Remember the worry about Mobile-geddon, the Google update that was rumored to drive websites that were not mobile-friendly down in organic search results? According to a study conducted by digital-marketing agency Stone Temple Consulting, sites that were not able to meet the criteria for mobile-friendliness were indeed penalized with lower positions in search results. Some sites fell as much as 12% in search rankings the first two months after the algorithm update was implemented. Google has directly stated that mobile responsive designs are the preferred configuration.
As website owners have upgraded and improved their sites to meet the new standards, more apps and features were developed for mobile responsive sites. The following are 3 additional features you can use on your site to give visitors a better experience.
Rethink Navigation
The days of the site navigation reading like a list down the side or across the top are over. Think of the screen space on a mobile device as prime real estate that you need to use to entice someone to stay and explore. More sites are turning to a collapsible navigation system that folds into a single icon. Once clicked, the user is directed to a neatly displayed set of links, smaller displays will be shown this at the footer for a neater display. A great example of this type of navigation in action is found at the Pittsburgh Glass Center Art Museum‘s website.
Put Your CTA in the Forefront
Another feature that needs to be ramped up are calls to action. This is especially crucial for websites that have a focused or singular call to action, such as the Sasquatch Festival‘s site. Their one main objective is to sell tickets to the yearly fest. On their site redesign, they made it so their site will place the “Buy Tickets Now” button in the center of the computer, tablet, or phone screen. This makes it easy for users to purchase tickets and also to grab those spur-of-the-moment purchases because the button is so conveniently placed.
There's an App for That
In a recent study by Smart Insights, mobile users stated 89% of their time online was through apps. If there is a way to implement an existing app on your site, do it. Another (and better) option is to create a custom app. If your site sells children's clothing, an app that helps shoppers with items for sale in your store would be helpful as well as make it an easy choice to use your store because of the ease of use. A very simple Android app you can make will display your site within the app making it easy for visitors to stop by with a click. By downloading an app, your site will be there on their phone or tablet. There are sites that allow you to design apps or you can outsource the job and get a more complex app developed for your website through a freelance site such as Upwork.com.
Check out this infographic: Responsive Website Design
Source: Pinterest
If you haven't already, upgrade to a site design that encompasses the evolving ways your site visitors connect. We've just gone over three features that will help visitors enjoy a site with more ease.
If you know of a mobile responsive feature that brings the value to the user experience, share it in the comments below.
Tabitha Jean Naylor, Clearwater FL
Tabitha Jean Naylor, Clearwater FL is the Founder of Successful Startup 101, a digital magazine that provides answers to today's most pertinent questions facing startup founders, and the Owner of TabithaNaylor.com, a marketing firm that delivers 'big agency' quality at rates that are affordable for startups and small businesses.
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Being a web designer, I see sooo many people pick a design for JUST how it “looks”….but honestly, it MUST be mobile friendly. A VERY large percentage of users are now MOBILE…more than most people think! You are RIGHT! Pick a theme that is mobile friendly so that the user sees your call to action in the TOP of their screen. They don’t like to scroll….it’s just a known fact. If the mobile user doesn’t have to scroll to find your call to action, your chances of getting that “optin” or “sale” is much greater!
Great post!
I can definitely see the value in this post because often I go to a website on my phone and get annoyed because I can’t see what I need to see on the page. And that is a very good infographic you supplied with its eye popping details. Thanks, Tabitha. Another great article.
I have seen a lot of changes when my site when mobile friend as you can imagine 90% of people currently are using their mobile devices to check the net! it has been a huge boost both for my business and my other clients business am helping!
Thanks for sharing this! Tabitha
Great article. Very important to have a website specially designed & built for the mobile phone market. Otherwise it’s a turn off for the mobile user to follow the website.
This is a great article. Mobile marketing is by far the biggest niche and we should design our websites to be more mobile friendly. Great Tips
With the wave of technology cell phones are now peoples computers. It is imperative that your website is mobile friendly. Thanks so much for sharing this. Learned a lot 🙂
Considering the preferences of mobile users is important. The fact that so many people use their phones to connect to the Internet. I don’t alway think of this when I create content on social media or my blog. It is definitely worth keeping it in mind, so I don’t miss out on valuable eye balls seeing my content. Thanks Tabitha, this was definitely worth reading.
Its Amazing how the the phone is the smallest most useful device for your business right there on the palm of your hand, and setting your website up to be mobile freindly is a must. great article
This was extremely helpful, Tabitha. I’m not as advanced as a web designer, but from the perspective of a regular webiste USER- most of the time I spend on the internet is through my phone. If I go to a site that is hard to navigate or scroll on my iPhone screen, I skip it and find another site that is mobile-friendly. The info-graphic is great too- specifically referencing population’s use per device. What an eye-opener!
Great article. So many times I have went to a website and needed to click on a certain button only to not have it show on my phones screen because the website wasn’t mobile friendly. Very frustrating. Thank you for sharing.
This Article is packed with helpful information for anyone wondering if it really truly matters to become mobile friendly with their online business. Rethinking the navigation, bringing the CTA to the forefront and with the use of the Apps, your website is set for success in today’s mobile market. I enjoyed this post, the information in the graphic was surprising and very insightful.
Very valuable post Tabitha on how to utilize mobile devises..Thanks for sharing my friend.
Yes, you must test this responsiveness, as it can be tricky! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Think about it. We all know this intuitively. What do we do when we visit a website from our smartphone and it fails to load correctly, the images are out of whack, and we have to zoom in to click links? We leave, and we likely don’t go back. It’s very important to make sure your blog or website is up to date and is mobile responsive so you don’t lose 50% of web visitors who are now exclusively using mobile.