It's no secret that mobile commerce is booming and expected to grow rapidly for the foreseeable future. But that means a small business will miss out on sales it needs to prosper unless it has a presence on smartphones of every brand and on every carrier. That's a tall order for the little guy on a tiny budget. Building a phone app, for example, can cost thousands of dollars -- and that's for just one brand of phone. Not to worry, there are ways to "go mobile" on a shoestring.
"Small businesses don't need to build an app or create a whole new mobile website," said Pamela Springer, president and CEO of Manta, an online community for promoting and connecting small business. "They just need to be sure their website is easily viewable on a mobile device. That means modifying your site for optimal display on a mobile device."
Knowing what and how much to modify is every bit as important as knowing how to do it.
"Don't try and boil the ocean initially," advised Nicole Carrier, program director at IBM Web Experience. "Focus on those services or pages that customers will most likely want to access from their mobile device." For example, she said a small retail store might want to have the first iteration of its mobile website contain directions to the store, contact information and the store's hours.
Map out your intended modifications before you start tinkering with your website. Begin by identifying which pages of your website are likely to be of most interest to mobile users, but also make sure they can access your full website too. "Add a link on your mobile site to get to the full version of the site, for those smartphone users that want access to all of your content -- even those pages that might not be optimized for their device," said Carrier.
When you're ready to get started, follow the tips outlined below.
5 Mobile-friendly Website Tips
1. Use mobile plugins
If your website contains a Content Management System (CMS), such as Drupal or WordPress, you'll want to take a look at the plugins that are available for mobile editions. Plugins optimize your website for mobile viewing and are often the easiest options to use. Many are free, but some charge a premium.
"We have two go-to plugins for optimizing a WordPress website for mobile. Mobile from PluginBuddy, a premium plugin that starts at $45, is one. The support you receive for your $45 investment is stellar to say the least," said Jarrod "Jay" Skeggs, partner at StudioD.tv. "WPtouch, a free plugin, is another. We have had good experience with it in the past."
Other plugins include WordPress Mobile Pack and Wordpress Mobile Edition. But look around and weigh them all against your actual modification plans to determine which is right for your business.2. Consider DIY mobile website builders
"There are a number of sites that offer mobile website building services -- often at no cost," said Drew Barton, president and founder of Southern Web Group, a web design firm. "For example, Mobify has a free option. The service is widely used by some of the world's leading publications."
Indeed, there are several options in this category including MoFuse, Wapple,Wirenode, Mobeezo and MobiSiteGalore.
The dotMobi mobile website tool, Instant Mobilizer, is arguably the best known and is even incorporated on several leading website hosting services such as GoDaddy.com. However, dotmobi websites do not actually need third-party hosting.
"GoMobi websites are hosted 'in the cloud' by DotMobi, so SMBs don't pay extra for hosting or have to worry about other technology aspects," said Trey Harvin, CEO of DotMobi. "Since a GoMobi website works on all mobile handsets, it ensures a business is available on the complete range of mobiles available, not just iPhones and Androids."
3. Avoid using Flash
"Get rid of Flash. Period, end of story," said Kate McGinley, vice president of operations at McGinley Media Limited, a mobil app and website development firm. "It's often not supported, and when it does, it takes too long to load, and you lose viewer interest." Unfortunately, many regular websites do include Flash. Be extra careful to find it and eliminate it on the pages you want to be mobile friendly.
4. Keep the 'Fat Finger' in mind
Nothing detracts from a mobile experience more than a frustrated consumer unable to navigate a mobile site and click on hyperlinked text, warned Diane Buzzeo, CEO of Ability Commerce. Given the small size of a mobile screen, make text links larger for a mobile website. Similarly, make it easy for people browsing a phone to call you. "Phone numbers normally displayed in text can be enhanced with code to call upon touch," she said. "Using TapToCall for customer service lines and other numbers is easy to integrate and a good alternative to advanced coding."
5. Find good website models
Look at sites that have well-built mobile versions and how they contrast with their traditional desktop site. Amazon, Newegg and CNN are a few examples where you can draw inspiration and best practices. "You'll find that they have removed animation and hover text, Web features that don't transfer over to mobile devices well," explained Buzzeo. "Take a cue from the leader in the industry and then test based on your own customer demographics."
Testing is important in order to see your mobile website as your customers do. Testing on actual devices can be difficult, especially if you don't already own all the devices you need to test. However, online testing sites are typically not as good as testing on the real device.
Try asking friends and customers to try your site on their device and offer feedback. This will dramatically reduce your testing cost, but it will also provide you with valuable insight into what your actual customers prefer to see on your new mobile-friendly website.
Pam Baker has written for numerous leading publications including, Institutional Investor magazine, CIO.com, NetworkWorld, ComputerWorld, IT World, Linux World, Internet News, E-Commerce Times, LinuxInsider, CIO Today Magazine, NPTech News (nonprofits), MedTech Journal, I Six Sigma magazine, Computer Sweden, the NY Times, and Knight-Ridder/McClatchy newspapers.
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