Hilton: “Only 50% of big brands are optimised for mobile. That’s a lot of poor brand experiences”

Simon Hilton, Mobile Embrace’s solutions expert is often asked the question; Should I advise my client to optimise their website for mobile? The question is a pertinent one as mobile internet access is set to overtake desktop in the next 12 months globally.

So what does Simon say? “A simple review of web traffic analytics is the key to making this call. If 10% or more of a website’s traffic is coming in from mobile devices, then the answer is yes. On average most websites have mobile traffic of nearly 40%, and if a site isn’t optimised for mobile, it’s likely that most are having a less-than-perfect brand experience. With such a significant proportion of your potential sales moving on to competitor sites that work, mobilising web content is essential.

And if your client hasn’t asked the question, take a look for them. It’s astonishing that only 50% of big brands are optimised for mobile. That’s a lot of poor brand experiences.”

What are the options? Basically there are two; create a responsive site using your existing website content that adjusts in size to various mobile devices and pay the hefty costs, or develop a bespoke content platform taking only essential information and incorporating the functionality of mobile.

And while the responsive experience should be the end goal, you simply don’t want to push all your desktop content onto mobile.

Says Hilton: “People snack on mobile content and feast on desktop, so each platform can and should deliver a slightly different user experience.”

Hilton’s top five guide to developing bespoke content for mobile:

1.     Don’t reinvent the wheel. You don’t need to create new material or offer different content on your m-site – just offer an edited version of your website. Be prepared for multiple edits until you’ve captured the primary message and shown that first. If you don’t do this your visitors will be annoyed and frustrated and you might as well have saved your money.

2.     Be guided, not hindered by the touch screen. Your content needs to be tight on mobile as each element must work on a much smaller screen. However this need not be a limitation. Some of the best m-sites use Parallax design, which is just one big page that you scroll down. Navigation is simplified, content doesn’t need to be scaled as it’s shown in a hierarchy, plus fonts are legible and buttons are of a useable size. A great example of this format is the music app Spotify.

3.     Get into a mobile mindset. Understand how your customers are likely to use your new mobile site. Mostly they are going to be task orientated; looking for a store location, pricing, contact numbers or reading a review. This is not the place for a flashy brand showcase – keep functionality your key priority.

4.     Use the capabilities of mobile. Wherever possible incorporate the native functionality of mobile into your content. Think of a smartphones basic functions and ensure these elements are part of your design. That means every phone number has a tap-to-call function, every email contact point sends messages, maps are available to locate offline premises and events have the option of instantly installing reminders into calendars.

5.     Keep it small. This is actually the first rule of creating an m-site. Your file sizes should be the least they can be. Nobody likes waiting for bells and whistles to load. People just want to do what they need to do and get out. So your m-site needs to work and quickly. Every load time second counts in the battle for positive brand experiences and sales.

Simon Hilton is a solutions expert at Mobile Embrace – a leading mobile advertising and m-payments company with its own leading premium network of m-sites and apps that provides brands with reliable, trusted advertising environments.