Brands are yet to realise the true value of mobile Web, according to experts, even though Africa’s Internet users primarily go online via mobile phones.
Experts attending Mobile Web East Africa 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya, yesterday highlighted the importance of going mobile, while at the same time taking into consideration the design effect of such modifications.
According to Ali Hussein Kassim CEO of 3Mice, a web and technology firm, every company should have a point of contact, including the Web.
The problem has been the rapid change of devices. The adaptation of different mobile devices and platforms forces designers and programmers to adapt responsive designs so that websites are seamless from the PC to tablet to mobile.
According to Kassim, most people will stay on a mobile site if it is easy to open and navigate as “bad designs chase away customers leading to low rates of conversion”.
He added that websites that have responsive designs have over 30 percent more visits than normal sites, underlining the importance of brands establishing a presence on mobile Web.
Nduta Maina of Zilojo, a Web development company that has just launched a new mobi site for Tuskys Supermarket, one of the biggest retail stores in Kenya, explained that the smartphones are going to overtake the PC market in the next year.
Kassim said that having a mobile responsive designs help in search engine optimisation and gives smooth transition throughout many devices.
“PC’s are still here to stay but mobile is becoming a force to reckon with,” he said.
