Four rules to optimize mobile website design

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Rule 2: Keep users on a straight path to content.

When it comes to web page navigation on the desktop browser, URL redirects are common. We’ve all know what it’s like to type in one URL and end up somewhere completely different. Behind the scenes many redirects may be taking place to get a user to the right web page. While can be done quickly on a desktop producing desirable results, the same practice does not bode well for the mobile user. While redirection is taking place with an inherently slower mobile processor, you can end up with users staring at a screen where nothing’s happening.

Surprisingly, even some of the biggest businesses have mobile sites bogged down with URL redirects. The challenges of a slow processor are compounded when each request is passed along the slower cellular network.

Rule 3: Put your site on a diet.

3G and even 4G speeds are not going to compare to the fastest broadband connections enjoyed by desktop user. The mobile connection is something to consider when designing any elements on your mobile page. Remember anything you add to the site may slow down the mobile user experience. Requesting too many objects (like images) is a common reason why sites are slow. You will gain little if your mobile site continues to display too many objects, image sizes are too large or the number of JavaScript and CSS requests are slowing down your processing time. A good rule of thumb: when in doubt, leave it out.

Rule 4: Think mobile from the start.

Your mobile website is much more than a website on a smaller screen. It’s used differently, wireless networks are inherently slower and smartphone processor speed simply can’t replicate the desktop experience. Yet your customers have similar expectations for speed and reliability.

Keynote’s mobile survey also found that nearly half of study respondents expect a website to load in less than two seconds, six of 10 respondents anticipate a sub-three second website download on tablets, and two-thirds expect a mobile site to load in less than five seconds on smartphones.

It is not easy to keep the attention of a the on-the-go mobile user, but these few tips will help get your restaurant on track for mobile optimization. Continual monitoring and testing are very important to the longevity of your mobile site and your mobile customer. Be sure to build a site with the expectations of the mobile user in mind, and they’ll be much more likely to come back.

Tim Murphy is senior manager of mobile monitoring and testing at Keynote Systems. His responsibilities include the customer and corporate communication of mobile performance improvement and insight. Reach him at tim.murphy@keynote.com.