Do you have a smartphone? Did you know that it's also a computer? In fact, mobile devices or smartphones are used to shop online more than desktop computers. It's no surprise that many companies are moving their businesses to mobile. With so many people using their phones as their primary computers, it’s clear that your business needs to be taking steps to ensure its website is mobile-friendly.
The world has gone mobile, 54.8% of worldwide website traffic was from mobile devices in the first three months of 2021; the numbers don't lie. Mobile devices are also a major source of revenue for content publishers. The average mobile user spends $1,600 per year on apps and in-app purchases — more than twice as much as desktop users.
1. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
Create a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes, or create separate versions of your site for different devices. This will ensure that your website looks good on any device, including smartphones and tablets.
This is the most basic step you need to take to ensure that your site will be easy for mobile users to use. Make sure your site loads quickly and doesn’t use too much bandwidth.
2. Simplify the navigation menu.
Mobile users don’t want to have to scroll through a long list of links to find what they’re looking for on a mobile website — they want everything in front of them at once so they can make quick decisions about where they want to go next, without having to think about it too hard or scroll through endless pages of links. So keep your navigation menu short and sweet by eliminating unnecessary links that aren’t important enough for mobile users to see right away (and you might even be able to hide some of those links behind a “More” button).
3. Use thumb-friendly buttons and links.
This means using large buttons with plenty of space between them. Mobile devices are like the tiniest desktop computers. They have small screens, which means you need to use larger fonts for text and buttons that are easy to tap with a finger. Unfortunately, many sites use tiny buttons that are hard to hit with a finger.
4. Choose mobile-friendly fonts.
Don't use fancy fonts that look great on a desktop screen but are difficult to read when scaled down for mobile devices. For example, Arial and Verdana are good font choices for mobile devices because they can be set at small sizes without losing legibility.
5. Create easy-to-read paragraphs.
Mobile screens aren't big, so it's important that you break up your content into shorter paragraphs or use bullet points. This makes it easier for readers to digest the information on their screen.
6. Remove unnecessary fields from forms.
Mobile users don't want to spend time filling out long forms on their phones or tablet. You don't need every field on every form for mobile users — just the bare minimum set of information required for them to complete a task or purchase something on your site. Just be sure that whatever you do ask for is necessary and relevant.
7. Reduce image sizes.
In general, the smaller your images, the faster they load. Reduce the size of images on your site especially if you have lots of images by using compression or resizing them in an image editor such as Photoshop.
8. Enable compression.
Another way to speed up load times is by compressing images before they're sent to your visitors' browsers — this process reduces file sizes without sacrificing quality. You can do this by using tools like WP Smush Pro or ShortPixel (both are free). The end result? A faster site that doesn't bog down your visitors' data plans or drain their battery life!
9. Integrate click-to-call buttons and link emails to mail apps.
If someone wants to call or email you, make it easy for them by integrating a click-to-call button or linking them directly to their preferred communication app (like Skype or Slack). You can also provide a quick link to your social media profiles so that they can follow you there as well.
10. Include a well-designed website search function.
People who visit your site over their phones often have specific questions or problems they need answers to right away, so a search function is essential for helping them find what they're looking for quickly and easily.
With more than half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, it's time for a mobile search strategy for your site.
In today's world, our readers increasingly want to be able to view our websites on the go. From search engine optimization to user experience and design, these tips will help you improve your traffic and provide a more enjoyable reading experience for your desktop and mobile users alike. If you apply them to your site, we think you'll see results.
Remember, a successful mobile search strategy will not just affect your site's traffic—it can also have a big impact on your website's revenue. If you do not have mobile traffic as part of your SEO strategy, then you are essentially leaving money on the table. The future of the web is mobile—you can't afford to ignore it.
