Monday, 25 May 2015

A 5 Step Checklist for Developing a Mobile-friendly Website.


Should I make my website mobile-friendly or not? This is a complete no-brainier question when even Google has joined the bandwagon and emphasized the importance of having mobile-optimized websites with its new update, Mobilegeddon. More than 3/4th population of the world is using smart-phones to access the internet and most of them are of the opinion that all websites must be mobile-friendly, otherwise, the website is of no use. Mobile optimization is the need of the hour. The only thing that determines whether the mobile website will be a success or a failure, is the manner in which the steps are executed. In this article, I will enlist a 5-point checklist that must be remembered in order to make a successful mobile website.

1. Know the Needs and Demands of your Target Audience
 
The first thing you need to consider while making a website is what your target audience wants. Do they need information about the services and products? Do they need the ability to register and make their own accounts? Before you move on to the next step, you must be well aware of the requirements of your target audience.
2. Have a Clear Understanding of Technology 

There are a lot many design options available like responsive design or mobile-specific design. You need to make the appropriate choice depending on the needs of your target audience. Get a clear and in-depth knowledge of the technology that would be used to construct the website. If your visitors want the same user experience as the desktop environment, responsive design is the best fit. If the visitor wants only few limited functions, consider building a mobile-specific website.


3. Test the Design well before Deployment

Make sure all the links in your website are working correctly. Keep the navigation simple. Check how the layout and buttons look on your mobile device to understand what adjustments are to be made to make the buttons and links easily click-able. Remember, different people have different sized fingers and the design should appeal to all. If you have an e-commerce website, walk through the complete shopping experience on the mobile website. There would be many intricacies that needs to be taken care off in a mobile website and testing the design before deployment ensures that all these minute details and flaws are corrected properly.

 
4. Use More Visualizations
 
Trying to fit a lot of written content in a mobile website tends to look messy. All designers must keep in mind that the screen size of mobile devices is limited and too much of written content can cause stress to the eyes of the visitor. Try to keep the content as much visual as possible. Images, info-graphics are the best way to make sure that your message is delivered in a short yet effective way.


5. Keep Track of the Website Analytics
 
Search engine rankings, bounce rates are important metrics that gives you the idea on how well your mobile-optimized site is performing as compared to the desktop one. Keep a close look at these analytics to remain updated about the latest trends and insights.



Finally, understanding the complete concept behind web design and development is the key to success. Upgrading your website design using the latest technologies will keep increasing the website traffic and make it more user friendly. If you are not equipped with the resources needed to develop a good website, hiring a professional web design company to do the job can prove to be a fruitful investment.

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