How To Optimise Your Website For Mobile.
With over 3.5 billion people using mobile devices to access the internet, businesses need to optimise their websites for a seamless and enjoyable user experience on any device. Mobile optimisation is now essential in order to reach new customers and drive sales, but many business owners don’t know where to start! Join Jane Hayes Consulting as we talk through mobile website optimisation, how to make the most of your site and look at brands that lead by example.
In the past, audiences needed to sit down at their laptop or desktop computer to search online, shop and engage with brands; now, with most of the world having access to smartphones, a purchase, search, and interaction is just a click away at any time of day. This means that brands must ensure that their website is optimised for mobile; it’s a must! The mobile experience is often judged more harshly than the desktop version due to issues such as load times, lack of ease for navigation and less space to design a strong user interface compared to a desktop version.
“61% of mobile users will never return to a website if it is not mobile adaptive.” Techjury
Examples of effective mobile websites tend to share common characteristics:
Intuitive navigation.
Image compression for faster loading times.
Efficient use of mobile device features (e.g., geolocation).
Well-organised menus with both touchscreen and green-friendly functionalities.
While mobile website optimisation is no small task, it pays off when you look at companies that have successfully navigated their mobile journeys.
If you are looking to greater optimise your website, asses yours via the following points:
Is it easy to navigate?
Is it responsive?
Is it easy to take action?
Is your website aiding you in achieving your business goals?
Does it load quickly?
Is it easy to read?
“73.1% of web designers think that non-responsive design is a top reason why visitors leave a website.” HubSpot
1. Why is mobile optimisation important for businesses today?
With a smartphone in the hands of most contemporary consumers, our more mobile lifestyles, and the expectations for brands to be genuinely accessible 24/7, it’s imperative that all brands have a mobile-optimised website. Optimising mobile sites using strategies such as page speed optimisations, device-centric design, mobile payment integration, and other mobile-centric features can be highly beneficial for businesses that want to make their customer experiences more enjoyable.
Mobile website optimisation allows businesses to provide users with a smoother experience, can increase SEO, increase user engagement, and provide a greater overall brand experience, consequently increasing customer retention. It can also encourage physical brand interaction, brand trust and future sales.
2. What are the benefits of having a mobile-friendly website or app?
Mobile optimisation is a crucial part of any web development strategy in 2023. By making your website mobile-friendly or creating a mobile app for your service or product, you can reap many benefits like increased customer convenience, increased visibility on mobile search engines and better customer engagement.
Customers increasingly use their mobile devices to access websites, and mobile apps allow them to do so with ease as they often have improved functionality that regular mobile sites do not offer. This leads to an overall better user experience and makes it easier to turn visitors into customers - which should be the ultimate goal of every business.
Mobile Website:
· Compatible with all devices.
· Less expensive to develop than an app.
· Ability to reach a wider audience.
· Easier search engine optimisation.
· No need to update.
App:
· Quicker load times.
· Can be used online.
· Stored on device, so easy to locate.
· Greater personalisation.
· Easy push notifications.
· More freedom in design.
· More time is generally spent on apps.
3. How can you tell if your website or app is optimised for mobile devices, and what to do to make it more user-friendly?
The most important characteristics of mobile optimisation are page speed, layout, and accessibility. To make a website look and feel more friendly on mobile devices, you can use responsive designs that adjust automatically depending on the size of the display, ensure quick loading times by using efficient coding and compression and pay attention to mobile typography, which should be larger and easier to read across all devices.
Taking the time to optimise for mobile creates a better user experience and can improve your organic search rankings and engagement metrics. To check your website’s mobile effectiveness, you can also use platforms such as Google’s mobile-friendly test by entering your URL; Google will analyse your website’s design and content for further peace of mind.
“Mobile accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide. In the fourth quarter of 2022, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 59.16 percent of global website traffic, consistently hovering around the 50 percent mark since the beginning of 2017 before permanently surpassing it in 2020.” Statista
4. What are some common mistakes businesses make when optimising for mobile, and how to avoid them?
Common mobile optimisation mistakes can include a lack of responsiveness, such as a design that isn’t created to fit on a mobile screen; a truly responsive website will adjust for easy consumption. Overusing mobile popups and ones that aren’t mobile-friendly can turn a customer off your brand; use them sparingly. Ill-placed or non mobile-focused CTA’s can further lose a potential customer, be strategic and don’t use a one size fits all approach. Text size is another aspect of your website you need to ensure is optimised; ensure all text can be read without the need to zoom in. Though text size is important, you still need to consider your brand text hierarchy.
Be sure to have an easily accessible menu to make your audience’s experience seamless; a burger menu can be a great option for ease of navigation. Additionally, be mindful of mobile-specific elements such as quick loading times and navigation buttons like menus or back buttons. Lastly, ensure an easily accessible search functionality; ideally, this will be placed on the homepage.
