Writing Mobile Web Content

The explosion in popularity of mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers has created the need for mobile-optimised websites and written content to match. The small screens on an iPhone or iPad mean that website owner must be succinct when promoting goods and services for fear of losing potential business – the return however is well worth the trouble.

Major UK retailers like John Lewis have reported a large increase in purchases being made by customers using their mobile phone, up to 11% of their transactions this Christmas (last year it was just 3%). Internet auction site eBay are predicting that globally the m-commerce market will be worth $5 billion this year. As a result, businesses creating mobile-friendly websites are set to cash in by building consumer loyalty before their competitors enter the market space.

Mobile websites come with a number of inherent design problems which must be overcome if a site is to succeed. Slow internet connections and smaller screens make delivery of information to the customer more difficult, so the choice of words used for product descriptions and the like is critical. Essentially all content must be short and snappy.

Keep it short – people won’t scroll through pages of information when browsing on their mobiles, nor will they wait patiently for ages while it loads over a slow 3G signal. Short and sweet sells.

Make it snappy – grab your customer’s attention in the first paragraph or they will probably go elsewhere. Often mobile websites have just one chance to get a potential buyer engaged – blow that chance and you lose the sale.

So if you are considering your first m-commerce website, or simply considering a mobile-optimised version of your existing one, drop us a line for more information about our mobile website copywriting services