Getting a website live or updating an existing website is an exciting and busy time for any business. There is a lot to think about, and most people really enjoy the creative aspect of choosing a website design. However, what’s often forgotten is the mobile version of the website, and it’s only once a project is finished that you may realise that the site doesn’t perform so well on mobile as you might have hoped.
It’s easy to think that because a website is responsive, this automatically means that it will work the same on mobile as it does on desktop, but this is not usually the case. As website visitors, we behave differently when we use mobile devices compared to how we would when we view a website on a desktop PC or laptop.
Why is a mobile website essential for business?
As mentioned above, the way we use websites is different depending on which device we use to view them. Whilst a website may perform well and bring in plenty of revenue from desktop and PC users, it may actually be losing sales from mobile customers.
Given that website visits from mobile devices are continually rising, this could result in lost revenue for websites that are not mobile friendly. According to Google, mobile website usage is now 4 times higher than desktop. However, mobile web traffic only converts half as often as desktop traffic, due to poor user experience; i.e. brands haven’t invested enough into their mobile website.
Critical Features for a Mobile-User friendly website
When designing a mobile website, there are some critical features you need to include to ensure that the website functions well, is user-friendly, and makes the most of each visitor, encouraging them to stay and browse and make a purchase or submit.
1) Responsive Design – Smart Phones come in all different shapes and sizes these days and screen sizes can vary greatly. It’s important that your mobile website is responsive to the size of any mobile device screen.
2) Speed - According to Google statistics, 53% of people leave a mobile site if it takes more than 3 seconds to properly download. Make sure your site is optimised for quick loading. This is your developers job and any professional will ensure images are the correct file size without compromising on quality, and that there is no “dirty” code or applications slowing down the loading times of your mobile website.
3) Ease of Navigation – your mobile website should be designed with thumbs in mind. Make sure that buttons and sliders are easier to use, than if you needed to click on them with a mouse. Overly sensitive buttons can cause frustration, and incorrectly functioning sliders will lose sales particularly on e-commerce stores with a search by price slider.
4) Clean Design Template – as a mobile screen is smaller, clean design is important to make sure that the site is easy on the eye and that the important information and features stand out. Mobile pages should be simpler, with less places to click as it’s easier to click by accident on a mobile device. Key information should be in stacked text boxes and side bars should be avoided, hamburger menus work best too.
5) Click to Call Functionality – if a customer is visiting your website on their phone it’s the ideal time to capture an impulsive phone call to find out more about your service. Click to call connects your customer with your Customer Service or Sales team with just one press of a button.
6) Simple Forms that Adapt to Screen Size – if your mobile website is responsive, make sure that all aspects of it are too, particularly enquiry forms. It’s very frustrating trying to fill out a form when you aren’t able to see everything that you’re typing in a box, and this frustration can lead to a lost enquiry.
7) Contact Information & Location Easily Accessible – make sure that your contact information is easy to find on your mobile website. Especially if you have a shop, showroom or office that people come to visit – it’s highly likely they’re looking for directions! Incorporate Google maps to allow customers to start sat nav guidance.
JSC are professional Mobile Website and App designers and can help you develop your mobile presence and grow your conversions. For more information and a no-obligation quote, please contact us today to tell us about your business needs.
