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From 2008 to 2012, mobile data traffic increased 3,000 percent. By next year, mobile Internet users are expected to surpass desktop users. As these trends continue, it is predicted that up to 40 percent of visits to law firm websites will be made on smart phones and tablets. Driving home the implications of these trends for law firm mobile site design, Paul Hermann, chief executive officer of Hermann Advertising | Branding | Technology presented “Going Mobile: Does your site measure up?” during the August 2013 LMA luncheon.

Hermann discussed the changes law firm websites have undergone over the last 20 years, evolving from bare-bones to embracing robust technology. Far from the basic and primarily-informative sites of the past, many law firm websites now offer multi-dimensional and engaging experiences. Most importantly, the content and user experience has transitioned from being all about the law firm to all about the client.

The evolution continues, and the next iteration of web design for law firms is mobile. Because Google is expected to penalize sites that are not optimized for mobile, having no (or a really bad) mobile site puts a firm at risk of dinging their search engine rankings. Hermann said more than 70 percent of mobile users expect mobile sites to perform as well, if not better, than the same desktop site, and 57 percent of them would not recommend a business with a poor mobile site. The bottom line, said Hermann: your mobile site reflects your brand.

Mobile users demand intuitive, mobile-friendly navigation, simplicity and fast page loads. They want features like easy sharing, printing and GPS mapping and other location-based features. Simple annoyances, such as receiving a "Page Not Found" error, pages with too much text or scrolling, and designs that do not adjust for vertical/horizontal screen views, are enough to leave a poor impression. Hermann provided several examples of best practices in action, such as:

• Tailoring layouts to screen size/proportion
• Maintaining a professional look through appropriate graphics/layout
• Ensuring the amount of content presented is appropriate to screen size
• Ensuring easy access to the site’s “home” button
• Simplified navigation, and
• Using appropriate text sizes, fonts and colors.

He recommended using a single database to drive content to both your desktop and mobile sites to eliminate entering information more than once. He also provided the following seven options for going mobile, in order from least-desirable to most:

1. Test your current site’s mobility using a variety of devices that use different technology and different browsers (no cost if tested internally).

2. Convert your desktop site to a mobile site using a standard template from third-party software providers such as Duda.com (free or minimal, depending on template).

3. Develop a separate style sheet that rearranges existing desktop content and elements to display vertically on mobile ($5,000-6,000).

4. Develop a customized, vertically oriented mobile site template that reflects the look and feel of the desktop site with limited graphic elements to minimize load times and simplify navigation ($10,000-15,000).

5. Everything in option 4, plus modification of the firm’s database and Content Management System to allow shorter, mobile versions of content and/or the ability to select which sections of the main site appear on the mobile site ($15,000-20,000).

6. All the features from the options above, plus a new database/CMS specific to the mobile site and the purchase of a .mobi domain that makes users to a separate site. ($15,000-25,000).

7. Build a main desktop site using “responsive” programming that resizes and repositions content based on the user’s screen size. Allows designation of content displayed on various devices / screens ($30,000-75,000). Hermann said there is no question this is the wave of the future.

Among the key takeaways: mobile should be top priority and is no longer something that would just be “nice to do.” Hermann advocated making even small investments in changes to stay relevant as search engine algorithms change. Finally, he said, make your investment count by employing as much technology as your resources allow.