Why are mobile users important?
Today, mobile users make up over 55% of all internet users. If you don’t tailor your website for people using smartphones, it’s like rejecting more than half of your customers. And even more, because in fact, Britons do not part with their phones. Adapting the website and advertising campaigns to the needs of smartphone users will help to convince even more people to buy our products or use our services. The brand can accompany such people almost at every step – at breakfast or on the way to work.
Mobile users are important because they make up a large portion of your customers, especially if you run an online store, and they are a group that is easier to reach with advertising. Moreover, they are opinion leaders. They use social media, write opinions on Google My Company, recommend products to their friends, and also share negative comments. It is worth appreciating this group of recipients and even pampering them a bit. There is a reason why experts have been talking about the “mobile first” trend for some time now. Google itself adheres to this principle, and if your website is not optimized, you run the risk of dropping your position in search results. The mobile version of your website is doubly important – for the sake of the user, but also for the sake of SEO. Today, the UX of mobile websites is not a fad, but a duty.
How to adapt your website for mobile devices – 14 ways
Customizing your website for mobile users is extremely important. It is worth taking into account the needs, preferred functionalities, and convenience of smartphone and tablet owners, but also optimising the website for search engine bots. How can I make my website mobile-friendly? Here are some tips.
1. Remember about the responsive design
A responsive website is one that automatically adjusts its appearance to the size of the screen through which the customer is using our site. This makes the user experience more positive and the actions on the site more intuitive. The functionality of the website is appreciated by both consumers and search engine bots.
2. Plan the entire page layout from scratch
The layout of your site needs to be very simple. Rethink the entire structure of the site, think about its goals, and consider the limitations that come with screen size. Remember that users are using the touchscreen, both on phones and tablets. Focus on touch to make the site even more responsive.
3. Rebuild the menu
Try to simplify your navigation menu. It is recommended to make it as short and easy to use as possible. The most common practice on mobile sites is hamburger. This menu takes up little space, and defaults to a drop-down when a user is looking for something specific.
4. Add search option
A mobile website will be even more useful if you put a functional search engine at the user’s disposal. It should be located in a visible place. It is very important that it is default and easy to use, and its search results should be as accurate as possible.
5. Take care of the CTA
You probably realize how the call to action is important. When adapting your site for mobile devices, you need to pay attention again to the size of the button and its placement on the page. Buttons need to maintain enough distance from each other so that not only does the user notice them, but they can physically click on the desired item. When choosing the location of the CTA, it is worth paying attention to the Gutenberg principle. According to it, users first pay attention to the top left corner of the page, then follow the diagonal down to the bottom right corner. The location of the CTA affects the number of clicks on the button.
6. Remove pop-ups
Nobody likes popups, especially when you can’t control them. One, two, three…and the customer no longer sees the page or the saving “x” sign. The level of frustration increases in direct proportion to the difficulty of disabling such a pop-up. And eventually, the client turns off the whole site. And we wouldn’t want that. It’s better to avoid pop-ups on the website at all, and if we do have them, let them be easy to minimize for the user. To this end, it’s worth testing different solutions to make sure that closing the window doesn’t cause anyone any difficulties.
7. Optimize page speed
Another factor that increases a website’s rejection rate is its speed. More than half of the users will abandon the website if the page takes more than 3 seconds to load. The longer a page takes to load, the rejection rate increases. And the competition enjoys our customers. It is worth monitoring the speed of the website and optimising it all the time so that the website works as fast as possible. This is a factor that directly affects the user’s actions and can cause him to leave the site before seeing the content on it.
If you are using WordPress, we advise you to choose a theme optimised for speed. The fastest WordPress themes 2022.
8. Website caching
The site is cached on the first visit and loads faster on the next visit because a cached version is provided. This is a great solution for impatient customers who run away to the competition after just 3 seconds of your website loading. It’s worth implementing.
If you are using WordPress, you can install plug-ins such as W3 Total Cache or Breeze. If you are using Shopify or BigCommerce, caching is provided by the software developers by default.
9. Use icons instead of text
A website for mobile devices usually has little space for content. That is why it is worth using icons, which, if well designed, can express a lot. They make it easier for the user to function on the page, they take up little space, can be used as buttons, and additionally, they make the look of the website more attractive.
10. Don’t overdo it with the fonts
The type and size of the font you choose fundamentally affect the perception of the page. It is recommended that a maximum of three different sizes be used on a single page. This is important so that the page title is eye-catching but does not fill the entire screen. Using different font sizes and different types of fonts makes your website cluttered and should be avoided.
11. Remember about the size of the content
Mobile screens are usually small and narrow. Hence, the content contained on the page needs to be all the more thoughtful and concise. Ideally, a paragraph should be short enough to display the entire thing in a single view of the page on a smartphone screen. You still need to keep the user’s convenience in mind.
12. Optimize images
Think about optimizing not only the content but also the images and videos on the page. You can use responsive images that will adapt to the dimension of the device. It’s important to know, how heavy these files are because directly this value affects not only the loading time of the site but also the appearance of the whole site and its attractiveness. This is a point that you absolutely need to keep in mind when customizing your site for mobile devices.
13. Limit advertising
Try to limit not only pop-ups but ads on your website in general. Especially their flashy forms interfere with the view of the site, and its proper perception and often lead to distraction of the user, which distances him from using the site as we would like. A mobile website has really limited room for manoeuvre. That is why it is worth using it in a very thoughtful way.
14. Don’t give up on branding
All the while, it is important to remember your brand’s visual identity. A website for mobile devices must be consistent with its desktop version. Key features of the brand, such as colours or logos, should be preserved.
Making your website accessible to mobile users – summary
Adapting a website for mobile users is extremely important. It influences the image of the company, its further recommendation to the clients, and finally, the sale itself. A lot depends on the user’s convenience, for example, whether the customer will return to us. When introducing various improvements and optimizing your website, you should, first of all, take into account the fact that nothing is permanent. Building a user-friendly website is a process that requires testing and constant changes. And all of this is done in order to improve the functioning of the site, to adapt to the requirements of customers and technological developments that are progressing all the time.
