Whether you work B2B or B2C, optimising your website for mobile is essential in today’s digital landscape. As digital marketing experts, it’s our job to help you get the most from your website. So, we’ll explain why mobile website optimisation is important, then share our Top Six strategies to fix your website for mobile users – and for search!
Is responsive web design automatically optimised for mobile?
Modern websites are designed to be responsive, adapting to the screen size of the user. So, if you have a responsive website, is that automatically optimised for mobile?
The answer is no.
Unless a site has been designed from the outset as mobile-first, it will usually be optimised for desktop. Whilst this will deliver the optimum user and search-friendly experience for desktop, you will need separately to optimise the site’s appearance on smaller devices.
Our digital marketing team at Waypoint can explore the backend of your website and tweak how it appears on mobile for you: boosting mobile user experience and enhancing its appeal to website browsers such as Google.
Why you should optimise your website for mobile
User experience (UX)
Studies show that around 60% of overall website traffic now comes from mobile devices – you can track the actual figures for your own website through your dashboard. Unless your website is optimised for mobile, these users may find it slow and difficult to navigate, leading to frustration and increased bounce rates. A poor mobile experience may have a lasting impact, giving customers a damaging perception of your brand and deterring them from engaging further with your business.
Conversely, mobile users are often closer to the point of purchase than desktop users. A well-optimised mobile site can capture these ready-to-buy customers effectively. Features like click-to-call buttons, simplified checkout processes and mobile-specific promotions can further enhance the user experience and drive conversions.
Search engine ranking
We also know that Google prioritises mobile-friendly sites in its search results, and primarily uses the mobile version of a site for indexing and ranking. Websites that are not optimised for mobile may thus rank lower, making it harder for potential customers to find you online. Mobile website optimisation helps to improve your postion in organic search results.
Mobile-first design
There is a growing demand for websites to be designed primarily for mobile users, with progressive enhancements for larger screens. Mobile-first design optimises the UX for small screens, which:
- Results in a leaner, more focussed design
- Gives a more app-like, touch-friendly interface
- Tends to be performance-optimised from the start, taking account of mobile constraints like slower connections and limited processing power.
The Six to Fix: key elements of mobile optimised design
There are 6 key elements to consider for mobile website optimisation:
- User-focused
Understand your mobile user’s context, needs and behaviour when optimising your design for mobile. Will they be concentrating and have time to explore in detail? Are they likely to have good lighting? Is all text legible on a small screen without scroll or zoom? Focus on providing a clear and simple mobile experience that meets user intent and solves their problems effectively. - Intuitive navigation
Design for easy navigation, considering touchscreen friendliness. Use features like navigation drawers or hamburger menus to display secondary elements while keeping the main interface clean. - Simplified design
Embrace the constraints of smaller screens by removing unnecessary elements. Keep layouts clean and clutter-free. Use colour contrasts, graphic elements and whitespace to emphasise visual hierarchy and draw attention to key components. - Prioritise content
Focus on delivering content clearly and concisely, ensuring it loads before other elements. Prioritise important content at the top to avoid lengthy scrolling. - Touch-friendly elements
Design wide tap targets (at least 30-44px) to accommodate ‘fat fingers’ and improve accessibility. - Optimised performance
Ensure fast loading times by optimising images and minimising file sizes. Aim for pages to load in under three seconds to retain visitors.
Review mobile website optimisation on launch
Before your new website goes live, conduct a thorough review of its performance on mobile. Use tools like Google Lighthouse to identify areas for improvement, paying particular attention to:
- Load times: Ensure your site loads quickly on various mobile devices and networks.
- Navigation: Test the usability of menus, buttons, and other interactive elements.
- Content display: Check that text, images, and videos are appropriately scaled and easily readable.
Ongoing mobile website optimisation monitoring and updates
User feedback is invaluable for continuous improvement. Monitor analytics to understand how users interact with your mobile site. Look for metrics such as bounce rates, session duration, and conversion rates to identify potential issues. Regularly update your content and design to keep it fresh and aligned with current trends and best practices.
Additionally, stay informed about technological advancements and changes in mobile usage patterns. As new devices and features emerge, adapt your website to leverage these developments. For example, consider optimising for voice search, integrating mobile payment options, or enhancing your site for better performance on 5G networks.
Mobile website optimisation with Waypoint
A mobile-friendly site ensures a positive user experience, higher search rankings, increased engagement and better conversions, helping you stay ahead of the competition. By investing in our ‘Fix Six’ strategies for mobile website optimisation you can future-proof your digital presence and drive long-term success.
Our expert team at Waypoint provides digital marketing support whenever you need it from our offices in Winchester, Hampshire. We can help you with anything from a one-off digital tune-up of your website to optimise it for mobile, to ongoing digital marketing expertise covering all areas of your business.
Contact us today to find out more about our flexible digital marketing services on 01962862760 or email info@waypointdigitalmarketing.com
