We’d all agree that people are on their phones almost all the time.
According to eMarketer, US adults will spend an average of 3 hours, 35 minutes per day on mobile devices in 2018.
Did you know that by 2019, mobile will be more popular than TV?
Most people have become used to spending their time on the internet and making purchases from their mobile devices while they’re on the go.
Image source: invespcro.com
Mobile devices are just that, as they provide quick and easy access to content from the internet from wherever you are.
The Google Mobile Movement study shows that 95{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1} of mobile users in the USA are looking for local information and are often ready to make an impulse purchase if the right content catches their eye.
This is an enormous amount of traffic!!
Not to mention customer engagement and potential revenue you could be missing out on by staying with a static website.
So making sure your website and pages are mobile optimized is essential.
How do I optimize my website for mobile devices?
The first thing to do is consider the steps to achieve your goals.
It seems a less daunting task if you break it down into sections. There is no point in mobile optimization if it’s not optimal.
1. Easy Navigation
A website that is not easily navigated will almost never attract customers.
If they can’t find what they’re looking for and start getting confused, they will most likely abandon your site.
The mobile version of your website needs to be functional and easily readable. Your site’s layout must be streamlined and create a pleasant experience for those who visit it.
Image source: Swag.com
Try to avoid long sentences or too much scrolling and keep important core information visible.
People use their mobile phones on the go with not much time or screen space to suffice. Use eye-grabbing headlines and appealing content that will make them stay, utilize clickable elements, like buttons and links in a logical manner to help your customers focus their intentions into each action they take.
Making these small changes will help to increase the click-through rate and retain traffic to your website.
If your site is too complicated and bulky in mobile format, you will have a high bounce rate. Using categories and tabs creates easy navigation through your site and prevents content clutter.
It’s become an overused term, but Search Engine Optimization does help users navigate their way to your site. However, avoid just repeating words for the sake of a bigger word count and fuller content because not only will this have a negative effect on your users, Google will also ban your site. Place keywords relating to your products or services in well-constructed metadata. Write content you know will interest your audience and incorporate SEO in a more user-friendly and engaging way.
Link back to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so that users and communities can follow the journey and your story.
2. Core Functions
If you’re selling a service or product, the shopping cart must be easy to find and easy to use. Keep your headlines short and appealing, make your call-to-action buttons noticeable and key information visible.
Adding customer ratings and reviews will help encourage purchases quickly as most people rely on the feedback and experience of others. This customer experience information also provides insights into the sales cycle and highlight any areas where you could make improvements and continue to increase traffic. Don’t forget to make it easy to add your mobile website to a favorites list.
Finally, make sure your site in interruptions free, meaning no pop-ups of any kind that might distract and annoy your site visitors.
3. Make your site 100{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1} responsive
A responsive website means incorporating a mobile-friendly design that automatically adjusts itself to the size of the device your visitor uses – computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.
By having a responsive website, people will be able to view products and offers easily without having to zoom in and out or scrolling up and down. If users struggle to access content within the mobile site, they will bounce, and you’ve missed your chance to capture them. The less complicated the site, the more responsive it will be.
Having a responsive website also improves your ranking on search results and helps you appear on top results. Google recommends configuring your site to mobile to make sure your site shows up in search results. “Responsive design is Google’s recommended design pattern.”
4. Make sure your site loads in 3 seconds or less
A major cause for user abandonment is a sluggish loading time on mobile. According to Think with Google, 53{da2ef7ff2781dfb5887db3e3a6cf03c7c894e23a27536de3f64bd799872794d1} of visits are abandoned if a mobile site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, so if you want to please your users, make sure your website loads in three seconds max. Anything beyond that will cause us impatient millennial customers to flee.
Use tools such as PageSpeed Insights or LightHouse to measure page speed and make improvements.
Example: Amazon PageSpeed Insights
Once you’re happy with the functionality and format, all that’s left to do is to join the mobile revolution. Optimize your website for mobile and increase both traffic and revenue on the go.
SOURCE: affiliaXe Blog – Read entire story here.