These days, about 60% of web search traffic originates from a tablet or mobile device. By not optimising your site for mobile devices, you’re not only creating a poor first impression for mobile users, but you could also be losing customers. Mobile-friendly websites aren’t the future anymore, they are the here and now.
People are used to having information at their fingertips in today’s fast-paced digital world. Users want sites that look good, that are easy to read, easy to navigate and easy to find. Pages should load quickly – ideally in less than 4 seconds – and the site resolution should adapt to fit the screen of whatever device is being used to view the content. If your site design is frustrating for mobile users, odds are they’ll simply go somewhere else.
Also, a mobile-optimised site is prioritised in search engine results, which is good news for your business. Given how critical search engine traffic is to most enterprises, this alone is reason enough to invest in getting your site up to speed.
Mobile-friendly websites are the new normal
According to data from First Site Guide, in 2016, there were 4.61 billion mobile phone users globally. This number should grow to 4.77 billion this year, and 4.93 billion next year. These are pretty staggering statistics – ignore them at your peril.
61% of users told First Site Guide that if they landed on a website that wasn’t mobile friendly, they would exit and go elsewhere. On average, people spend between 4 and 5 hours per day on their mobile devices. This surge in mobile use accounts for 2 our of every 3 minutes spent online. Mobile devices have totally transformed the way we access the internet. Stop for a moment and think – how many times have you picked up your smart phone today?
Is your website mobile-friendly?
If you’re not sure, visit this Google Mobile-Friendly Testing Tool and enter your URL. If your site passes, great! Be sure to alert Google through the tool, so they can update you in search results.
If you didn’t pass the test, don’t worry. Making your site mobile friendly needn’t be a costly exercise. Switching to a popular CMS platform, like WordPress, Joomla or Drupal, can be easier as their templates are already mobile optimised, and continue to be updated as new browsers and devices come on the market.
If you need further convincing, or you’d like a more detailed roadmap about how to optimise your site for mobile devices, this handy reference guide from First Site Guide is a useful tool. If you’re looking for hands-on assistance, VKN Digital specialise in site redesign and mobile optimisation. Please contact us for a free, no obligation Skype session to discuss your needs and how we can work together.
Christian Taylor is a writer and social media manager and part of the VKN Digital team. VKN Digital is a digital marketing agency in Hertfordshire, UK. We aim to help SMEs overcome marketing hurdles and create compelling digital content that drives results. If you need a leg-up with your content marketing or social media, get in touch via our contact page.
