Why A Mobile Friendly Website Is More Important Than Ever

Stephen McCance February 11, 2019

As smartphones continue to evolve we’re becoming less reliant on our desktops. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality has begun to show us what a future with technologically advanced smartphones may look like.

We already spend an average of 24 hours a week online. Mobile has been steadily taking the lead as the preferred viewing platform. In fact, globally, it’s been suggested that 49% of consumers use their mobile to browse online. Compared to 47% on desktop, and 4% tablet.

In an age where smartphones are surely becoming the new norm for searching online, it makes sense that your website should be as mobile friendly as possible.

What Makes A Website Mobile Friendly?

A mobile optimised website will have content designed to display perfectly; no matter what device it’s viewed from. It provides the user with information quickly and clearly. This means there’s no unnecessary scrolling to find information and there’s nothing inaccessible on the site.

Slow To Load? You Might Lose Traffic

One of the biggest factors when determining just how mobile friendly your site is is the speed. If a user clicks on your site and the page loads slowly or some elements (such as images) take too long to appear, they may immediately turn back. 40% of visitors go to a competitor’s website after they have a bad mobile experience. A vast number of mobile users are searching for information when on-the-go. It’s in your best interests to ensure the site loads quickly.

If you’re unsure how well your site performs on mobile, try running it through a simple testing system like Google’s ‘Test My Site’. This will give you an accurate indication of what can be improved on your site. For example, making the text bigger or having the clickable elements further apart.

It’s All About Improving The User Experience

Making a website mobile friendly revolves around the user experience. You need to consider the user’s journey when they visit your page. We’ve already established that they may immediately turn away if they find it loads too slow, but what about the user experience as a whole? Well, what makes a website mobile friendly to one SEO agency may not resonate with a web design agency. Therefore, the two need to work together to produce a website that is aesthetically pleasing as well as having a solid site structure for usability.

Not only is a clearly structured site better for the user, but Google is known to index sites based on the grounds of user experience.

Achieving Better Conversion Rates

Your site is likely to have lower bounce rates when it performs well on mobile. Giving users a better mobile browsing experience will encourage them to stay on the site for longer. With all this increased traffic coming to your website, there’s a great opportunity to engage with customers and target them with compelling content.

This is particularly relevant for those ecommerce businesses. By making the path to enquiry or purchase as simple as possible, you’re aligning your site with the users wants and needs. Furthermore, if you have high quality images and your site is easy to navigate, you have a better chance of higher conversion rates.

Encouraging Customer Loyalty

It may seem unrelated, but what makes a website mobile friendly, such as the speed and site structure, will also lead to repeated customers. This is especially relevant in terms of battling against competitors.

A brand’s image is dramatically improved if they have a smooth user journey, fantastic content and an overall satisfying website layout. Customers are known to offer a website repeat custom when they have a great experience.

Change Your Site For The Better

Businesses need to do their best to keep up with this ever evolving technological world. As users move more towards mobile, there’s no better time like the present to consider improving your website. Start by using the testing tools available online. Check things like your site speed and how it appears on mobile. Stay one step ahead of your competitors with a site that’s geared towards the future.

Red Cow Media are a leading SEO agency in Manchester. For more information on any of the SEO and PPC services we offer, please don’t hesitate to contact us.