Why Mobile SEO is Vital and 5 Mistakes to Avoid
It’s widely predicted that searches on mobile devices will shortly outpace their deskbound wireline counterparts – probably by 2015. There is also evidence that people access websites through multiple devices – so consistency in experience is worth consideration for maintaining a positive perception of your brand.
Accessing social media like Linked-In and Facebook on a smartphone app has a noticeably stream-lined screen design compared with the desktop versions and yet the functionality – the way you interact means you can be quick, effective and you have a clear view of the most important information.
When mobile optimisation comes into its own though is when it facilitates a sale or lead to a sale. Neilson were asked to conduct a Mobile Path to Purchase Study for Google and found that 83% of mobile users intend to make a purchase within a day.
It’s important to recognise that the inclusion of an optimised site for mobile devices is a key part of any website strategy.
Think Mobile
There are some key limitations with mobile devices – such as a smaller screen and less computational power to conventional PC’s. Websites designed for PC’s don’t always function or run as well on mobile devices and ignoring this conversion process can make the browsing experience for mobile users dreadful and even unusable.
Google have issued guidelines to avoid some of the common pitfalls of optimising your mobile site. Read more here.
Make sure you understand the experience of using a website on mobile devices and the more devices tested the better.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them:
Here are five common mistakes you should avoid when building your website:
1. Non responsive websites. Users will not want to have to zoom in to read the relevant bits of copy. So make sure your website is built to be responsive.
2. Webpage too complex. People use mobile ‘on the go’, at a café, on the street or in the middle of a conversation. This means that the attention span and time on device of the user maybe shorter.
3. Large blocks of text. Masses of text may be a nuisance to read on a small screen so try and break your text up into readable chunks and use bullet points.
4. Video doesn’t always work on mobile. Sometimes video that is on the website does not run on mobile devices. Make sure you have checked this.
5. Complicated graphics don’t always work on mobile phones. Users may find themselves staring at messages telling them the content is unavailable. Do make sure you have tested your site on as many mobiles as possible and check your stats to see what the most commonly used mobile phones are that visit your website.
Usability is key and takes priority over other design aspects you may prioritise on a PC. Simpler design, easy navigation and concise content will make for a good experience for browsing on a mobile device.
If you want to know how to make sure your website can be effective on mobile devices contact us and we can explain how a redesigned website can improve your opportunities for sales.
