Mobile Microsite Design

A mobile microsite is one of the most effective ways to communicate a highly-targeted message or concept in a way that inspires user action. Mobile microsites are all about simplicity - streamlined content, a touch-friendly interface and design that is optimized for display on handheld devices like iPhone, Android and other smartphones. If you want to put your best foot forward in front of the rapidly growing number of visitors who access the web on mobile devices, then designing a mobile microsite is a smart approach.

Key Elements of Mobile Microsite Design

A mobile microsite is a collection of targeted web pages that are designed for handheld display. The goal of any microsite is to offer highly targeted content and a strong call-to-action. In the case of a mobile microsite however, there are some other design and development factors that are specific to handheld devices, including:

• Mobile Page Design & Layout – you’ll want to make sure that your microsite pages are formatted for viewing on smaller handheld or tablet screens, while retaining your overall brand identity and consistency with your desktop site and other marketing collateral. You’ll also want to consider the bandwidth limits for many users on 3G and 4G and networks, and ensure that your pages are coded lightly for quick download and minimal data usage, within reason.
• Mobile-Specific Content – it’s important to remember that reading comprehension is different on the web compared to printed materials, and that’s especially true for mobile web pages. Viewers on mobile devices are best served by streamlined content that is easy to digest at-a-glance, so this may mean rewriting some of your copy for mobile-friendly reading
• Touch-Screen Interface – when designing for the mobile web it’s important to bear in mind that your users are going to be on touch-screen devices, so it’s important to make sure that any interactive page elements (submit buttons, form elements, navigation and other links) are sized appropriately for a touch-interface. 
• Call-to-Action and Conversion – as with any landing page, you’ll want to ensure that your mobile microsite includes a strong call-to-action that will inspire visitor action and lead to conversions. The call-to-action will vary depending on your goals, but the same conversion actions that are available on a standard website are also available on mobile microsite, for example:
  • Request info
  • Product purchase
  • Newsletter signup
  • Donate or volunteer
  • File Download
  On mobile microsites in particular, there also other mobile-specific actions users can take:
  • Place a phone call (click-to-call)
  • Send a text message (SMS)
  • Download an app
  • Take a photo
  • View mapping/directions (GPS)
  • Device Detection – If your campaign targets users on both mobile and desktop then you will want to place device detection on your microsite landing pages, so that users on handhelds will be detected and redirected to the mobile equivalent.

How do Visitors Arrive at a Mobile Microsite?

There are a number of ways targeted traffic may be driven to a mobile microsite, including:

• Mobile Search Engines – as with standard desktop search, mobile search is a popular way for visitors to find your website via engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. When targeted traffic is driven to your website by relevant keyword searches on mobile, you want to make sure that those visitors are presented with a mobile-friendly landing page in order to make a good first impression with a user-friendly experience.
• Mobile Advertising – most search advertising programs such as Google AdWords allow you to display ads on mobile devices as well as desktop. If you don’t direct the referrals from mobile ads to a mobile landing page it’s a missed opportunity. Many 3^rd party native apps (that users download to their mobile device) display advertising as well. In short, if you’re advertising on the mobile web a mobile microsite or landing page is a must.
• Email – More people than ever now read their email on smartphones and other handhelds. Ideally, your promotional emails should have a mobile option for these users, with links to a microsite landing page designed for mobile viewing.
• QR Codes – QR Codes are a new way to link offline and online media; users scan the QR Code on their mobile device, which then directs them to a web page. Because you know the viewer will be on a handheld it is important to make sure the QR Code points to a mobile-friendly website; pointing a QR Code to a standard desktop website is a mistake.
• Links from Other Websites and Directories – As with any website, there is a good chance users will be referred to your microsite from other web pages such as blogs, reviews, press releases and directory listings.

In short, on the mobile web there are a range of avenues users may take to arrive at your microsite, so it’s important to provide these visitors with a mobile-friendly design and positive user experience.

Mobile Microsite Design Services

We fully admit it – we’re psyched about all the opportunities mobile web marketing holds for our clients, and the future of web development in general. With over a decade of experience with website design, development and Internet marketing we have seen a lot of changes over the years, but the mobile web truly marks a new frontier for connecting with target users, wherever they may be. Let us help you make the transition to leveraging the mobile web in your future marketing efforts.

Feel free to contact us to discuss your needs for mobile microsite design, and ideas for integrating mobile into your organization's overall communications strategy.