Optimising your website for mobile

People don’t talk any more. They text, inbox and share. I find myself commenting on funny videos or images that are on my social media feed and even have my mobile in-hand to show said media to people around me.

It may seem an annoying habit or a sign of the times, but it demonstrates how ubiquitous mobile phones and tablets are now – and that is a huge opportunity for businesses.

You may already be successful online and only see mobile optimisation as an extra cost but there are a few things to consider before dismissing the notion.

When you optimise for mobile, your business is everywhere all at once. You’re in someone’s pocket, near them while they sleep, and my pet hate, at their dinner table. And while mobile phones aren’t ideal for social situations, they’re great for business.

Everybody has a mobile

A staggering (but not surprising) 80% of internet users use their smartphone for surfing the web. Which means your best chance of catching someone’s eye is by making sure your website looks appealing on a mobile phone. If your company has social media pages (which it should) you are able to send out links to your home page, placing your products and services in their hands.

Side note: if you don’t have a toothbrush, go buy one now and finish reading this later.

You might be losing money

Ever approached a sale rack only to realise there was no order to it, the clothes were slung over the rail and somebody has left orange foundation on a white top? The feeling I get from seeing that is the same as when I see a website that is not mobile-friendly – I leave with no intention of ever returning. You will lose out on conversions every time somebody leaves your site because it has not been optimised for mobile. Results from a Google survey showed that 61% of people said that they leave the site immediately if it isn’t mobile-friendly.

Google will appreciate it

When someone is searching online on a mobile device, Google will boost mobile-friendly websites, ranking them higher. In fact, 72% of mobile users prefer to see a mobile-friendly site, yet 94% still experience the desktop version on their mobile. In short, you may be doing well online already, but there is always room to improve.

If you don’t know where to start with mobile optimisation, Podium is ready to help you!