what-makes-a-good-mobile-site-outline.md

What Makes a Good Mobile Site? Outline

By Pete LePage

Home page and site navigation

• Keep calls to action front and center
  • DO: Make all of your users' most common tasks easily available.
  • DON'T: Waste precious above-the-fold space with vague calls-to-action like "learn more".
• Keep menus short and sweet
• Make it easty to get back to the home page
  • DO: Users expect to go back to the homepage when they tap the logo.
• Don't let promotions steal the show
  • DO: Promotions shold be easily dismissable and not distract from the experience.
  • DON'T: Interstitials (sometimes called door slams) often annoy users and make using the site a pain.

Site search

• Make site search visible
  • DON'T: Hide search in overflow menus
• Ensure site search results are relevant
• Implement filters to narrow results
• Guide users to better site search results

Commerce and conversion

• Let users explore before they commit
  • DO: Allow users to browse the site without requiring sign in.
  • DON'T: Place login or registration too early in a site.
• Let users purchase as guests
• Use existing information to maximize convenience (pre-fill preferences)
• Use click-to-call buttons for complex tasks
• Make it easy to finish on another device

Form Entry

• Streamline information entry
• Choose the simplest input
• Provide visual calendar for date selection
• Minimize form errors with labeling and real-time validation
• Design efficient forms (autofill)

Usability and form factor

• Optimize your entire site for mobile
• Don't make users pinch-to-zoom
• Make product images expandable
• Tell users which orientation works best
• Keep your user in a single browser window
• Avoid "full site" labeling
• Be clear why you need a user's location