In case you aren’t aware, Google has changed their algorithm specifically related to how websites are ranked in search results. The new rankings are based in part on whether or not webpages & web content have mobile-device friendly features. Having read about this ahead of time, we setup a timeline and took action to make a mobile version of our homepage, to both comply with the new search engine rules as well as provide a better experience for our clients who are accessing our site from their phone. Here are a few of the things we learned along the way:
- The bare essentials.
The first step in our process, and arguably the most challenging, was to pare down our content to the most essential topics for a mobile version of our website. Our regular site has a wealth of information about our displays & services, as well as educational articles & videos about exhibiting at trade shows, so there was a lot to choose from. We tried to focus on the features that a client might need while away from the office, such as basic descriptions of our company’s strengths, a page with maps & directions, and one with easy ways to contact us.
- Less (text) is more.
Our next challenge was to simplify the text on each page as much as possible. While the desktop version of our website has detailed explanations of our capabilities, our mobile site had to get our messaging across in as few words as possible. This was imperative due to the size of the screens being used to access the content and due to our goal to keep information as easy to understand as possible. Each page of our mobile website went through multiple revisions to improve upon the readability & brevity.
- Images are key.
Just as it was important to be aware of the simplicity of the text used on our site, it became increasingly essential to make sure the images we used were “doing all the talking.” We chose photos that showed as many of the types of trade show displays we produce as possible. That way, we would need fewer images to accomplish this, and we could make them appear larger on the screen. Then, we adjusted them to smaller file sizes so they would load faster on mobile devices.
- Optimizing for Touch Screens.
It may seem obvious, but we were very careful to make sure our mobile site would be easy to navigate for touch-screen users. A lot of thought went into checking button & photo sizes so that they would logically fill the screen & flow from one section to the next. We also chose to have some pages open in new browser tabs, so that visitors to our site could easily get back to our primary page, rather than relying on smaller, touch-screen navigation controls.
- Test, test, test.
After we finished designing the new mobile website and linked all of the pages, we tested the functionality and visual aesthetic of the site. We checked to make sure our new webpage would be simple to use & easy to understand on iOS & Android devices of all sizes. Crucially, we tested the mapping & directions page to ensure that clicking on our street address for our showroom would launch the navigation app on these devices. Of course, after making improvements, we again tested each page again to be sure our site was straightforward and informative.
In the end, I think it is important to remember that as it is a website, it will go through many changes & improvements in the future. The essential task was getting mobile-ready in time for the change by Google. Getting ready to go mobile was a great exercise in understanding the important characteristics of our company.
If you have suggestions for creating a great mobile web presence, we’d love to hear about them! Please use the comments section, below.
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