Mobile Web articles, mobile web books, resources, tips, and tools to help you succeed.

February 1, 2012
by Deltina Hay
790 comments4+Reasons+Why+You+Need+a+Mobile+Website2012-02-01+19%3A06%3A29Deltina+Hay

4 Reasons Why You Need a Mobile Website

My website displays fine in mobile browsers, even if it is a little small. What’s the big deal?

Unfortunately, just having a mini version of your existing website is not going to cut it. You need a mobile version of your website that addresses all of the following issues.

1. Load Time

A website designed for mobile will load in around four or five seconds, while a traditional website can take as long as 40 seconds to load on a mobile device. Not only will this lead to much frustration for your site visitors, but it will also keep your site from placing well in mobile directories.

2. Mobile Directories

Even if your site displays properly in mobile browsers, it may not be indexed by mobile search algorithms. When one uses a search engine on a mobile device, the search query accesses a separate index maintained for mobile content. If your website is not optimized for mobile search engines, it will not place well in such search results.

3. Mobile Browser Standards

Mobile browsers do not work the same as desktop browsers. They do not render video, Flash, image galleries, and many other software and scripts in the same manner as desktop browsers. Most mobile browsers simply ignore Flash. If your site uses Flash or other proprietary software, it may not load in mobile browsers at all. A mobile version of your website that adheres to mobile standards as set by W3C’s mobile web initiative will solve these issues.

4. User Experience

As discussed in a previous post, users have different expectations when browsing with mobile devices. Not only are they seeking specific information when they land on your site, but they also expect an experience that is consistent with the device they are using. If you force users to do the “pinch and pull” in order to read your content or navigate your site, they will probably move on.

You want to maintain as much control as possible when it comes to how browsers display your content as well as what content is most accessible to your mobile site visitors. Always keep your users in mind, and present your site and content in a way that is most convenient for them and the device they use.

This excerpt was paraphrased from The Boostrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web by Deltina Hay.

###

Deltina Hay is the author of The Bootstrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web and The Social Media Survival Guide. She is a veteran developer and programmer with over 25 years experience. She also blogs at SocialMediaPower.com, SocialMedia.biz, and Technorati. Deltina teaches the graduate level social media certificate course for Drury University. You may also enjoy her video tutorials on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to our RSS feed.

January 24, 2012
by Deltina Hay
560 commentsHow+People+Use+the+Mobile+Web2012-01-24+10%3A00%3A33Deltina+Hay

How People Use the Mobile Web

People browse differently on mobile devices than they do on their desktop computers.

Mobile device users don’t typically “surf” the Internet using mobile devices. Their motives tend to be more intentional and action-based. They usually know what it is they are looking for and are more likely to act once they find it. Consumers use mobile search mostly to access local information, stay informed, buy products, and download music and video.

In a study from Google conducted by Ipsos OTX:

Search engine websites are the most visited websites, followed by social networking, retail, and video sharing websites
Nine out of 10 smartphone searches results in an action (purchasing, visiting a business, etc.)
95% of smartphone users have looked for local information
88% of these users take action within a day, indicating these are immediate information needs
79% of smartphone consumers use their phones to help with shopping, from comparing prices and finding more product info to locating a retailer

Take these facts into consideration when creating your mobile website. When a potential customer lands on your site, assume they are there for a specific purpose. Try and predict the customer’s intentions, and make certain there is a way for them to take action easily without navigating away from your site.

It is important that your site is properly optimized for mobile devices. If your site loads too slowly, does not clearly present actionable items, or if content and buttons are too small for visitors to access, they will likely move on.

This excerpt was paraphrased from The Boostrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web by Deltina Hay.

###

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to our RSS feed.

January 19, 2012
by Deltina Hay
610 commentsWhy+the+Mobile+Web+and+Why+Now%3F2012-01-19+20%3A02%3A53Deltina+Hay

Why the Mobile Web and Why Now?

The mobile web is upon us whether we are ready or not!

There is a lot of hype out there about how many people own mobile devices and how much time people spend on them.

Indeed, look at some overall numbers:

There are presently 5.3 billion mobile device subscribers.
There will be nearly as many mobile devices as there are people in the world by 2015.
There are 48 million people in the world who have mobile phones, even though they do not have electricity at home.
SMS (text messaging) traffic is expected to break 8 trillion in 2011.

So everyone has or will have a mobile device. What’s the big deal? What does this matter to our website optimization or online marketing efforts?

The following numbers reveal the impact more clearly:

By 2012, almost all mobile devices produced will be able to access the Internet.
There will be 788 million mobile-only Internet users by 2015.
By 2014, mobile Internet browsing will surpass desktop browsing.
Mobile ad revenue will sky rocket to $20.6 billion by 2015.
Shopping on the mobile web will reach $119 billion in 2015.

Now the issue is not that everyone has a mobile device, but that they all have Internet access via that device—many of them access the web only through their mobile device. More importantly, they are taking advantage of that access by searching, purchasing, and clicking through on mobile ads at unprecedented rates.

This is great news for those of us who market on the Internet. But it can be equally bad news for those who are not prepared for this mobile opportunity.

Imagine that someone visits your website from their mobile device and your site loads so slowly the user just moves on to the next site in their search results. Or, perhaps your site eventually loads, but with no images and with a gaping hole where that spiffy piece of Flash you paid so much for is supposed to play. Or worse, the user receives a message from their browser informing them that your site cannot be viewed on their mobile device. These are very possible scenarios for a website that is not mobile-ready.

There are many things you can do to get your existing website ready for the mobile web, as well as other tactics you can use to market within the mobile web. Stay tuned as we explore these tactics in more detail…

This excerpt was paraphrased from The Boostrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web by Deltina Hay.

###

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to our RSS feed.

January 6, 2012
by Deltina Hay
320 comments2012-01-06+16%3A59%3A17Deltina+Hay

Announcing The Bootstrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web

I am excited to announce that my next book, The Bootstrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web: Practical Plans to Get Your Business Mobile in Just a Few Days for Just a Few Bucks, will be released by Quill Driver Books in April 2012. The final version has been sent to the publisher and the review copies are being printed!

The Bootstrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web is a complete guide to getting you and your business ready for the mobile web. The mobile web is upon us whether we like it or not, and you need to be ready. This book can help you choose the best mobile website solution, whether or not you need a mobile app, and what other mobile trends you should be implementing.

Like my last book, The Social Media Survival Guide, this book offers real-world, step-by-step examples, tons of resources, and worksheets to help you with your overall mobile web strategy and plan.

Some of the topics covered in the book include:

How people use the mobile web, why it is different from the traditional Internet, and why you need to be prepared.
How to decide the best solution for your mobile website.
Step-by-step examples of methods and tools used for creating mobile websites.
Issues like mobile traffic redirection and search optimization as they apply to mobile websites.
A worksheet for creating your mobile website strategy.
Reasons you might—or might not—want a mobile app, and options for preparing one.
Real-world examples of methods and tools for creating mobile apps.
A worksheet for creating your mobile app strategy.
Other mobile tactics like QR codes, location-based marketing, mobile ad campaigns, and SMS marketing.
The future of the mobile web such as augmented reality, near field communication, new search optimization techniques, and more.

This is the only book you will need to plan your entire mobile web presence. I hope you pre-order The Bootstrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web today!

And, if you are a tech book reviewer, email me if you would like an ARC.

Deltina Hay