Beyond Responsive Design

[djbaxter]

Beyond Responsive Design: How to Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users
by Will DeKrey, HubSpot Blog
June 8, 2015

"Building a mobile-friendly website is step one, but ... you [also] have to infuse your marketing strategy with a 'mobile mindset'..."

Imagine the experience of Sally, a young marketer who has just moved to Chicago. While out for a walk, Sally passes by a hair salon and realizes she needs a haircut. She pulls out her phone a search for hairstylists in Chicago who specialize in curls and color. Her Google search pops up Joann?s Stylez. She flips through the website quickly and wants to research more but it?s too hard while on the move -- so she emails herself a link. When she gets home, she uses her tablet to quickly check Yelp reviews, examine her calendar, and then book an appointment using the simple form on the Joann?s website. When Sally loads up her laptop later that night to check her email, she discovers an email from Joann?s that confirms her appointment and gives her the option to add it to her calendar. The next day, 30 minutes before her appointment, she receives a push notification on her work computer reminding her of the appointment. The next day Sally receives an email asking for feedback on the cut and offering to set up a recurring appointment at a discounted rate. She?s sold.

Sally?s experience is illustrative of the cross-device journey that many customers now make as they move through the marketing funnel: 75% of US online adults use 2+ devices connected to the internet, and 67% have switched devices while completing common tasks, according to Forrester.

Consumers now expect this type of experience from all of their digital interactions. They want to be able to accomplish whatever fits their fancy on whatever device is at hand. This means that simply adapting your site to look nice on different devices is not enough. As a marketer, you must dig deeper into your customers? and prospects? lives.

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