These are the mobile web mistakes companies are making right now.

So now you’ve decided to adapt your website for the mobile user. How? It should shock no one to learn that mobile user experience vs. desktop experience differ dramatically given the difference in size and usability. Even with that knowledge, however, companies still attempt to recreate the desktop experience on our mobile phones. It’s not just about adjusting the size of your page—“adapting,” means tailoring your website to the limitations of your audiences mobile phones.

1.   Never-ending pages

Is committing to your website worth it? That’s probably the first question running through a mobile user’s mind when they first visit any page. Mobile users don’t really want to see the content on your page; they want an immediate reaction to the overall display. That means you need to get the message of your site across to them in concise messages without overwhelming them with pages and pages of scrolling that are likely going to turn off mobile visitors. You’re not trying to give users carpal tunnel syndrome. Maybe they’ll remember to revisit the page on their computers—maybe, but you really going to leave that to chance?

2.   Pinching and tilting

If it’s not comfortably visible on a five-inch screen without zooming then it’s too much–time to scale back. Mobile success depends on its immediacy, and no one wants to spend his or her precious lunch hour squinting, pinching or tilting your site. Keep your text to a concise paragraph or less.

3.   Calls to inaction

A mobile page with too many calls to action—links, buttons, banners, whatever—can confuse, overwhelm and often chase away users. It’s also just plain desperate. Think of mobile users as a potential first date—keep a little mystery going and you’ll have them at hello.

4.   Poor formative experience

You should start to sense a trend in this topic. Mobile user experience is time-sensitive. And yes, that comes down to your forms. Long forms are bad enough on the desktop—they’re downright disastrous on mobile. Keep forms in short, bite-sized chunks. Cut anything out that’s extraneous.

Or—break the form into steps that allow mobile users to commit without having to scroll (see “mobile oops” #1). Lastly, give users the option to show their password so they can confirm what they’re typing is correct. The less room for mobile mistakes, the more positive the experience.

5.   Lighten the load

Don’t leave users hanging with a slow mobile experience. Lighten your mobile pages by reducing image weight, avoid complex navigation gimmicks and simplify codes like JavaScript and CSS. No one ever said there wouldn’t be any sacrifices, but 5 minutes of wait-time vs. quick-as-a-snap service? Instant feedback trumps resolution and style anytime. Or, you can look into Google’s AMP for faster mobile experience.

Here’s the quick read version of what you ought to be changing for your site’s mobile experience:

• Keep scrolling to a minimum and content on one page
• Avoid text- and link-heavy pages, if it doesn’t fit scale back or eliminate
• Too many calls to action=desperate for love. Limit your site to two easily accessible CTAs
• Keep forms in bite-sized chunks or break them into different pages
• Streamline code and lighten the load on your site for a faster mobile experience. Or try AMP.

Ready to adapt your website to mobile? Kraus Marketing is a web design and branding agency servicing companies in the NJ & NYC area. Inquire about our services by calling us at (973) 998-5742 or contact us online at www.KrausMarketing.com.