Mobile Web: 5 Tips for Mobile Website Development

29 11 2009

November 29 | Dave Gibson

As a whole suite of strong competing mobile products have emerged this year to challenge the iPhone (I’m addicted to my Motorola Droid on Verizon), adoption and usage has risen to critical mass. For those without a mobile site, below are 5 important things to consider when developing a mobile website.

iPhone & Droid

The combination of the device evolution (iPhone to Droid) combined with social web (Facebook, YouTube) have propelled (couldn’t resist) mobile web into the mainstream. This now puts the pressure on website owners to quickly provide a mobile experience for this new audience, because you can bet that your current website is not cutting it for mobile users. As Jacob Nielsen points out in this review of mobile internet sites posted this past July, the “mobile usability experience is miserable”. While I generally consider Nielsen extreme, in this case, I don’t think anyone can argue.

Don’t slam your web developer however (please). After all, developers have been designing for desktop users, and enjoying the luxury of ever increasing bandwidths and screen resolutions to provide ever-richer experiences. Now we need to reach back to the standards of design that we started with – which for us was back in ’97. Remember designing for 640×480 and 56K speeds? We just have to go back there and apply those early principles.

This doesn’t need to be too painful though. Compared to the newest shinny objects we typically find thrust upon us, this doesn’t require much more than simplifying what you already have.

Here are 5 guidelines for developing a mobile website.

1. Start with Analytics.
Get a baseline & analyze current mobile user patterns. Open your analytics and review your operating systems stats. Google Analytics users go to Visitors/Browser Capabilities/Operating Systems. While there, click into a mobile operating system and modify the report to reveal where the users of that device clicked from or what city they live in. That or other modifiers might reveal some interesting info about your mobile audience. Also check
- Top pages. Where are mobile web users going on your website?
- Keyword – what terms is your mobile audience using to reach your site?

2. Audience Profiling
Mobile users may represent a different demographic and they certainly have different needs compared to desktop/laptop users. Put yourself in their shoes and create 3-5 user profiles. Give each a name. From either real data or intuition, provide some demographics and list out 3 goals for the profile coming to the site. Remember, your audience may be shopping or on the road looking for that next place to go, so if you have a physical place of business, directions will likely be one.

3. Information Architecture (IA)
The navigation for your mobile site should be reduced to only meet the goals of your audience profiles and your business. Look at your current analytics to see what content current mobile users visit or search for. Strip out all the junk and create an information architecture that is tight and strategic. You might end up with only 3-5 navigation items and one level deep.

4. Design
Here, we head back to the good old ‘90s and use graphics judiciously with sensitivity to the small screen size and limited bandwidth. Naturally the brand needs to carry forth and design elements need to align with the broader visual identity. Usability is key though and interactive elements such as buttons need to be sized to accommodate touch screens and finger and thumbs of all sizes.

5. Extended Functionality: Apps & Flash
Devices tend to dictate much of how things work – or don’t work. Applications for Apple’s iPhone or Google’s Android platforms are popular and get a lot of attention. These apps are fantastic and leverage a rapidly growing community of imaginative developers that are extending these devices for entertainment, information, or function. The downside for the provider is the development cost and the growing need to develop apps for multiple platforms – especially with Android (Google) coming on so strong. I expect this is where Flash will enter and provide a great alternative to apps. Flash is not currently supported on most devices, though that will soon change. Adobe has a mobile Flash platform for mobile which will open up a new world of functionality for mobiles. These will be browser-based, rather than rely on application/gadget installs and will be integrated with the mobile site. I think that alignment between mobile site and app will be key to provide a broader experience for the user at a reasonable cost for website owners.

Some helpful references


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Social Network Adoption Accelerated by Unemployment + New Mobile Devices

20 01 2009

This is one of my predictions for 2009. The combination of recession and a new class of mobile device led by the iPhone will provide an accelerated catalyst for even faster and deeper adoption of social networks.

Unemployment is causing people to network like never before. While some find that next job by reading the papers, most job openings are filled before every making it that far. More often positions are filled via the cumulative networks of its employees, so smart people looking for that next opportunity are turning to network management systems like Facebook and LinkedIn to both get the word out about their needs and skills, and to listen for those inside-scoop opportunities. Even those with jobs are smart to network now because nobody knows what is around the next corner.

The iPhone was a game changer when it’s come to accessing social media and networks. The iPhone and the throng of new copycats have now cut the tie to the computer and enable people to continuously stay connected to their networks wherever they go. Manufacturers and resellers recognize this specific need and are actively promoting their “social features” along side camera, gps, touchscreen, music and whatever else they can pack into these things. Many are opening their devices to developers to create custom apps that pull from social networks and media to provide unique functionality – often making it especially fun to connect and interact. As these apps get better, adoption deepens and spreads.

While those putting in extra hours to help secure the future of their job may not have extra time to network online, those unemployed unfortunately do. For these people, Facebook and LinkedIn serve multiple needs, which further accelerate usage. For one, they serve the primary purpose of helping to find that next job. Also, unemployment can be lonely and traumatic, and these tools can help to maintain a sense of connectedness to colleagues, friends, family, and that next opportunity.


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