Showit released a massive update earlier this week. With this update brings the ability to design vertical mobile sites with the new Showit 3.0 software. This update also brings forward the question, “Do I have to design two different sites, one desktop and one mobile, for my awesome Showit website?”

Like many of you, I am a small business owner. I have to balance my time growing our business systems as well as making the $$$ to continue that growth. Designing another site didn't seem valuable until I checked out my Google Analytics. In our Showiteer Case study we found that on average 37% of traffic was from a mobile device. This is a significant number of visitors that have specific needs and wants because of the nature of being on a mobile device.

For me the answer became clear, we need to have two different client experiences.

That's why I smile and get to answer the question above: “We get to design two tailored experiences for our clients!” As a designer I know that there is a flow about websites, a path of least resistance if you will. This flow is much different on desktop sites than on mobile. Let's look at a few different scenarios to highlight some flow differences.

Desktop Design Flow

• Users spend more time on desktop sites – we can give them a deeper look into our businesses.
• Users typically have time to sit and watch videos, read long copy, and reply to complex forms.
• Users are often visiting to obtain information, and lots of it – leverage this by guiding them to the information they

Mobile Design Flow

• Users are usually on the go – they need information quickly. Concise copy is optimal for mobile sites.
• Users are on small devices – they want to be able to easily click on a button, not fill out tiny complex forms.
• Users are often visiting to connect – many mobile users will continue on to social media from your mobile site if they like it.

These points just scratch the surface of the different needs and ways we can meet those needs for mobile users. The exciting news is that with the new Showit 3.0 update we can tailor an experience for our mobile users that is as unique as our desktop site, while still meeting the functionality they need.

What are some cool features you have seen on a mobile website that you would like see in Showit?

Ethan Sees