Since 2013, mobile traffic has increased by 222%. With mobile search receiving just a sliver – 16.2% – of overall search volume, 2019 saw it inch ahead with 53.3%. Given that much of desktop search is conducted by those at work or those having to use desktops such as other businesses, it’s clear how important to consumers a mobile-friendly site is. But mobile-friendly on its own isn’t enough. Having a mobile site is crucial, and all websites that work on desktop work on mobile, but what should designers ensure they do to make the mobile versions of the site work for them?
How Important is a Mobile Site?
Some small business or personal blog designers spend hours cultivating a beautiful web presence on desktop through smart web design, which is completely scrambled for its mobile view. The calls to action on the page, the neatly outlined copy, and descriptive imagery are lost to the altered screen dimensions. So, it’s important to consider mobile from the start of website designing. Unless the website is B2B or for a complex financial service – which is typically viewed on desktops – then mobile optimization should be a consideration.
Having a mobile site is important due to the connectivity it enables. Studies found that we spend 69% of our media time on our smartphones. So, enabling a website to work best where many of your potential customers are already spending their time is important.
Moreover, the ease at which the user can then verify what they’ve seen on the site on social media is increased, flicking to another app. Apps take up 89% of the time spent on phones, so signposting to and from these apps is important.
80% of smartphone users are more likely to make purchases from sites that have optimized mobile sites and answer their questions. This could psychologically be because having a well-optimized mobile site shows the customer that the business has considered their needs and thought about how the customer’s journey could be simplified.
Mobile is also significantly easier for businesses to advertise on and gain a response from it. 91% of smartphone users surveyed admitted they planned to purchase something or did purchase it after seeing an advertisement. Smaller businesses, such as those who work from sites like Etsy, can advertise across social media and then feed it back to their site.
Mobile Should Focus on Site’s Key Features
One of the biggest mistakes made by sites that have mobile optimization is that they lose some of the quality of the design that site users expect. This could be navigability of a product search on the site or could be extra content on the site that hasn’t been migrated to mobile. But mobile sites need to bring across the key features of the site, even if they go beyond mere text and visuals.
Sites that inspire a lot of navigation within them should also keep this in mind for mobile users. Desktop users can open other tabs, but mobile users need to be able to load the information quickly. For instance, many people search through encyclopedia sites like Britannica or even Wikipedia for information, so the mobile site needs to retain this rabbit hole effect.
Any sites that offer an interactive element on their desktop version should retain this for mobile too to give customers the fill experience. For instance, as Betway shows with its live casino options available on mobile, its users need to be able to engage with the live versions of poker, blackjack, and roulette both on desktop and on mobile. Most smartphones are capable of processing with little delay. Sites that utilise a lot of video content – such as outdoor clothing brand Patagonia who use video to build the world in which their clothes would be best worn – should also ensure the video plays effectively.
If it takes too long to load or isn’t formatted properly for the reduced screen size, users may just bounce off the site.
Moreover, entertainment company Bravo who makes reality TV shows such as The Real Housewives franchise builds their audience through posts on social media, which turn into views on their mobile site. These posts are often in the form of videos – interviews, house tours, compilations, and episode previews. To capitalise on the click-through from social, this content needs to be sharp and not involve any lag or messy formatting to keep their audience’s attention.
Our dependence on mobile search is only going to grow. As the benefits of 5G and a greater level of internet connectivity become a part of our daily lives, more people will be freer to use mobile for in-depth searches and to load and process the information on a site that surpasses just copy and imagery. Harnessing the power of mobile is key for any business that wants to remain successful and gain the traffic necessary.
