Mobile Friendly Website

Non Mobile Friendly Websites – Time Is Running Out

When Figaro Digital’s latest magazine landed on my doormat last week, it prompted the idea for my latest blog – that of mobile friendly websites. If you’ve been delaying optimising your website for mobile use, then now is the time to end any procrastination and make it a priority.

The inside pages of the magazine quote some amazing statistics:

  • “A modest estimate suggests we check our phones at least 140 times a day.” Jamie Brighton at Adobe. Wow! Now there’s one reason alone why you should ensure your website is mobile-friendly.
  • “How long do you have to engage a user with your content on the web? 3.9 seconds. Content now has to play the role of sales assistant.” Stephen Kenwright at Branded3. Make sure you understand your customers’ needs.
  • “96% of visitors will leave your site without completing the actions you want them to.” Gareth Morgan, Liberty Marketing. Be clear on your objectives.
  • “Time is running out for businesses that fail to take mobile seriously. IBM Research shows that consumers expect transactions to be easier on mobile than they are offline (15%) or on a desktop computer (50%).” Jasper Bell at Amaze. Telling numbers on our needs and desires.
  • “In 1998 3.6% of the world’s population was online. Fifteen years later it’s estimated that it’s risen to nearly 40%.” Phil Worms at iomart. Don’t get left behind!

Furthermore, Tim Fidgeon who delivered a CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) webinar recently reported that Google have now gone on record stating that “if someone searches from a mobile device, only mobile friendly content will be returned as a result.” So if you don’t have a mobile friendly site, Google are saying now is the time to get one! Google’s performance chief Ian Carrington has said recently, “If you don’t have a mobile strategy you don’t have a future strategy’.

A mobile-friendly, responsive website is one that displays correctly on hand-held devices such as smartphones, iPhones, iPads and tablets. Additional things for you to consider are:

  • The load speed of data and images – minimise both for convenience of the user.
  • Easy to read information with manageable buttons – given the small size of a smartphone screen.
  • An easy to navigate menu – prioritise and consolidate the content your customers want and need most.
  • A well thought out structure – ensure it’s appropriate for multiple platforms by making sure your website doesn’t just look good, but works equally as well on say an iPad or smartphone as it does on a desktop.
  • Avoid Flash – simply because Apple does not support it. You can read more on this here.
  • Test your site – for compatibility across various devices, operating systems and screen resolutions.

Its important to note here, that a separate version of your main website, optimised for mobile, is no longer an option, neither is a hybrid version. Google will penalise you for both by not returning your details in search results.

If you need assistance with your website development or design, then please give me a call, I will be delighted to help, on tel: 07963 002065 or drop me an email.