobile Websites

mastermind October 19, 2011

According to Digital Buzz, mobile internet usage should take over desktop internet usage by 2014. Is your website optimized for mobile web browsers? Take heed of these best practices for developing mobile websites as you plan for the future or tweak your existing mobile site.

Best Practices:

Simplicity is key. Most mobile users visit websites with a specific goal in mind—whether it’s to find local stores, get contact information, or place a quick order, visitors should not have to navigate a full site to find answers. You should limit the number of pages on your site.
Follow your brand template. Use the same color palate and fonts as your full website to maintain familiarity and security. You want users to immediately recognize that they have reached the correct site even if it looks slightly smaller than the full site.
Fingers are less accurate than a mouse. It’s important to have a pared down, streamlined mobile site with lots of white space so users can easily tap the buttons they want.
Use drop down menus and limit text entry. Again, it can be hard for users to enter lots of information with their fingers so we encourage the use of drop down menus, checklists, and pre-populated fields to optimize forms. Log-in through Facebook and Twitter are also great options to speed up access.
No Java! No Flash! Most smartphones do not support Flash or Javascript. These design tools also considerably slow down loading and may deter visitors. You don’t need Flash or Java to create a great site.
Redirect visitors automatically. When someone visits your site from a mobile browser, it should automatically redirect them to the mobile site. It takes a little back end coding but creates a much better user experience.
Provide links to the full website. With a simplified mobile site, you’re bound to have a few visitors who are looking for something that’s only found on your full site. Include links to the full site on multiple pages.

Mobile sites should be a simplified, easy to navigate via finger version of your full site that showcases your brand and creativity. And don’t forget, Mastermind would be happy to guide you and your brand in the right direction.

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