Search Is Going Mobile, Are You Ready?

Watching tech giants Google and Apple battle it out in the mobile space has been fascinating to watch. It seems everyone is picking sides. But, with every unit sale, app download and activation report, it seems we’re losing sight of the real target.

In a report last week analyst Carlos Kirjner, via Bernstein Research, predicted that by 2016 the majority of web search traffic will come from mobile devices. Is your website ready for the mobile spotlight?

Responsive Web Design

With the landscape of the web changing at the current rate, it’s no longer acceptable to check your site from a few different browsers and launch it. It’s becoming more vital that your online presence is optimized for both a desktop and mobile experience.

Using a number of new tools and technologies you can make sure your website is ready to go from any device. This process is called Responsive Web Design.

Two fantastically executed versions of this can be found at Phoenix Real Estate Guy and Maya Paveza. When you load up Jay Thompson’s beautiful real estate website from a mobile device you get a smaller version of the desktop site. However, if you click on the search function you are taken to a mobile optimized search page. Maya’s page goes a step further and asks you before you enter if you’d rather have a full version or a mobile version of her site.

Keep It Simple

When optimizing your real estate site for a mobile format you’re going to want to simplify things. There are a few reasons for this:

• File Size. When it comes to mobile, speed is key. Smaller files will decrease load times tremendously.
• Screen Size. There is a huge difference between the real estate available on a phone or tablet, as compared to a desktop. So, simply your approach with regard to design and navigation.
• Tap-ability. When creating a mobile experience you need to take into account all the “clickable” spots on your site, and make them “tappable.” The use of a mouse on the desktop web is much more precise than mashing around with your thumbs on a phone. Keep that in mind.

Action!

The last thing you want to do is avoid testing your site out from a mobile device. Go ahead, pull up your site on your phone – don’t worry I’ll wait.

So, how’s the experience? Put yourself in the mind and shoes of the consumer. Would you love using your site from your iPhone or Android? If not, what you going to do about it?

View the original article on The Ticker Show blog.