We live in a mobile world. It’s no secret that every part of our lives has been infiltrated with quick access to Google via smartphones. Our phones have become an extension of our daily lives. As consumers change, so are how businesses are forced to relate to them. Enter the world of mobile web design.
It’s no surprise that mobile internet usage exceeded desktop usage, mainly because smartphone ownership in the United States continues to rise. This shift towards mobile (responsive) web design means that the search for products and services internet users will be utilizing their smartphones to find businesses more than ever before. This was a foreseeable trend that most large corporations prepared for.
If you have a Alaska web site presence that isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you could miss some accessible conversion opportunities for consumers looking for your product or service. As clear as it is to a business owner to opt-in to the mobile web world, it seems daunting. Here are some quick tips for Alaska businesses looking to revise and revisit their online mobile web presence and some necessary steps to get there.
What is a Mobile Site?
A mobile (responsive) website is formatted and readily displayed intently for smartphone users. Phones such as iPhones, Androids, or any of the tablets on the market. The three primary forms of mobile sites are:
- Mobile-friendly
- Dedicated
- Responsive
Let’s take a closer look at each of these “types” platforms.
Mobile-friendly Site
The most straightforward transition into the mobile web world is the “mobile-friendly” site. This approach is utilized when time or budgets are restricted. This site is essentially a site that doesn’t cause link breaking. However, it does cause the user to have to zoom in to read the content. This direction works well for sites that are primarily informational and don’t need a great deal of user interaction.
Dedicated Site
The dedicated site allows visitors to gain a more structured approach to site browsing. The site’s structure and content are formatted to limit scope only to provide mobile users with minimized content. The dedicated area’s design is often different from the user’s desktop experience. However, the benefit is for service-focused businesses where the entire range isn’t necessary for their users in a mobile setting. It’s a quick and easy approach to showing a service business information such as location, hours of operations, services, and a general overview of the business. It provides the mobile user with the content they need without the rest of the bulk of the desktop site.
Responsive Web Design
In my opinion, the best option is a responsive website. This approach allows the customer to not only allow for the display of relevant content but also provides for the site to morph based on the mobile device. With responsive design, you don’t lose important content from your site, and you don’t force your user to pinch and zoom to read your content and information on your website. Responsive sites resize the pixel dimensions in an area based on the device you’re view