Mfarhanonline Social Media News: Tom Wentworth is chief marketing officer at Ektron Inc. , a provider of web content management and marketing optimization solutions. As the web evolved over the years, companies pursued a basic mobile strategy that could be summed up as follows: Cram all the content you can onto a website, and then adapt it for mobile use by lopping off a few pieces. Trimming down content to fit on a smaller screen may have made the presentation more "mobile friendly," but it didn't really focus on what mobile users wanted, and how to truly engage them. The game has changed. These days, companies need to move from being "mobile friendly" to thinking "mobile first." According to Gartner , by 2013, more people will access websites through mobile phones than through desktop computers. Mobile devices are more than just another customer channel; they represent the most significant evolution in user interactions since the mouse. Readjust Your Perspective Start by understanding your users and design an experience with their priorities in mind. Unlike desktop and laptop users, who multitask between work, play and casual research, mobile users are focused. Smartphone users are transaction-oriented. Then account for the newest users in the mobile camp — those equipped with tablets. They're focused on a broader experience. Smartphone users don't want to be overloaded by content. Usually they have an objective, and will move on quickly after it's completed. If they pull up a restaurant site, for instance, chances are they want to make a reservation, find the contact information or take a quick look at the menu. Tablets are leisure surfing devices people use while lounging at home. Users are often more open to immersive experiences, so to present a tablet user with an interface designed for a smartphone is to miss an opportunity f! or engag ement. For example, when a tablet user checks out a restaurant site, he is open to a wider experience. He may want to watch a video of a chef whipping up a sizzling dish. He may wish to view nutritional information. Optimize his experience with video, colors and more features to satisfy his palate. Think Mobile First For smartphones : Stay away from extensive use of Flash, fixed-element layouts and complex navigation paths. Flash-driven sites may look terrific on a traditional browser, but on mobile devices, that fantastic-looking site will display an error message. When it comes to slow page loads or complex navigation, according to Aberdeen , a one-second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversion. For tablets : Take the "less is more" approach. Tablet websites should be simple, clean, touch-friendly, easily navigable and objective. Prioritize : Too many sites resemble an episode of Hoarders , where the organization crams unrelated promos, links, images and videos. These extra features tend to answer the needs of internal stakeholders, but don't benefit the website user. Focus on the user : Don't try to be all things to all people. It's more important to measure functionality than pageviews. Evolve : Transition from a point-click mentality to a touch-and-swipe practice. Mobile devices present new, simpler ways to interact with content, so take full advantage. Companies need to be targeted in their consumer engagement by presenting the information their users need in a convenient and digestible manner. Think mobile first, because that is where the critical mass dwells. Image courtesy of Flickr , blakespot . More About: business , design , ipad , Mobile 2.0 , smartphone , Tablet , tech , tenchonlogy , web design , website For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mfarhanonline Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad Social Media reviews series maintain by Mayya
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