As a techie, I remember when I received my first desktop computer. It was top of the line for that time as it had a 100 MHz processor. If you are not into technology, that doesn’t mean much to you; however, if you are into technology, you’ll know that it’d be hard to find any device today with that slow of a processor. To that point devices are continuing to not only get faster but also smaller.
Enter the smart phone. Today, smart phones are allowing our world to expand in ways never before imagined. We now have the power of a desktop computer in a portable and always connected device. As a business owner, this means there are now more screens in which to market and sale your services and products. Even with the explosion of the mobile marketplace, a lot of businesses are still unprepared to tap into this revenue stream.
Your website is one item that should be optimized for both smart phones and tablets. Due to their screen size, you will need to implement different strategies to ensure optimal usability and conversions. At this point, I consider there to be three main ways to build a mobile presence.
- Native mobile applications (ex. downloading an app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store)
- Separate mobile optimized website (ex. you see this solution in a urls that are displayed as http://m.yourwebsite.com
- Responsive design (one website that is built to adjust to different screen sizes and resolutions
Currently, the I Am Black Business website (both splash page and development site) utilizes responsive design. We plan to build native applications once we complete the initial website. As you can see in the below images of final site (yup you’re getting a sneak peek), you can see that on the desktop, we will be showing more information and an image; however, on a mobile device, we will only show the name, category, subcategory, and location. This method ensures that a user has a consistently styled experience that easily navigated no matter what device.
Mobile View
Desktop View
With a mobile ready website, your company will provide a user experience that will engage visitors on any device. Failure to prepare for mobile devices can and will cut your bottom line. If you need assistance with your website, contact the I Am Black Business Team, and we’ll help you find a great web designer/developer to get your website ready for a mobile world.