There’s no more denying that the smartphone and mobile web are now part of everyday life. No matter where you look, whether you’re riding the train on your way to work or enjoying a nightcap at your favorite restaurant, smartphones are everywhere. In fact, studies have shown that the average smartphone user checks their phone up to 221 times per day. And smartphone usage is expected to soar above 2 billion users sometime in 2015, meaning that over a quarter of the world’s population will be using a smartphone by the end of the year.
This has major ramifications for business owners. Alongside the rapid emergence of the mobile web has come an increasing need for mobile websites and compatibility. More and more smartphone users are using their phones to make purchases, as over half of all mobile searches lead to a purchase.
Even Google has begun to take notice. On January 19th, Google sent notifications out to webmasters from across the country to warn them of the mobile capability errors on their website. The suddenness of the notification is just another chapter in the conversation that Google will likely once again be rolling out yet another update to its ranking algorithms, centered around your site’s mobile compatibility.
Webmasters across the country are scrambling to get their websites in line. Is yours ready?
Prepping Your Website for the Mobile Revolution
Whether or not you have received a warning from Google on your site’s mobile errors, keeping close tabs on your site’s mobile performance is key if you are looking to capture increased business in 2015. Follow these tips to capture the elusive “mobile-friendly” label next to your search result.
The best way to get started on optimizing your site for a complete mobile experience is to take advice from the experts themselves. Google has a great guide on how to get started on creating a mobile-friendly website for your business, from checking your current website’s current performance to customized solutions to update your site. Within Webmaster Tools, Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help make sure your website:
- Avoids small text that can’t be read clearly on smaller screens
- Uses only mobile-compatible software
- Spaces links and buttons appropriately so they can be easily selected
- Has responsive design to adjust your content based on screen size
Another critical factor that will play into the success of your site on the mobile web is how quickly it loads. Smartphone and mobile web users are often looking for a faster, more efficient solution. Make sure your mobile website is primed to perform by checking your page speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. Entering your URL into the tool will provide you with a complete rundown of your site’s mobile appearance and speed performance, offering suggestions on what needs to be fixed if you are looking to enhance the mobile user experience.
Mobile usability is crucial for websites looking to capture mobile traffic to their site. Under Google’s Webmaster Tools, webmasters can now check their mobile usability report to identify pages that suffer from poor usability issues. The Mobile Usability Report will explain areas where your site suffers severe mobile usability issues and provide you with steps to fix the problems.
Optimizing for the Mobile Web
Once you understand how your page currently performs on the mobile web, it’s time to begin making the most out of your website’s mobile experience.
Above all else, simplicity of your website will be the key component to its success on mobile devices. Users are turning to mobile devices to help streamline the amount of time it takes them to find something on the web. Make sure your website is helping, not hindering their efforts.
One of the most common complaints about a mobile version of a website is the lack of navigational improvement. You’ll want to make sure that mobile users are easily able to tap, drag, pinch, press and flick their way through your site if you’re hoping to make your mobile presence known.
Finally, your mobile web efforts will be all for naught if you fail to convert visitors into customers. Make sure your website’s forms and shopping areas are optimized for mobile performance, allowing users to easily enter their information and move throughout the form to complete a purchase.
While there is no official word from Google as of yet, many SEOs and search engine marketers from across the country are starting to pay more attention to their website’s mobile performance in anticipation of a new mobile algorithm. Whether your business is just starting out or is well-established, making sure you stay ahead of the mobile trend will all but guarantee success in 2015. An all-inclusive mobile web strategy will help you stay within an arm’s reach of your customers 24/7.
Phil Laboon started the multimillion-dollar company, Eyeflow Internet Marketing, a Pittsburgh-based SEO firm, from the ground up when he was 20 years old.
