The mobile revolution has had a massive effect on the way consumers are accessing information, allowing more people to browse the web on the move than ever before. Be it through mobile or tablet browsers, businesses from a range of industries have been quick to set up mobile-friendly sites where consumers can access their favourite online services away from home.

While it’s understandable that companies are looking to jump on the back of the consumer interest around these services, however, it is crucial that they have the infrastructure in place to support a busy and popular mobile site. With consumers looking for the same web performance from both desktop and mobile browsing, it’s crucial that a consistent, solid mobile web traffic solution is in place so that consumers can access the right services, no matter where they are.

Straightforward format
An unexpected influx of visitors to a mobile site is going to make a site slow and inaccessible, so it might be better to consider a more straightforward format. Extravagant and media rich content may look great, but with simple branding in place, visitors will be able to recognise the companies they trust and then most importantly access the services and information they want. This is even more important for transactional areas of a website, where maintaining steady mobile Internet traffic is vital for the customer’s peace of mind.

Open all hours
Whether customers are using a mobile, tablet or a desktop computer, they expect more from their online services than the opening hours of a high street shop. With the rise of the mobile internet, customers now expect to access information from brands wherever and whenever they like on a 24 hour basis. During campaign peaks, it is vital that companies consider the additional weight of traffic visiting their mobile websites. An increasing priority for many is therefore to constantly review the traffic management strategies that are in place to assess any foreseeable downtime issues. Failing to prepare for a rise in web traffic can easily lead to online services failing, frustrating individuals and causing long-term damage to brand reputation.

Large-scale promotions
Large-scale outdoor and offline promotions often prompt high levels of traffic to mobile sites, but they are unlikely to be successful unless the technology is available to ensure solutions are in place to manage these peaks in demand. It makes sense that a mobile site performs well and can be accessed right after a consumer has seen promotions in a store on a high street. Where big promotions are due to go live, it is vital those team members implementing traffic management solutions are kept aware of upcoming activities that are in the pipeline. Equally, those involved in planning the promotions need to be aware of any technical work that is planned that could hinder the success of an online campaign.

Brand damage
Proactively managing mobile web performance should be considered just as important as managing your web traffic generated by consumers browsing at home or in the office. It will ensure that all visitors are receiving the information and services they require when using smartphones or tablets. Aside from the loss in revenue during periods of downtime, organisations will be subject to significant brand damage if they fail to deliver when their customers need them most. While it might make a brand appear an innovator to be part of the mobile revolution, it will say little about the business if their mobile web offering doesn’t work.  

Nick Bond is a telco specialist at Zeus Technology