As a small business owner, you’re happy enough to have your website up and running. The thought of optimizing your site for mobile devices may have never crossed your mind. It may seem like something small; but believe it or not, it can make a huge difference given that 60 percent of Internet access is via mobile devices.
Not sure if you should get a web designer to optimize your site for mobile devices? Check out these ways that the decision can influence your business.
Generate More Traffic.
More traffic to your website means only good things for you. The more people stick around, the more likely they are to act upon your calls-to-action on your site. Given that people will access your site via a mobile device more than half the time, optimizing your site for mobile is an all-around good idea.
That’s because when people land on your site, they’re more likely to quickly leave if your site doesn’t work well on their devices. Potential reasons for not working well include that the text is small and hard to read, it is difficult to navigate a desktop webpage on a mobile device, or your photos and layout options may not convert well, which means that your visual appeal will take a nose dive. So keep visitors on your site longer by making your theme fit for mobile device access.
Improve User Experience.
Your website visitors want one thing: A good user experience. They’re already equipped with the latest smartphone and phone accessories, and all they need from you is an easy-to-navigate and user-friendly website. By making your site mobile-friendly, you can give this to them.
When your users access your site from a mobile device, your new mobile theme should convert to the size of their screen. Your tabs and pages will usually display in a drop-down menu to reduce the amount of space that they take up on the screen (although the formatting choices are up to you). Pages will be easy to read, and links will be easier to click on.
That’s not always the case when users are trying to access the desktop version of your site on a mobile device. The site doesn’t always resize properly, and the text can be hard to see and difficult to navigate if a user zooms in. You want a website layout that will make them want to come back to your site, not abandon it completely.
Increase Conversions.
With the two benefits mentioned above also comes more conversions. Think about it: If people are staying on your site longer and find enjoyment in it rather than frustration, don’t you think that you’ll get more people interested in your services?
But it’s not just that. If you try to convert your desktop version of your site onto mobile devices, your call-to-action may get completely lost as your site tries to resize items for the user’s screen. A properly optimized mobile website will give a clear call-to-action and make it easy for users to find and act upon.
In addition, looking at a desktop site from a mobile device can get overwhelming. Where do users look? What do they click on first? There’s generally just too much information crammed onto such a small screen. With a mobile theme, you can reduce this confusion and make your call-to-action more clear.
How Do You Optimize Your Site for Mobile?
Now that you’re thinking about optimizing your site for mobile devices, you’re probably wondering how you do it. The simplest option is to choose a web theme that already has mobile compatibility built into it. Another option is to hire a web designer to develop a mobile version of your site.
If you’re using WordPress, you can make a simple mobile website with plugins like Duda Mobile Website Builder. This is a free tool that will let you choose from a variety of themes to create a mobile version of your website without affecting your desktop version.
Now that you’re equipped with these ideas, what will you do to make your website mobile-friendly?
