Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Optimizing Mobile Websites in Time for the Holidays

Everyone is busy for the upcoming Yuletide celebrations: be it retail stores or acclaimed design agencies like NJ web design. In fact, it's the busiest time of the year for both as they gear up in preparation for the flood of Holiday shoppers as early as November. For shops with no online presence just yet, it's never too late to make one. And for businesses with a mobile website, it's time to optimize for better user experience.

Importance of Optimized Mobile Websites
Mobile Shopping Today's hectic society with a thirst for quick information has given rise to the popularity of mobile shopping. In addition to recent smartphone technology; people generally find it easier to make purchases on their handheld devices (including tablets) since it's faster and more convenient. It definitely saves them a lot of time and money when compared to going to actual stores.

According to recent studies, online retail activity has increased by more than 50% since 2012. There seems to be no decline in sight for coming years either; particularly with foreseen competition with regards to smartphone development and online usage.

These days, marketers and businessmen are rethinking their game plan if they want more customers.

Better Mobile Websites for Bigger Sales

Mobile Shopping Sales
The golden rule to optimizing websites is simple: put user experience first and the rest will come naturally. Follow these four basic steps to ensure that the client's site is prepped for the Holiday season:

Prepare a Responsive Design

How a website is viewed over a desktop computer is different when seen from a tablet or smartphone. Although some customers won't mind, optimizing the design so it can be fully enjoyed across varied platforms is a great way to show customers that they are valued – even before they make a single purchase.

Organize Content

Re-evaluate the product and contact page. Ensure that special categories and search functions are present for easier navigation. Be aware of whitespace and character spacings as well since they can hinder a user from properly understanding the content. For sites with plenty of products, use a filtering option or group similar merchandise into related offers based on location, price, or theme. Update the contact page and include important information such as emails and phone numbers.

Simplify UI

Phones and tablets are preferred because people can access whatever they want with a single click. Use this principle and make links clearly visible so customers won't need to guess. A simple UI also speeds up loading times, allowing the user to quickly find what he is looking for. Allow for horizontal scrolling since most smartphones have the auto-rotate feature for a wider perspective.

Target the Market

If the client already has specific business goals and motivations, it won't be hard to pick a niche market. Make sure that the design caters to whom the client wants to sell to. Add related images, elegant typography, and write engaging articles to capture their attention. After incorporating all these strategies into the mobile site, don't forget to test it for usability and efficiency.

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