Why Mobile Optimization Matters for Your Website
Mobile optimization is paramount to both user experience and search engine ranking
Before we get started, it’s best to have an understanding on the basics of search engine optimization.
We’ve all seen it: the heads down, oblivious to surroundings and buried in the depths of the world wide web, offered all too conveniently from the smartphones we all possess these days. For better or (almost certainly) worse, nearly everyone uses a mobile device to browse the internet. In fact, according to Statista, mobile devices now account for more than half of all website traffic worldwide. This trend is expected to continue, which is why mobile optimization is more important than ever. If your website isn't optimized for mobile devices, you're likely missing out on potential customers and hurting your search engine rankings. In this blog, we'll explore the importance of mobile optimization and provide some tips on how to make your website mobile-friendly.
Improved User Experience
The most important reason to optimize your website for mobile devices is to provide a better user experience (UX). If your website isn't easy to use on a mobile device, users will likely become frustrated and simply leave your site. And they probably won’t be coming back any time soon. This can result in lost sales, decreased engagement and ultimately, a negative impact on your brand's reputation. By optimizing your website for mobile devices, you can create a user-friendly experience that encourages visitors to stay on your site longer, explore your content further and more quickly convert into customers.
Improved Search Engine Rankings
Mobile optimization also has a direct impact on your search engine rankings. In 2015, Google announced an update (commonly referred to as “Mobilegeddon”) that prioritized mobile-friendly websites, giving those sites a ranking boost in search results. Since then, Google has further prioritized mobile-friendly websites in its search algorithm. So if your website isn't yet optimized for mobile devices, it's likely that your search engine rankings are suffering.
Increased Conversions
A mobile-optimized website can also help to increase conversions. In fact, according to a study by Google, 61% of users are unlikely to return to a website if they had trouble accessing it on their mobile device. If your website is difficult to use on a mobile device, you're likely missing out on potential customers. By optimizing your website for mobile devices, you can make it easier for users to navigate your site, explore your content and again, convert into customers.
Tips for Mobile Optimization
Now that we've explored why mobile optimization is important, let's take a look at some tips for making your website mobile-friendly:
Use a Responsive Design
A responsive design ensures that your website will look good on any device, whether it's a desktop, tablet, or mobile phone. It automatically adjusts the layout of your website based on the size of the screen.
Optimize Images
Large images can slow down your website on mobile devices. To optimize your images for mobile, make sure they're compressed (typically less than abuot 2 MBs)and use the appropriate file format (JPEG, PNG, etc.). New to the scene is Google’s WebP file extension, a raster graphics file format intended as a replacement for JPEG, PNG, and GIF formats that supports both lossy and lossless compression, as well as animation and alpha transparency
Simplify Navigation
Simplify your website's navigation to make it easier for users to find what they're looking for. This means removing unnecessary links, using clear and concise language and keeping menus short and sweet. If it’s not helping either UX or your search rankings, get rid of it!
Use Large Fonts
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Small fonts can be difficult to read on a mobile device. Use larger fonts to ensure that your content is legible on all devices.
Minimize Pop-ups
Pop-ups can be intrusive on a mobile device, and can make it difficult for users to navigate your website. If you must use pop-ups, make sure they're easy to close and don't take up too much space.
