Have you used your smart phone, smart watch, or tablet to surf the Internet today? If so, you are not alone. A whopping 80 percent of people who use the Internet own a smart phone, and use it to get online. Have you ever thought about how all of that mobile phone use should affect your website? Google has, and the search engine has started to penalize websites that don't give people an easy experience on their mobile devices.
Fortunately, creating a mobile ready website is a matter of getting in touch with the right web development company who can help you redesign your website with mobile devices in mind. Following is an overview of why switching to a mobile ready website is so important.
Google's Rankings
The biggest reason to switch to a mobile ready website is because Google has started to penalize websites that aren't very easy to use on mobile devices. In April of 2015, the search engine announced that it would use mobile readiness as one factor when deciding where to put a website in its search results.
This means that if your website is mobile ready, it looks better to Google and is more likely to show up near the top of the search results (where more people will see it). If your website is not mobile ready, you can expect it to end up farther down in the search results (where you are unlikely to be noticed by very many people).
This up ranking and down ranking of websites based on their mobile readiness is part of Google's attempt to give its users relevant, useful information. Because so many people use mobile devices to search online, Google wants to make sure that they get a great experience no matter what device they are using. The best way to make Google happy, therefore, is to make your website look great on mobile devices.
User Experience
Of course, you want to make your website visitors happy, too. Even if you managed to get noticed on Google without having a mobile ready website, what would happen when people got to your site? Visitors who were using a mobile device would probably struggle to find the information they wanted, since your fonts would have to be tiny to fit on their screen. The large images that load just fine on a desktop computer would slow down the load times on the mobile device. And, filling in forms would become very difficult on the smaller smart phone screen.
On the other hand, a mobile ready website is designed to make browsing easy. Fonts are larger. The most important links are front and center (and large) so they are easy to find. Images are smaller and there are fewer of them. Forms are pre-filled as much as possible. Visitors feel comfortable using these kinds of sites on their smart phones and, when they are comfortable using your site, they are going to stay longer, interact more, and do more business with you.
Website Navigation
Have you ever abandoned a website because you couldn't find what you wanted? Visitors to your website are going to be the same way. Mobile users are going to be even more impatient than desktop users. For instance, if they are looking to order a pizza, they will want to see the order button instantly. Otherwise, they will satisfy their hunger at your competitor's shop.
A mobile ready website makes it much easier for mobile users to navigate your site. For instance, it is designed to anticipate what mobile users are going to want from your website. Instead of your latest blog article, they might want your contact information, shopping cart access, or directions. A mobile ready website will put these links front and center. Plus, a mobile ready website is going to let visitors get to all of the important information with fewer clicks. And, finally, because a mobile ready website is optimized for the smaller screen sizes of mobile devices, it won't make visitors zoom, click, and type incessantly just to find the information they need.
Lead Generation and Sales
At the end of the day, having a mobile ready website is important, because it helps you to meet your goals for your website and for your business. When you have a mobile ready website, you are going to get more leads and make more sales. For instance, you will rank higher in Google. This will get more people to visit your site. Once there, they will find a pleasant user experience and easy navigation that will encourage them to explore your business. The result? More leads and sales as people find what they want on your site, even when they visit with their mobile devices.
Plus, the more people who enjoy and explore your site, the better your site will look to Google. For instance, the longer people stay on your site, the lower your bounce rate is. Google will then reward your low bounce rate with better rankings in the search results. Those better rankings lead to even more visitors, which leads to a cycle of profitability and brand building that leaves your business better off than before.
It may feel overwhelming to think about redesigning your site to make it mobile friendly. However, we here at Distinct Web Design can help you to navigate the process smoothly and professionally. In the end, you will have a site that is ready to impress Google, provide a great user experience, provide easy navigation, and get you leads and sales. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you to enjoy all of the benefits of a mobile ready website.
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