As mobile continues to dominate tech talk in 2011, a  wave of of ancillary issues – from location-based technologies to hyper-local marketing trends – are reverberating through businesses across the country.

Last month we presented Part 1 of  Making Conversions Easier for Mobile Users. If you hadn’t noticed there’s been a lot of chatter about mobile optimization in this space and prior to that post we talked about organizing content for mobile to better optimize website conversions. As everyone already knows, it’s all about the conversions.

Before we move forward let’s briefly look back on highlights of five issues to consider from the last post:

• What are you writing a book?

Use of radio buttons and check boxes. This will reduce time spent users and encourage them to continue toward your goal: completing the form.

• Eliminate extra steps, save the searches.

The easier you make things for visitors the likelihood of converting them increases.

• Efficiency with HTML5 form fields.

Keep them coming back for more with a simplified form set up.

• Keep it real… real consistent.

Creating a uniformed experience across multiple platforms means mobile users will have the same experience as laptop users, tablet users, desktop users and just about another other kind of user connecting to your website.

• Take action here!

Avoid using multiple conversion options and use button color and size to clearly indicate to a visitor what you want them to do next.

These five are also important to keep in mind when designing websites for mobile:

Check, please.

Not matter how great mobile technology increases in the coming years (even with the iPhone’s voice recognition, Siri); there is one problem that is likely insurmountable in the current format: Finger size to keyboard button ratio.  The essence of any mobile device is that it can fit in the palm of your hand. That’s not conducive to typing. In that respect, requesting a minimum amount of data entry from users is paramount. When building out a site for mobile consider using check boxes, lists and scroll menus. As always, making it easier will help guide visitors through the conversion process.

Side note: Too many options is not a good thing. Don’t  give a visitor too many options  when creating lists or they may become even less decisive. Remember to ‘guide’ them along toward your conversion goal.

It’s easy to call.

Click-to-Call. Listen up, they’ve already got a phone in there hand! If you offer call options make it the easiest call options available. Tag phone numbers on your website for click-to-call and turn those links into buttons.

Side note: When visiting a website mobile users are twice as likely to call then desktop users.

Mobile vs. Desktop.

Location based technologies aren’t really that big in the desktop space at the moment, nor do we anticipate a great deal of movement there. Generally speaking desktops have one location and rarely (finding locations/directions) are used to orient the user. If conversions are going to take place offline (ie. your store), it’s important to use geo-location technologies to get visitors from point A to point B (through your door). Maps, directions and a little discount savings incentive often do the trick.

Side note: A discount is a powerful motivator. Consider adding a discount code for mobile shoppers who come to the shop and convert quick.

From top down.

Your desktop screen is a rectangle from left to right (more or less). Most mobile devices are narrow and vertically orientated.

For mobile forms, horizontal labels (left- and right- aligned) should be avoided. When users click on an input field, the page is often automatically zoomed in to focus on the field. If horizontal labels are used, it is almost impossible to view both label and input field in one screen. In addition, due to small screens, it could be tricky to show long labels if horizontal labeling is used on mobile devices.

Side note: Top aligned labels also allow users to move down the form in one visual direction, instead of two visual directions with left and right aligned labels.

Save the Baskets

In the same manner that saved searches are alluring for just about anyone with a website that asks for information, providing the ability to save baskets is a key component to racking up those conversions. If you’re asking for pre-check out info on your website it’d be smart to include visitors can save their baskets for their return or even for them to access the basket again from another platform.

This is going to encourage cross-platform purchases.