There are 91.4 million smartphones in the U.S. Of the time spent on smartphones, 16 percent is spent on social networking and 9 percent is spent on “other” activities, according to a study from Experian. These two activities are assumed to be web-browsing activities. According to the same study, people with smartphones spend an average of just under an hour on their smartphones a day. These stats translate into major viewing time on websites from mobile phones. In order to take full advantage of these viewers, website developers must take a different approach than when planning for viewers on a laptop or desktop and bear in mind certain key elements.

mobile webdesign

Interactivity

In designing a great website, the primary feature to be considered is easy interactivity. Easy interactivity means that the consumer can read through the material on the website without a problem. If he needs to access a shopping cart, he can do it. If he needs to watch a video, he can do that. This means that all of the touch screen buttons and text are easy to press and read. Bear in mind that viewers are not as patient when they are using their smartphones or mobile devices as they are when they are on traditional websites.

Pizzazz

Pizzazz, when done well, can grab a viewer’s attention and lead the viewer to what he is looking for. High interactivity can increase the likelihood of a viewer finding what they are looking for. In addition, interactivity can increase customer satisfaction with the website, increasing the chance that they will return. In contrast to a traditional website, the best mobile website requires a different approach for maximum effectiveness. Because of these characteristics, mobile websites must focus on view-ability and keyword placement. The pizzazz must be incorporated through flat color scapes and power packed words rather than flash videos and long loading graphics.

View-ability

Because a smartphone has a significantly smaller screen than a laptop or desktop, too much stuff in the website will clutter the website and make it hard to view the material. A well-designed mobile website will reduce the clutter and functionality. Removing these two otherwise good features will not only make the website easier to see, but will also improve loading times for the smartphone. Even though more subtle color palettes are becoming popular among mobile websites, it’s important to remember that the information must be easy to read. So do not use colors that are too close to one another. Put text in the darkest contrast in the color palette for greatest view-ability.

Keyword Placement

The smaller screen of a smartphone makes one more feature very important: keyword placement. Words can be harder to see on the screen, so emphasizing the keywords of the website is important. If viewers cannot find the words they are looking for, they will move on to another website. Bold words can sometimes work effectively. Using negative space to leave room around the keywords and to make reading easier is also an effective plan. Put the keyword at the end of the sentence and paragraph to make sure that they see it clearly.