We live in a society that is constantly on the go and people are often doing quick Google searches on their phones to find the business they’re looking for rather than on their laptop or desktop computer. This is why, now, more than ever, websites are being accessed via mobile devices.
If you’ve ever looked up a business via your mobile device, you are well aware that the way the website is presented there is much different than on a computer. In fact, the differences can be striking, especially if the website is NOT mobile-friendly.
If you own a business and have a website, it is necessary to ensure that your website is mobile compatible. Not only will it help you reach more people, but it will also likely result in people visiting your website for longer. One 2020 study found that mobile users spend twice as many minutes on their devices than desktop and laptop users.
You may be wondering by now, How do I know if my website is mobile friendly? Easy! Use this handy dandy mobile-friendly testing tool. Simply type your website link into the text box and you’ll get your answer! This tool will even give you a list of recommendations to make your website’s mobile experience better.
Now that you know how mobile-friendly your website is, let’s dissect five key ways to make your website more compatible. (Whether the tool informed you that your score is good or sub-par, all of these things can only help you!)
1. Make your website 100 percent responsive. Responsive websites conform to the screen size on which they’re viewed. Although a responsive website design is different from mobile optimization, this is an important place to start. If you use Squarespace, their website themes include built-in responsive designs that resize your content and images to fit different devices and screen widths. WordPress and Wix also have select themes that are responsive.
2. Make information easy to find. More often than not, we are looking for something specific when we use our mobile device to access a website. Maybe it’s a restaurant’s menu or a local boutique’s address. Consider what information your mobile users will be looking for when they visit your website and put it somewhere easy to find.
3. Compress your images. Large image files take a longer time to load on mobile devices, bogging down your website and making it “heavy.” Fix this by compressing your images with TinyPNG or Compress JPEG.
4. Stay away from Flash. Not only do Flash elements slow down your website, Flash is not supported by the Android and Apple operating systems. If your website relies on Flash, Android and Apple users will not be able to access it at all.
5. Simplicity is key. Keep your website theme simple. The more cluttered your website is, the harder it will be to navigate on the smaller screen of a mobile device. Prioritize the things that are most important for your brand and business, and kick the rest to the curb. A clean design is not only less distracting than a cluttered one, having fewer files on each page will result in faster load times.
These five elements barely break the surface of the many things it takes to keep your website mobile compatible, but they are a great place to get started and can provide positive results when executed correctly. Contact us now for more in-depth website assistance, services and our other areas of expertise! We’d love to help you level up.
