What Users Want Most from Mobile Websites

Many people with web design careers will need to optimize a website for mobile devices as these devices become more common. A creative talent agency looks for personnel who know what users want in a mobile website. Google conducted a survey in 2012 that provides two perspectives on mobile users, including the way they feel about mobile browsing and the things they actually want in mobile websites.

Opinions

The Google survey showed that 96 percent of users with smartphones had browsed sites that weren’t optimized for mobile phones. Seventy-nine percent of these users also said they would look for a mobile site if they didn’t like the site they were currently on. Seventy-four percent of mobile users added that they were more likely to return to mobile-friendly sites in the future. Sixty-seven percent of users also said they were more likely to make a purchase if the site was mobile-friendly.

A bad experience on a website made 52 percent of mobile users less likely to remain interested in that company. Fifty percent of these users said they would use a site less if it wasn’t mobile-friendly even if they liked the company. Forty-eight percent of mobile users were frustrated by non-mobile-friendly sites, and 48 percent of these users also said they interpreted these sites to mean the company wasn’t interested in their business. Thirty-six percent of these users felt that they had wasted their time when visiting a site that wasn’t mobile-friendly.

Ideal Experience

Seventy-eight percent of the users in the Google survey said they wanted to find what they were looking for with no more than two clicks. This is the same percentage who said they wanted a search bar that was easy to use. Seventy-six percent of these users wanted mobile sites that were a better fit for their smartphone screens, and this percentage of users also wanted mobile websites to provide the hours and location of the business.

Less Scrolling

Seventy-four percent of mobile users in the survey wanted to option for a non-mobile version of their sites, and this percentage also wanted mobile sites with a clean, efficient appearance. Seventy-three percent of these users wanted shorter forms with fewer fields, which requires less scrolling. This percentage of users also wanted mobile sites that allow them to easily save information for future reference.

Larger Buttons

Sixty-nine percent of these users wanted sites mobile sites with larger buttons to facilitate browsing. Sixty-four percent didn’t want the ability to scroll left and right because the horizontal scroll bar occupies space. Sixty-one percent wanted mobile sites to have a button that allows the user to call the business.

Email & Social Media

Fifty-four percent of users wanted the ability to send email from mobile sites. Fifty-three percent of them wanted to download applications from mobile sites. Forty-eight percent of users in the Google survey wanted to access social networks from mobile sites. Forty-one percent of the users wanted to play videos from mobile sites.

Emmet M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.

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