"What worked for the desktop web simply won’t work for mobile," says user experience consultant Karen McGrane.
We couldn't agree more.
Many businesses see the advent of the mobile web as a huge challenge, but done right, it's a huge opportunity. Delivering content adapted for mobile devices both serves your customers and makes sound business sense.
The thing is, the mobile market isn't going away. The number of devices has already outstripped the earth's population and more than a third of cell phone owners do most of their browsing from their phones, says Pew Internet.
Add to that the rise in smartphone and tablet ownership and you can see that it's a market you can't afford to ignore.Interest in wearable computing will exacerbate the mobile trend as these devices become more affordable and more widespread.
Here are some of the advantages of adapting to the mobile content revolution.
1. Better Customer Information
A recent study found that half of all mobile users will share their location in exchange for relevant offers. That means that you can acquire richer customer information to improve targeting and build a stronger relationship with your customers.
2. More Sales
Google's Mobile Path to Purchase study found that more than half of mobile device users want to make a purchase within the hour after researching and a significant number were want to make a purchase within the next day. Get the right information in their hands and 93% go on to make a purchase.
That's much better than the average for desktop computer users. Catering for mobile users will improve your bottom line as this customer segment continues to grow.
3. A Faster Website
Check your web analytics and you will see an increase in the number of people using mobile devices to browse your site. If it's too slow, they will leave.
Google favors a sub-1-second page load speed to target mobile users and has recently updated its page speed insights tool to give data on how websites perform on mobile devices. Follow the recommendations and you can easily troubleshoot speed issues.
The faster your customers can access information, the better your site is likely to convert. It's why we recommend a mobile first approach to web design.
4. A Better User Experience
That same tool also targets usability errors, such as tiny tap targets (which mean that mobile users can't navigate your site easily).
Mobile users expect to be able to move quickly through content, fill in forms, make purchases and more without any hassle or excessive amounts of pinching and zooming. This is difficult when content is designed for desktop users.
Again, think mobile first. Karen McGrane says that if you're not sure whether particular content should be on mobile it probably doesn't need to be on the desktop.
5. Improved Content Delivery
Content is what attracts customers, and content is what retains them. Giving the people who visit your site what they want in a form that works for mobile devices will pay off by getting you attention and building authority over time.
Don't think that mobile adapted content always means short content. It's not about a reduced experience; it's about chunking your content to give on-the-go users a quick snapshot, while linking to more depth that they can consume at leisure later.
Whether you choose a hybrid app, a CMS or a combination to deliver content depends on your business needs, mobile adapted content delivery isn't in the far future; it's what you need to do now.
