Independent Thinking Blog

What Defines a Good Mobile Site?

I have a secret: I hate mobile sites.

Okay, not all of them. I love that Amazon lets me find and buy pretty much anything with one touch. (Which, by the way, is a pretty smart sales strategy too.) And StubHub’s screen navigation makes changing or updating listings very easy.

These are e-commerce sites. They do what they’re supposed to do really well.

However (you knew this was coming)…

Mostly I just want to read the text, see the pictures, follow the links, surf a site. And most mobile sites still suck at this. I never load MSNBC on anything mobile, including my 10-inch tablet, because it offers no way to access the full site. (Okay, not getting MSNBC might not be a loss–but their advertisers might disagree.)

What Makes a Mobile Page Shine?

At the recent Direct Marketing Association of Washington Social Summit, Jon Bailey defined four elements of a good mobile page:

  • It appears automatically.
  • It has thumb-proof navigation.
  • There are limited choices designed for mobile users.
  • It is fast loading.

Bailey added that mobile sites have to be “laser-focused on the user experience.”

That means (in my opinion) that if your users want full-site access, the option should be there.

Like, hate, or indifferent to the mobile experience? And what are the best examples you’ve seen lately?

Photo by Lachlan Hardy (Flickr).

You May Also Like

The Case for Digital Reciprocity

The Case for Digital Reciprocity

There’s a case for digital reciprocity, but don’t get so wrapped up in who’s sharing what to forget why you’re creating and curating content in the first place.

read more