The Importance of a Mobile Friendly Website

Having a mobile friendly website isn’t an option anymore; it’s absolutely necessary in the 21st century. Regardless of your products and services, users expect mobile friendly websites. If yours is not, don’t count on any mobile traffic!

Since 2013, mobile devices have surpassed desktops in online retail, according to Internet Retailer. With nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population owning a mobile device with internet access, this is the means in which most consumers choose to interact with brands. But online retailers aren’t the only sites that should be mobile friendly. This is a must for any site. According to a 2012 Google survey, 74% of visitors were more likely to return to a mobile friendly website while 61% were likely to leave if the site was not.

The number one reason you should be mobile friendly is for a great user experience. But you must also consider that you can be penalized by Google. If Google detects that you are not mobile friendly, it is less likely to show it in search results on a mobile device. The “Mobilegeddon” of 2015 orchestrated by Google established its best practice of being mobile friendly. Organic rankings are extremely important so you’ve got to play by Google’s rules, and they overwhelmingly say – be mobile.

Users and Google both emphatically say that all websites must be mobile friendly. However, that doesn’t mean you should have two different sites. Instead, use responsive design so that the site scales correctly regardless of device: phone, tablet or desktop.

Here are some key considerations regarding mobile friendly website design:

1.    Simplify your design so that it’s not overwhelming on smaller screens; plus simple, clean design is often more appealing to users.

2.    Don’t forget your menu. You’ll need to make adjustments. On your full site, the menu may be horizontal. It will most likely need to be vertical when scaled to mobile and collapsible.

3.    Make sure fonts and buttons readable. Larger font means users don’t have to zoom in to read (use 14px at a minimum). Pronounced buttons enhance the user experience preventing visitors from hitting wrong buttons and having to go back.

4.    High-resolution images are a must. Smaller screen doesn’t mean you should use bad images. Pixilated images are a turn-off to users.

Connecting with users is an important function of your website. You can’t properly do that without a mobile friendly website. If you aren’t currently mobile friendly, today is the day to make that important change!