Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/217626
cover story The Total Landscape Care mobile version (right) is a simplified version of the desktop version (above). At the bottom of the mobile site, users can choose to view the desktop version on their phones. Instead of building a mobilefriendly site from the ground up, many landscapers simply opt for mobile-site templates, which can be easily customized by adding text and images to preconfigured layouts. One of the more simple ones to use of this ilk is a template offered by AllWebCo Design. AllWebCo makes templates that can be customized with a text editor like MS Notepad – no web authoring software required. The company's basic mobile site templates start at about $21; more sophisticated versions run $125 or more. Similar template providers include Template Monster and Artisteer. Plus, businesses on the Wordpress platform can find scores of mobile-friendly, Wordpress templates for as little as $8 at template clearinghouse sites like at Themeforest and Codecanyon. Meanwhile, there are also a number of other useful conversion services on the web, which will convert any traditional site on-the-fly for anyone willing to type in their website address and press enter. Essentially, these self-service, online providers attempt to grab the essential data, colors and design elements of the site and then re-display it in a mobilefriendly form – usually in a matter of seconds. Subsequently, the landscaper is presented with a number of online tools to use to tweak the resulting design to their taste and preference. Most of the services also offer free analytics with their packages, so users can track customer activity on the new mobile site. Many offer tools that allow the site's owner to effortlessly add mobile-specific features, such as click-to-call and mobile-friendly videos. Seslija's bMobilized service, for example, offers to do an initial, on-the-fly conversion of a site in less than 30 seconds. Subsequently, the owner is able to use online tools to edit, create "A large amount of search traffic is taking place on the devices. These days, purchasing decisions are made on mobile devices – that is something that matters to everyone." — Garrett Moon, co-owner of Todaymade D E C E M B E R 2013 Tota lLa nd s ca p eCar e.com 19