“According to Oberlo, 70% of smartphone owners who made a purchase in-store turned to their mobile devices to research the purchase beforehand.”
5. After You Optimise, Monitor Your Site.
You've done so much work optimising your mobile website, but the duties aren't over yet. Keep track of the back-end data to ensure your design is converting customers and achieving your desired results. You can analyse mobile trends with data from analytics programs specific to mobile activity, such as page length, loading speed, scroll depth and more.
Additionally, you can measure mobile conversions using in-depth tracking, which can help identify any issues customers may have navigating through your site. By monitoring the performance of your website when accessed from a mobile device, you ensure that you provide an optimal user interface for your customers. We know it can be hard to find the time to edit, let alone monitor your site. Jane Hayes Consulting can help; click here to talk.
Website monitoring applications can be a great way to keep an eye on performance; some are:
6. Examples of effective mobile websites.
We’ve talked about what you should and shouldn’t do when optimising your website; now, let’s look at some of the brands that have effectively optimised their website for mobile and led the way.
The small creator website, Etsy, has effectively crafted its desktop and mobile websites. Their mobile website is easy to navigate, has an easy-to-use interface, and remembers your search history, making it easier to return to that must-have from your previous search. Esty’s mobile website has been heavily optimised for shoppers on the go - the interface is incredibly user-friendly and easy to navigate.
The site is designed with engagement in mind, allowing users to quickly scan through numerous creator profiles and items with ease and purchase whatever catches their eye at any time - e-commerce as it should be! Etsy makes checkout straightforward and secure; this increases brand confidence and encourages brand loyalty.
Net-a-porter has successfully taken the essence of its desktop site and created a genuinely effortless mobile experience through its app and mobile website. The site is optimised for all devices, meaning all visitors can easily search for their favourite item. All net-a-porter shopping content, including products, editorial stories, and their luxury magazine, The EDIT, has been explicitly designed for net-a-porter mobile customers.
The net-a-porter mobile website considers key user behaviours/expectations, giving customers an enriched user experience with lightning-fast usability and image performance, making net-a-porter even easier and more convenient to shop on any device. Net-a-porter has thought of everything, from easy-to-follow filters and saved items to 360° spin views that bring items to life. May it be their mobile website or app, they are true to form in their branding, and their use of geolocation means it's easier to shop from your current location.
Realestate.com.au offers one of the most robust mobile websites on the real estate market today. An array of features make it one of the top choice real estate search tools. With optimised content for superfast load times, intelligent sorting options and real-time data updates, you can access an unprecedented wealth of information at your fingertips. Users can quickly access real estate listings across Australia with enhanced features and tools.
This improved product experience enables real estate seekers to save time and ensure they are always up to date with their favourite real estate properties and keep track of their property holdings. For real estate agents, realestate.com.au optimises the mobile website for their needs, allowing them to list properties on their phones as quickly as if they were using a computer! The website also provides handy options such as “Save Search” so that users can keep track of it for later use once they have found what they’re looking for. Their integration of agent contact details makes it easy to make an enquiry, and you’ll never miss a viewing with calendar notes loading directly to your planner.
Airbnb’s mobile website offers a simple yet intuitive user experience that makes planning a user’s next adventure effortless. The site and app present smart search algorithms that consider the traveller’s preferences and provide the best options. Airbnb ensures that payments are secure and that additional guests can be sent alerts and travel details with ease.
Users can dream of future travel by creating wish lists, accessing messages from hosts or guests, and offering easy support access if needed. The site incorporates easy-to-read text, so there is no need to zoom in, and their consistent use of brand colour and assets gives users a sense of greater brand trust.
The Netflix mobile experience is seamless! The design displays a simplified, minimalistic interface that makes it intuitive and easy for customers to quickly access content on the go. Users can take advantage of features like easy video streaming and format adjustments—allowing customers to get the same level of quality which is available on desktop platforms.
With its simple navigation, mobile users can easily find their desired content effortlessly for on-the-go entertainment. No need to stress about missing out if offline; users can download their selections for easy offline consumption and the platform is seamless from phone, computer to tv, so you'll know where you left off.
“70% of the searches made on mobile phones lead to online action.”
Jane Hayes Consulting, Leading You Through The Digital World:
Jane Hayes Consulting is an independent digital marketing agency founded to help businesses create consistent, creatively aligned, and strategic content. Jane Hayes Consulting can help you put your best foot forward with our expertly crafted team covering website design and building, marketing strategy, content creation, brand creation, and project management. We work within budget restraints and look toward the future. Need assistance in developing your digital strategy and creating a business advantage? Contact Jane Hayes Consulting today and sign up for our newsletter.