Eric HammisThe use of smartphones is on the rise. Ok, how many times have you heard that? Quite a bit, I’m sure. I could sit here and spout out tons of stats and numbers to prove my point, but I got a feeling I don’t have to do that. You’re probably already well convinced that mobile phone usage is increasing.
If you need more proof, go to a public area, stop and take a look. You’ll probably notice half the people are on their smartphones.
Since there are so many people using smartphones, it’s time to optimize your mobile strategy, if you haven’t already. So here’s our top 4 tips on how to make your website mobile friendly.
Make it Responsive
This is kind of the obvious one, but it’s the most important. You have to make sure your website is optimized for mobile use. So if a person is accessing your website from their phone, you best be sure that it’s easily accessible and simple to navigate. It needs to be responsive, meaning the screen automatically adjusts for the device being used, whether it’s a phone, tablet or computer. If it’s not, you can almost guarantee your visitors will instantly bounce from your site.
Also, be sure your contact buttons are mobile optimized as well. So if a person is viewing your phone number, don’t make them punch in the number. Make it clickable so people can call you by simply clicking on it. The same rule applies to email.
Relevance
When you create a page for your website, chances are what you see on your computer is not what you will see on your mobile phone. You might only have to scroll down slightly on your computer when viewing a page, but when you view the same page on your mobile phone, it will probably require a good amount of scrolling.
Because of this, it’s important to put your most important, relevant information near the top. If a person lands on a page and has to scroll through tons of information to find what they’re looking for, they might just leave.
If it’s a landing page for purchasing a product, it’s best to keep it short and simple so the user sees the purchase button and product right away. Otherwise, they might think they’ve landed on the wrong page.
Make it Legible
Not everyone owns a smartphone that is the size of a small computer, so it’s best to be sure you’re using buttons and text that is legible. I would recommend using a font no smaller than 14 point. Then again, you don’t want one word taking up the entire screen, so select a good font that is legible and allows a good portion of your content to be viewable.
Also, make sure your buttons are an appropriate size and easily found. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to tap on a Tic Tac size button only to hit the wrong link and be directed to the wrong page. You know we’ve all dealt with that, hitting your phone with your finger a million times only to hit the wrong link. FRUSTRATING!!
Test and Improve
Always test your site before you launch. Which means you need to try your site on different cell phones, including different types — Apple, Samsung, etc. Every phone reacts differently, so try out several phones and make sure everything is looking the way you want it to. I would recommend brining in some testers to try it out and see what they struggle with.
And lastly, just because you launch your site doesn’t mean it’s a finished product. As with everything in digital marketing, there’s going to be times when you need to make changes and corrections. So make sure you continue to test and find new ways to make your site more mobile friendly.
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