Since the dawn of smartphones, people have slowly been changing how they consume content, browse the internet, and shop online. People use mobile devices more than ever, so a mobile-friendly site is essential for small-business owners.
If you don’t already have a mobile-optimized site, now is the time to rectify that.
Why is mobile optimization important?
Since 2016, Google has had its eye on implementing mobile-first indexing, and most good SEO agencies have been advising clients that not optimizing for mobile is an SEO mistake. More people now use their smartphones for searching than use a traditional desktop. Google wants to provide the best experience for users – and considering that a high percentage of them are smartphone users, it makes sense for them – and you – to ensure that when a user clicks a search result from their mobile, the page is optimized for use on their device.
Google had said that in September 2020, it would switch to mobile-first indexing, but given the global pandemic, they have since moved that date to March 2021. Once mobile-first indexing is fully implemented, it will prevent you from ranking on the first page of Google if your site is not mobile-friendly.
Besides the SEO implications, there’s also the fact that a mobile-optimized site will most likely bring you more conversions. A lot of people use their smartphones for almost everything these days. If they land on your website and find that the experience is frustrating, they won’t go on to buy, book a free estimate, or contact you – they’ll just move on to the next website.
According to Google, 94% of customers who own smartphones in the USA search for local information on their phones. So for local businesses, it makes sense to ensure that our website is fully optimized for mobile.
How do I optimize for mobile?
One key point is that your website needs to have a responsive design. This means that the website will automatically adjust to the device and present your website in an easy to read and navigate format for that screen size.
If visitors to your site need to pinch or zoom to read your content, it’s not mobile-friendly. You’ll also need to check that animations, popups, videos and navigation menus work well on mobile and remove any that you don’t need or that don’t work on mobile.
Too many popups or plugins on your site, or bloated file sizes on videos can make the experience frustrating for visitors. Plus, they often make loading speeds on a mobile device too slow. If you’re not sure how mobile-friendly your site is, you can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool for free to check. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, Google also offers some resources for developing mobile-friendly pages.
Mobile optimization may sound complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. Leadspruce offers businesses in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas a free 15-30 minute consultation where we can review your current digital marketing and SEO strategy, including mobile optimization. Why not contact us today to arrange yours?