People are increasingly using their mobile devices to search the internet and make purchases. In the past, mobile optimisation was considered as secondary or as a bonus for a business’s website but in 2016, it has become an essential part of digital marketing and indeed essential for many companies to survive. You could have a fantastic and engaging digital marketing campaign in the pipeline but without paying attention to all the factors at play, you could be inadvertently turning customers away. When optimising your site for mobile use not only must you consider the design aspects but also page speed, screen sizes and much more.
Firstly you will also need to decide whether you want to make your existing website responsive or create a mobile dedicated URL. This is entirely a matter of personal preference but word on the street is that large search engines like Bing and Google prefer to have one unified site. If you do opt for a separate site, your current URL can have the prefix m. to signal it is a mobile site but you will need to make sure you have a clear option to the correct site if users become lost.
When designing your site for mobile there are some unique features you should be sure to include, most notably a click to call option to bring clients straight to your business. You should rid your mobile site of pop ups where possible as these are difficult to close and can put clients off. You will also want to optimize your images and avoid flash to make sure mobile visitor are seeing all of your hard work. It is important to bear in mind that page speed is especially important for mobile viewers who will often experience issues with connectivity whilst visiting your site. If your page takes too long to load visitors will become bored or distracted before getting to the action point of your site. You should aim to minimise your sites, code and number of redirect pages to maintain a high standard of user experience on mobile devices.
Be sure to test your site by using it on as many devices as possible (beta testing). Ask friends and family and visit an electronics store to see for yourself what works and what doesn’t or look into running a small focus group to gather some opinions. Be sure to keep an eye on your site’s Google Analytics, or sign up if you haven’t already – this will allow you to see which devices visit your site most frequently and how the user experience fairs.
Finally, it is important to avoid some common pitfalls of mobile marketing. On a less technical note, customers often complain about sites which are crammed with links too small to click on with a finger which makes it difficult to get to important information or to buy products. Similarly, be careful to ensure any fill-out forms necessary for purchasing or for registration are as simple and fast to fill out as possible. If you do have an app version of your site it is fine to advertise its presence but avoid repetitive screens mentioning its existence as clients often mention this is off putting.