First off, having a mobile-friendly site is a necessity with the increased amount of smartphone usage today. Phones are used for an endless amount of purposes like ordering food, reading emails and conducting search queries. We have access to all of this and more at the tips of our fingertips.
For the average smartphone user, entering a non mobile-friendly site, can be a complete turnoff to whatever service or product the site is offering. Even if your desktop site is doing well, there is always room to expand your audience and increase your sales in other ways. Today, anyone can create an app, but not everyone can create an effective app that creates conversions.
Before explaining how to create an effective, converting, mobile-friendly site, let’s talk about why it is so important.
#1- It Impacts Your Ranking
As of 2015, Google changed its algorithm so the way mobile search results are displayed as changed. If your website is user-friendly, it will ultimately be rated higher than those lacking an effective mobile site.
#2- It Has Become A Standard Practice
Previously mentioned before, there is a huge increase in smartphone usage that makes mobile-friendly sites a no-brainer for businesses. You’re losing easy money that could be coming in if you had a mobile-friendly site. You don’t want to be left behind in this age of technology.
#3- There Is A Need For Instant Gratification
When people enter any site, specifically a mobile site, they expect a quick search. If it is difficult for a user to find what they are looking for on a site, most users will turn away from the site. Many users do not even care about the design of the site. The efficiency of a smartphone allows for users to multitask while using it. As long as buttons work, it is easily viewable and they get what they wanted in the end, there is no need for an “out-of-the-box” mobile design.
#4- It Builds Your Reputation
Similar to walking into a store, you decide whether or not you will continue shopping with a business depending on how your experience was. If a site is not easy to navigate, the bounce rate will be high, and the amount of return visitors will be low.
#5- It Makes Your Business More Credible
Since having a mobile-friendly site has become the norm, when a website isn’t optimised, some people view a site as less credible. When a user has a good experience on your site, you become a credible source for information.
Now here are some steps to creating an accessible app that benefits both you and your customer.
#1- Invest in Emotional Targeting
A user enters a site with a goal and if that goal is not accomplished in a certain amount of time, the user will most likely leave the site. As users, we desire efficiency and in a world where we are constantly taking in information, we want a break. 24/7 have this cognitive load of information coming at us. Investing in emotional targeting allows businesses to focus on the true intent of users’ entrance to a site. People choose to stay on a site for only a certain amount of time, so figuring out what they are searching for and what they expect, is important. Research keywords, analyze site behavior and make sure your landing page is clear and easy to navigate. A user should not have to search for information on a landing page.
#2- Collect Users’ Email Information
Not all sites have blogs, but if yours does, keep reading. Businesses want users to return and continue reading their blogs. Setting up an in-line blog email sign-up can create loyal customers for your site. Place this optional feature before the comments section so users see it right after they finish reading a blog post.
#3- Stay On Top of Users’ Inactivity
How many times have you navigated through a website only to exit off? How often have you found yourself at the check-out page only to decide you are not going to follow through with the purchase? This happens nearly 80% of the time on mobile devices. To prevent this, businesses should develop a pop-up campaign that will appear on the screen when inactivity occurs, signaling a bounce is near. Promoting users to sign up for an email list will allow you to reach out to customers later on, reminding them of their relationship with the site. Gaining emails allows you to develop a relationship with customers.
#4- Not All Features That Are Accessible On A Desktop Site Are Accessible On A Mobile Site
Make sure that your site is easy to navigate. This includes easy scrolling ability, working videos and making sure that all links open in new tabs. New tabs allow users to go back to where they left off on the site. Another tip is that if your site gives customers the option to fill out a form, try splitting it up into sections. It makes it easier to fill out and prevents an excessive amount of unnecessary scrolling.
#5- Conduct A/B Testing
Conducting A/B testing allows you to see which website format and design is most efficient and creates the most conversions. A/B testing can help you increase traffic to your site.
If you put enough time and effort into your mobile site, you can increase traffic and conversions, hopefully increasing sales.
If you think you don’t have the time or experience to do this, contact us today! We can easily create a mobile-friendly site catered to your needs.