Multichannel marketers report that mobile-friendly websites have emerged as a dominant engagement channel for their brands, according to Gartner. In fact, Gartner predicts that, by 2020, mobile marketers will drive 80% of engagements through mobile websites. However, Gartner research has found that too many organizations build their mobile websites without accurate knowledge about, or regard for, their customer's mobile preferences.

“While many marketers recognize the need to design for smaller real estate, intermittent connectivity, and fast, simple interactions, often the needs, goals and expectations of the end users are omitted from mobile strategies,” said Jane-Anne Mennella, Senior Research Director at Gartner. “This results in mobile websites that are just scaled-down versions of desktop websites with identical content and features. Not surprisingly, these mobile sites have high abandonment and low conversion, turning into a source of irritation and frustration for customers.”

The importance of mobile — especially mobile as the primary or only device used to connect to a brand — continues to grow, making a mobile-optimized website an essential requirement for all brands.

To successfully create a results-driven mobile website, Gartner has identified three essential elements that marketing leaders must address:

1. Determine the why, what, how and where

Customer behavior, needs and motivations on mobile devices differ from those on desktops. Marketing leaders should determine what role their mobile site serves for their customers and prospects, what they want to accomplish and how they use their mobile site. Mobile sites that translate this knowledge into focused, validated mobile experiences have high adoption and customer satisfaction levels, and deliver conversions.

2. Make data-driven content choices

A mobile site should never be a condensed version of a desktop site. Marketers must take a data-driven assessment of content to ensure that their mobile site has the amount and type of content and functionality their customers need to accomplish their goals.

3. Research and test beyond speed and performance

Many organizations test their mobile site’s speed and performance but stop their testing efforts after that. Marketing leaders must conduct user research and testing on mobile sites before, during and after development. This will reveal where interactions are confusing, where customer journeys are prolonged or get interrupted by environmental as well as design elements, and where content gaps exist.

“As mobile usage continues to grow, so does the importance of mobile websites. Marketers must understand why customers are visiting their organization’s site and what content they need to accomplish their goals,” added Mennella. “It is only by putting the customer first that going mobile will work.”