In 2007, Apple launched the first iPhone. Soon after, other manufacturers launched their versions of the smartphone to compete with Apple. From that moment on, the smartphone has taken off enormously.
Currently, over 75% of the Dutch population owns a smartphone. By comparison, in 2012 this was just over 50%. Increasing performance of mobile devices and improved usability of websites and webshops are driving strong growth in mobile purchases. Mobile commerce revenue in the Netherlands is expected to increase by 92,5%.
The consequence of this rapid development is that many entrepreneurs have not prepared themselves. Only 18% of the 10.000 most popular websites are currently mobile-friendly.
Why optimize for mobile users?
Mobile users have a higher purchase intent
According to Google, 50% of internet users use their smartphone or tablet to determine what they want to buy or where to buy it. A common action on smartphones is to call the company in question immediately after searching.
Research shows that 78% of people searching for a local business on their smartphone actually make a purchase. The same research reveals that 76% of these purchases occur immediately on the same day.
Mobile websites are easier to find
Google states that half of its users search via mobile. These visitors now often end up on poorly designed websites for mobile devices. This gives the user a bad experience, which in turn has a negative effect on Google's image.
Google therefore encourages website owners to optimize their websites for mobile devices by ranking mobile-friendly websites higher in search engine results as of April 21, 2015. Ultimately, this also improves the search experience that Google offers.
What is a mobile-friendly website?
Google itself provides the following criteria for a mobile-friendly website:
- Avoiding software that is not suitable for mobile devices.
(For example, Flash)
-Website consists of text that is clearly readable without zooming.
-Content is automatically resized for mobile screens, so that the content can be viewed without horizontal scrolling (responsive).
-Links and buttons aligned far enough apart so that the visitor can easily press.
Do you want to know if your website is mobile-friendly? Google has developed a handy test page where you can easily test your website for mobile-friendliness.
Go to Google's mobile-friendliness test here
Tips for optimizing for mobile users
In addition to the tips from Google above, there are a few other things that can ensure you are easily found on mobile.
Tip 1: Ensure you have a mobile-friendly website
You will need to adapt your website for mobile devices so that you can optimally reach your mobile visitors. Here are several methods for doing so, including the tip that Google lists as an important criterion: a responsive website.
1. Responsive website
Responsive design means that your website design is flexible. A website design responds to different device screen sizes. It ensures that the website can be viewed without horizontal scrolling and that a user does not have to 'zoom' when reading text. The website is optimally viewable on any device: mobile, tablet, or desktop.
2. Parallel Mobile website
Here, the mobile user will be redirected to a separate website specifically designed for mobile users. Usually, this is: m.nameofwebsite.nl. This website is designed purely for a mobile phone.
3. Dynamic Serving
This shows the user different content than a user on a desktop, for example, but remains on the same URL.
Content for mobile users:
At the content level, you must also carefully consider what the mobile visitor needs. Ensure that phone numbers are clickable and that navigation is simple. If you use pop-ups, make sure they are disabled for mobile devices. They will fill the entire screen, and closing a pop-up on a mobile is often very complicated.
Tip 2: Ensure a fast loading time
To ensure that the website loads quickly, is it advisable to have little HTTP requests to have when loading the website.
Some tips to reduce the number of HTTP requests:
-Ensure there is one external CSS file and one external script file
-Move internal JavaScript files to the bottom of your HTML file.
-Minute your JavaScript and CSS files (more information about minify)
-Take care of browser caching
-Optimize and compress images on the website
-With the Page Insights tool From Google, you can get detailed information about loading time, along with easy-to-follow instructions to improve this loading time.
Tip 3: Local findability
Mobile users are often looking to contact a company immediately. Companies in the immediate vicinity are therefore more likely to be preferred. It is therefore important to be easily found locally.
Make sure you are signed in to Google's local services: Google My Business and various online business directories. To improve your visibility in Google's local listings, it is advisable to be present in many (local) business directories. The more listings with address details, the higher your rankings will be.
Local results will be displayed above the normal results. A major advantage is that mobile users have the option to contact you by phone immediately, without actually having to navigate to the website.
Tip 4: Advertise on Google
Depending on your budget and the competition in your industry, Google AdWords can be an effective way to generate leads from mobile searchers. On mobile devices, ads are displayed above the local section and above the organic results. A major advantage is that you can design the ads so that people can contact you directly by phone, without having to click through to your website or Google Business Page.
Does your website meet Google's requirements? Do you want to be found more easily by mobile users, who make up a large portion of your website's visitors? Then make sure you get started on your website quickly to fully optimize it for mobile use.