Studies predict mobile searches will surpass desktop searches by more than 27 billion queries per year by 2016. Whether you are starting your own business or have been running your small business for years, mobile website optimization will determine whether your business succeeds. Read on to see how mobile optimization can help your business grow.
Mobile Optimization can Make or Break Your Business
A report released by BaseKit earlier this year revealed that a surprising 91 percent of small businesses do not have a mobile-optimized website. This is problematic, as data from internet service providers reveal that 45% of internet users access websites through smart phone sand tablets, and several reports, including one from BIA/Kelsey, predict that mobile usage will surpass desktop usage within the next year.
How Mobile Optimization Impacts Local SEO
From a local marketing and SEO perspective, it has never been more important to invest in a mobile-optimized website. Google recently unveiled a few interesting statistics about that ways consumers find local businesses online.
It is clear that if your website is not optimized for local search on mobile devices, customers may go elsewhere. However, a mobile optimized website is not just important for your local search engine optimization, but for the user experience of your website as well.
Here is what you need to know about how to survive the latest #Google search algorithm. https://t.co/JJuVywJSKR pic.twitter.com/E4yf5R3vfR
— CyberMark Intl. (@CyberMark) November 3, 2014
Considerations for your Mobile Website Design
Responsiveness
If your website does not render properly for a smart phone or tablet, it can be frustrating to navigate, and if your mobile website is just a smaller version of your desktop website, it may not be effective at converting customers. For a great mobile website, you will need to utilize responsive design to allow the site to scale down to any size, which still gives the user the full experience of your website while running the site properly on mobile devices.
Appearance
To make your website work properly and quickly on mobile devices, you have to keep your file size low and optimize your images to improve load times. In this case, simplicity is almost preferred on mobile websites. However, keeping your website size small does not mean you have to sacrifice visual appeal. Avoid using bulky images, but definitely don't skip out on images altogether. Additionally, single-column layouts work best on mobile websites, so keep that style in mind when designing your website text and call-to-action for maximum convertibility.
Engagement
As with your desktop website, you want users to be able to engage with your mobile site. To accomplish this, keep your website updated with fresh, great content that will encourage customers to stick around and browse. Videos provide an opportunity to engage your website visitors quickly and entice your website visitors to navigate through the website and take a deeper look into your company. Optimize your calls-to-action for mobile devices and offer something special, such as a mobile coupon, for users visiting you on a mobile device. This will encourage local searchers to take action and either make a purchase or request more information.
If you are ready to stand out from the small businesses and organizations in your local region that do not have mobile-optimized websites, we can help. Get a free website design evaluation and take advantage of our free small business website analytics dashboard* to monitor your website traffic and take control of your brand's local advertising today!
*Requires Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools. If you do not have Google Analytics or Webmaster Tools on your website, take advantage of our $99 install offer, available for a limited time. Call 623-889-3380 or email CyberMark today!
