When we work with a new client, we access any analytic data we can. We want to find out what their audience is like. Who is looking at their content? What are they like? Understanding the user persona is one of the most helpful ways to understand how to best work with the user. We’ve boosted traffic and conversions by 200%, 600%, and even more simply by tailoring our content to the right user demographic.
One of the most important things to think about is the user’s device. If they are browsing on desktop, the interface should look different than if they are browsing on mobile.
How do you see a user’s device? Take a look at Google Analytics. Just go to Audience > Mobile > Overview in the left hand menu. You’ll see the breakdown of devices.
As you can see, this new client is getting 64% of their traffic on mobile. Not every client receives this much mobile traffic—some are the other way around. We recently onboarded a client with a medical specialty whose traffic was over 80% desktop-based—and much of it was on Internet Explorer. Yikes. But more and more websites have a user group primarily viewing on their phones. This means that in these cases mobile is the most important platform for us to consider. Yet, many design firms think of mobile as an afterthought.
The average design firm creates a desktop design to wow their client. Let’s face it—desktop designs sell. Especially flashy desktop designs with sliders. But these don’t always actually give the client what they want.
Before you hire a web design or web development firm, make sure you know how they will handle mobile. We’ve been creating mobile-first designs like the one below—framing out mobile before we even consider the desktop version.
Mobile design is tricky—it’s difficult to fit the content you need to fit in such a small space. It almost needs a greater level of attention, in some respects. Simplicity looks simple, but it can be complicated and should be done thoughtfully.
If you work with Emberly, you’ll work with a designer who thinks about your user demographic. We’ll work with you to make your mobile view a strategic implementation, not an afterthought.