Mobile users can be different from desktop users. There is an ongoing debate about whether the mobile users’ context (for example, lounging on the couch versus rushing to a meeting) affects the way in which they use their devices. There’s no definitive way of defining mobile context – it all comes down to the user, brand and web asset – but it’s important to remember that you need to take the user’s context into account, whatever it may be. Mobile users are:
• Goal orientated. They turn to mobile devices to answer a question, quickly check email, find information or get directions. They often have a distinct purpose in mind when using their phone.
• Time conscious. There are two aspects to this. On the one hand, mobile users are often looking for urgent or time-sensitive information (such as the address of the restaurant they are looking for), so answers should be available as quickly as possible. On the other hand, the mobile device is also frequently used to kill time or as a source of entertainment (reading articles on the couch, or playing games while waiting in a queue), so content is also crucial. User research will tell you which of these groups your users fall and how you need to structure your site accordingly.
• Search dominant. Even users who know what they are looking for tend to navigate there via search (for example, typing the brand name into Google) rather than accessing the page from a bookmark or typing the URL directly into the browser bar.
• Locally focused. 50% of all mobile searches in 2012 were for local information (Sterling, 2012). Since mobile phones are always carried, users turn to them to find information on things in their surroundings – from local businesses to more detail on a product they have just seen.
