Have you ever visited a website on your cellphone and thought “this site doesn’t make any sense?” You are not alone. Many companies don’t give much thought to how their websites display on mobile devices. They should. The share of Americans owning a smartphone is now 85%.
Look at your website on your cellphone right now. I’ll wait. 😉
With an effective website, desktop design elements are placed for good graphic design, optimal eye movement, and of course, conversion rates. But this excellent desktop design does not always translate to an optimal mobile experience.
The Default Mobile Experience
By default, the cellphone view of websites shows in the same order you see on a desktop. Except, it can seem very different on the cellphone. There will be strange word breaks. Your company story may no longer flow correctly. The ‘Find More’ buttons may be out of order. It all may look and perform differently than expected. Images stack above images, with headings and content in the wrong order.
You will probably find you want to change the stacking order of some content. Perhaps your company’s story flows better with these slight adjustments for the mobile display. You may even want some content to be hidden on the cellphone display.
Catching these incongruities in the web design stage is best. But, if you’re just discovering the need for an improved smartphone user experience, now is the time to fix it. The 1st best time to fix a mistake is when it happens. The 2nd best time is when you’ve discovered the error.
So, what’s the trick to improved website user experience on a smartphone?
For a Better Smartphone User Experience Create Mobile Phone Wireframes.
Magic can happen when you go the extra mile and create a wireframe of the mobile website display.
In the strategic phase of a website build, creating B&W wireframes of your mobile experience can quickly result in a more cohesive user experience. The mere exercise of laying out the wireframe will highlight all you’ll want to alter to improve the mobile experience.
This is practically guaranteed to work every time. Finding out the content flow faults early in the design process means one less item to go back on the pre-launch / post-launch checklists.
Why aren’t Mobile Wireframes Routinely Created During a Website Redesign?
While it is natural to create wireframes for mobile apps, many website design companies skip this step for websites. It’s a shame too. Wireframing the mobile site quickly reveals important feedback. A better smartphone user experience can be easily executed, if we simply plan for it in advance by building out mobile website wireframes. It just makes good business sense to plan for the mobile experience ahead of time.
By now you’ve probably taken out your cellphone and visited your own website. Good! Take note of the flow of your company’s story and if it still makes sense on your cellphone. Note any oddities you might see or if it makes sense to add in calls to action. Take this information to your web design agency. Or, Keystone is always happy to help. If you’d like another opinion, give us a call.