Good Design for Mobile Websites

More and more organizations are contemplating having a mobile version of their website. Creating one may seem like an overwhelming task, which it certainly could be, but when you break it down into phases it can be much more palatable.

A phased approach might be:

• Create a one page mobile site. This can allow users easy access to specific links, which already exist on the full site. Since they're directed to the existing site it will most likely not be optimized for their device, but users are currently fairly patient with viewing existing sites on their phone. As more and more organizations and businesses optimize their sites for mobile devices that patience will wear thinner and thinner.


• Create a condensed version of your current site. Note what your visitors most likely will want on the go. Are they "browsers," those that like to kill time on your site while hanging out, or "searchers," looking for something specific such an event location or article? Your mobile site can be stripped down to include access to only the most valuable information, which can save big dollars while improving your relationship with members.


• Create a full-blown version of your current site. This means translating every single piece of information on your site to work well on a mobile device, allowing users full access to resources, events, etc. on the go. If you have a database driven site, setting up a separate, mobile version of the pages to pull from the database. How large is such an undertaking? About the size of a website redesign, if not larger. There is a thought process involved that's quite different from traditional websites, and that may be hard to get used to at first. For example, there's not an easy way to test how the site will look on every single device so there will be a lot of trial and error. There are some overall best practices we will touch on to promote acceptance across most devices.

DESIGN GUIDELINES

Nielsen Norman Group's recent "Usability of Mobile Websites" study reveals 85 design guidelines for improving website access through mobile devices. Some of the highlights are:

• Detect if users are coming to your site on a mobile phone and direct them to your mobile site.
• Include a link to your mobile site on your full site and vice versa.
• Include the company location or name in a salient location at the top of the mobile homepage. Include the logo on every page of the site and make it link to your homepage.
• Clickable area should be at least 1cm x 1cm for touch phones
• Include a link to the navigation on every page of your mobile site.

The entire report can be purchased by visiting
http://www.nngroup.com/reports/mobile

HOW TO BUILD ONE

Coding-wise, mobile sites are built in the same manner as a regular site. HTML, CSS, PHP, etc. are all acceptable. Mobile sites can be viewed in a web browser; they just look strange. Try visiting http://www.bendingdesign.mobi from your web browser as well as your mobile device. Can you tell which one this site was optimized for?

Depending on your situation, easing into a mobile site may be the way to go. Start small but with a big vision, and you will find yourself moving down the right path. From there it will get easier and easier. And remember, by starting down the path you stand to gain an advantage—most organizations have nothing. Your audience will appreciate it.

Contact me to discuss integrating QR codes within your marketing.

The New Rules of SEO

The new rules are about a lot more than keywords and meta tags - what a difference a little time makes in regards to search engine optimization. Google's constantly trying to enhance the quality of its search results by selecting pages with the most value, so while meta tag description and keywords, page titles and friendly urls still have their place, there's a lot more to consider, including:

• Social media marketing - shared content adds value. The more people share your content, the more people link to it, the better chance for high placement.
  
• Internal linking - make sure to include a lot of relevant links to content within your site, and use descriptive link names.
  
• Analytical data - there is speculation that Google is using average time on site and other analytics to help determining its rankings. Make sure to especially pay attention to your bounce rate - the lower it is the better. Back in April of last year Google announced that they are using site speed in their search rankings.
  

The bottom line is to make sure you have a quality overall website. How the site is written, structured, designed and built makes a huge difference. The smaller the pages are to load, the more relevant the content, the better the overall user experience and the happier your users will be. Happy users result in more visitors and lower bounce rates. Take your time in developing the content and thinking through your website instead of rushing to get it out there, and your rankings will show their appreciation.

Thoughts from Cusp

Each September I look forward to the onslaught of ideas, inspiration and utter amazement at a conference known as Cusp. Put on by our friends at smbolic, the Cusp Conference is about the design of everything. And this year, like all others, it delivered. From cartoons to education, prosthesis to film, there was never a dull moment. Amazing musical performances were sprinkled throughout the conference, giving our brains some downtime to relax and enjoy the show.

Although everyone was truly amazing, here are some tidbits that stood out to me...

Matthew Diffee, Cartoonist for The New Yorker:


Kirby Ferguson, writer, producer, director and editor of Everything is a Remix:



...and some notes and thoughts I jotted down throughout the conference.

Kickstarter.com for artists' crowdfunding
Had an idea, created a product, empowered locals to self-produce, made a difference
"Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity." - Edwin Land
Entrepreneurs focus on unfortunate opportunities
"We can't solve the world's problems by using the same kind of thinking that we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein
Get involved locally and demand the best in your child's education
Use design thinking to solve big, messy challenges. "Is there anything we cannot do?"
Use fear to make yourself better
Van Phillips. Amazing.
Do what you are
Robotics, physics, software engineering and design for a Die Hard battery commercial with Gary Numan (behind the scenes here)
If we can replace 85% of the body, are we still human?
Ordinary can be extraordinary if you take the time to recognize it
Citizenscience - using gaming to help science: Phylo

Phew!