Why Making Your Site Mobile Friendly Should Be A Top Priority

How often do you browse online with a PC or laptop? If you answered, “rarely,” you’re not alone. While we may use our laptops or PCs for work, the majority of us do our leisurely digital activities with a smartphone. We shop, read the news, and book appointments and vacations all on our phones. Heck, most of us can’t even get through dinner without checking our socials or texting. The point is, for better or for worse, mobile devices are important to us. This means that, as a business owner, you will want to prioritize a mobile first design for your site. Here’s why and how to do it. 

Why is Mobile First Design So Important?

Mobile-first design is not just a trend, but a necessity. The growing number of mobile internet users across the globe has made it clear that businesses must prioritize mobile experience if they want to stay competitive. Here are some key reasons why mobile-first design is so important in digital marketing:

1. Growing Mobile Traffic In 2023, mobile devices accounted for more than 58% of global web traffic, with smartphones leading the charge. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile users, you could be missing out on a giant portion of potential customers.
   
2. Google’s Mobile-First Indexing: Google indexes mobile-friendly sites first, meaning it predominantly uses the mobile version of your site to rank your pages. If your mobile site isn’t optimized, your search engine rankings could suffer, resulting in fewer visitors and, thus, lost revenue.
   
3. User Experience (UX): Users expect a seamless experience across all devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, users will quickly abandon it in favor of one that offers a more enjoyable and functional mobile experience (more on that below).
   
4. Improved Conversion Rates: A mobile-optimized site isn’t just about aesthetics; it also affects how easily users can complete actions like making a purchase or filling out a form. Sites that are optimized for mobile have higher conversion rates, as they provide a smoother, more intuitive experience for users.

Real Talk: What Could Happen If You Don’t Prioritize Mobile-First Design?

Not to be dramatic, but you’d be shooting yourself in the foot if you ignored mobile users. We already discussed why mobile-first design is important, but to put a few numbers on it:

• Higher Bounce Rates: Even if your site looks good on mobile, you’ll lose a shocking number of people if it takes too long to load. According to a report from Google, 53% of mobile visitors will leave a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. This high bounce rate negatively impacts user engagement and can hurt your SEO rankings. Start with images, as they are often the culprit for slow loading times. The right file type is important too: SVG for icons, PNG for transparent backgrounds, and JPEG for everything else. Remove unnecessary images, no matter how much you love them.
  
• Lost Revenue: According to Think With Google, 61% of users will visit a competitor’s website if they have a poor mobile experience, and 45% will never return to the site that jaded them. In other words, there are few second chances when it comes to winning mobile users. Loss of users means loss of conversions, which means lost revenue.
  
• Decreased SEO Rankings: In 2020, Google made mobile-first indexing the default for websites. If your mobile site isn’t up to par, it will result in lower rankings in search results. This is particularly important in the wake of Google ending continuous scroll. This feature automatically loaded new search results as you scrolled past page one. Now, users must physically click on the pagination link at the bottom of page 1 to get to page 2. According to backlink IO, less than half of 1 percent of users ever visit page 2 of Google search results.    

So, How Do You Make A Mobile Friendly Site?

We’re very glad you asked! A mobile-first design may sound intimidating, but most front end web builders make it fairly easy on you. Start by:

1. Choosing A Responsive Design 

You can save yourself a lot of headache (and a lot of CSS) if you choose a responsive design for your site from the get-go. “Responsive” means the layout automatically adjusts depending on the screen size of the device being used. This ensures that your content looks great on any device, from smartphones to tablets to desktops. You still want to double check across devices to make sure the design is behaving how it is supposed to.

If you are proficient in code and you are set on a design that is not responsive, you can use media queries to adjust the layout. A media query is a feature of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) that allows you to apply different styles to a web page depending on certain conditions, such as the device’s screen size, resolution, or orientation. An example looks like this:

• The first block sets the default styles for all devices.
• The second block applies styles only when the screen width is 600px or smaller (commonly used for mobile phones). In this case, it changes the background color to light blue and reduces the font size.
• The third block applies styles for devices with a screen width of 1200px or more (usually tablets, laptops, or desktop monitors). Here, it changes the background color to light green and increases the font size.
  

2. Focusing On Page Speed 

Mobile users are often on the go and may have slower internet connections compared to desktop users. Optimizing the speed of your site is essential. Run a site audit through Lighthouse or a similar platform. If it takes more than 2 seconds to load on mobile (or anywhere else, for that matter), you’ve got some work to do. You can compress images using a plugin and use a server that employs Contact Delivery Networks (CDNs) to cache pages locally for users. If you’re code savvy, you can go through your site’s files and minify CSS and javascript. Otherwise, it will be well worth it to hire a web developer who can do this. 

3. Simplifying Navigation 

Mobile screens are smaller, which means navigation must be simplified. Consider using a hamburger menu, sticky headers, or a bottom navigation bar to ensure that your users can easily find their way around the site without cluttering the screen with too many options.

This travel website has been mobile optimized to include larger, touchable items and a simplified hamburger menu to avoid clutter. Images can (and should) still be included, but they will need to be part of a flexible grid or a widget that places them and sizes them appropriately for mobile.

4. Touchscreen Optimization 

Mobile devices rely on touch, not clicks. Buttons and links must be large enough to tap easily, and the design should minimize the risk of accidental clicks. Avoid small buttons or closely packed links, as they can frustrate users.

5. Mobile-Friendly Forms 

If your site has forms, ensure they are easy to fill out on mobile devices. Use dropdown menus, checkboxes, and auto-fill features to make it easier for users to complete forms with fewer errors. Don’t forget to make sure buttons are large enough for mobile users to tap easily.

6. Content Optimization 

Ensure your content is legible on smaller screens. Use larger font sizes, concise copy, and well-spaced elements to enhance readability on mobile devices. Mobile users don’t have the time or patience for lengthy text blocks. 

7. Focus on Local Search Optimization

Mobile users often search for local businesses on the go. Optimize your site for local SEO by adding location-specific keywords and using Google My Business to improve visibility in local searches. An SEO specialist can help you manage your pay per click campaigns as well to make sure you are bidding on effective search terms for your area. (We’d love to help you with that.) 

Get Help Building A Mobile Friendly Site That Ranks

Mobile-first design is no longer optional in the world of digital marketing. With mobile usage continuing to rise and search engines like Google prioritizing mobile-friendly sites, businesses must adapt to ensure they don’t miss out on potential customers.

At RCG, we get that most business owners understand the importance of mobile-friendly views (and a good user experience in general), but that it is often easier said than done. That’s where we come in! Let us help you design a website that looks great on all devices, loads fast, and ranks high in search results. Call or go online today to schedule a chat. We look forward to working with you!