Fun fact: over half of the global internet traffic comes from mobile devices.
Mobile optimization for your website is essential if you don’t want to miss out on a big piece of that online traffic. As a website owner, you should see the incentive to optimize your website for mobile devices so you can gain visitors who are searching on-the-go. With mobile phones often taking the place of desktop computers, mobile optimization for your website has shifted from being ‘nice to have’ to becoming instrumental for your web design. It’s clear that in order to convert more website visitors into customers, you need to keep up with digital transformation and make sure your website is ready for mobile visitors. But why exactly is mobile SEO (search engine optimization) so important and what are the benefits of mobile optimization for your website? Read on for the full scoop.
Mobile optimization is the process of adjusting your website content to ensure visitors accessing the site from a mobile device have an experience customized to that device.
You need to implement mobile SEO if you want to attract organic traffic.
Rather than simply compressing or rearranging content on a screen, mobile optimization for your website means it is designed entirely for a smaller screen user’s experience. The benefits of mobile SEO go far beyond simply generating more traffic from a mobile search. It improves the overall experience for your visitors. This helps boost conversions and keep users engaged with your site, even when they are navigating it on a small screen. It also increases the chances that because of their positive experience with your mobile site, they will become a repeat visitor.
Mobile optimization for your website is crucial for sustaining business growth.
We can all agree that the majority of our online searching happens when we are on our mobile devices. Mobile devices are easily accessible and always within reach. And I think we can also agree that when you are wanting to find something online, you want it to be a stress-free and smooth process. Knowing this is how you feel personally, it’s all the more reason to make sure that your website provides that same experience.
Some characteristics of a mobile-optimized website include:
- Easily loads on smartphones and tablets
- Does not have mobile pop-ups
- Contains clear and simple navigation
- Has a fast load time
- Includes font sizes that are large enough to be read on a small device
- Fits to the screen size; no vertical or horizontal scrolling necessary
- Has a well-structured, user-friendly format
- Includes contact forms that can be easily filled out, even on a smaller screen
- Has CTA (call-to-action) buttons that are functional and easy to see
Now let’s dig a little deeper into the importance of mobile SEO.
Your website should easily load on a smartphone or tablet and load quickly.
The speed of your website is an important ranking factor with SEO, and this holds true whether users are searching from a desktop or mobile device. It’s recommended that your website loads in under 3 seconds. Otherwise, you risk users giving up and leaving your site. Mobile optimization for your website involves making sure that your website loads quickly. By doing so, you are encouraging your users and visitors to stay on your site.
The goal is to improve the user experience and limit frustrations.
It can be very frustrating to users if they have to zoom in to read certain text, can’t click buttons, or otherwise have to struggle to find the information they are looking for on your site. And I can tell you right now, frustrated users rarely become customers or clients. If your website is difficult to use, I guarantee you people who are visiting your website will quickly leave. When a user leaves your site before visiting a second page, this is called a “bounce.” A high bounce rate indicates that users couldn’t find what they were looking for or were somehow struggling to navigate your site.
Don’t create this type of experience for your visitors. Mobile optimization for your website improves the overall user experience and satisfaction. It also helps lower the bounce rate, keeping users on your site for longer, with hopes of keeping them there until they convert into a client or a customer. Remember, happy visitors become happy clients and customers. And when clients and customers are happy, they make purchases, which means business growth.
You can increase user engagement with mobile SEO.
Mobile optimization for your website increases the likelihood of engaging your visitors. That is the goal. You WANT your visitors to continue scrolling through your website, but they will only do so if it’s user friendly. When users are more engaged with a website and stay on it for longer periods of time, that is known as “dwell time.” Google considers dwell time to be a positive ranking factor which will ultimately improve your search ranking. An engaging design can also boost trust and credibility in your brand. This is because those who visit your website will likely spend more time there navigating through the content if they like what they are seeing. Visitors may also choose to interact with your site, whether it be by clicking on CTAs or other links or by filling out contact forms.
Even if your marketing strategy is strong, mobile optimization for your website is still VERY important.
For example, even if you are using advanced SEO to drive mobile traffic to your site, it won’t do any good if your website is not mobile-optimized. You’ll fail to turn that traffic into conversions because those who visit your site will not stay. And if they don’t stay, they won’t return or recommend your website to others. A website design for mobile users is also key for search engine rankings as major search engines, like Google, have mobile FIRST as a ranking factor. By implementing a ‘mobile-first’ mentality you will see better results when it comes to converting visitors into buying customers and returning clients.
Be sure as you are developing or fine-tuning your mobile optimized site that you are testing changes regularly. Visit your site yourself and click the CTAs, the links, and the buttons to make sure they are directing users to the right place. Make sure that the overall look is engaging, and the visuals are clear. By doing this, you can see what’s working and what’s not, and you can tailor your site to fit the needs of your customers.
