Time To Go Mobile – The Importance of Mobile Optimisation

We’ll begin by being very blunt – if your website isn’t optimised for mobile, you’re losing out on a lot of money. In 2014, mobile browsing officially overtook desktop browsing for the first time, making it the first and foremost method of searching the web. Social network giant Facebook reported that by the end of 2014, 526 million of its users were accessing their accounts solely from their mobile devices. If the most successful companies out there are catering for it, why shouldn’t you?

The modern consumer is more active, more mobile, and above all more impatient. If your website doesn’t function on the primary browsing device of the modern generation, it’s going to get left for dust. It won’t matter how good your content is, or how exclusive your products or services are – if the customer can’t easily access them, they’re not going to bother.

We’ve talked before about the user experience, an oft-underestimated factor in increasing conversion rates. Most mobile purchases are impulse buys, and mobile users typically spend more money than their desktop counterparts. The statistics say that customers give a website, on average, just under three seconds to load; if the site fails to meet that time limit then the customer is immediately off to greener pastures. You need to be able to accommodate this flightier mindset by streamlining your site wherever possible – for example, you could start by simplifying your checkout process. Mobile users often need their information delivered quickly and concisely, allowing them to make decisions on the fly. Your desktop version will be no good in this instance – desktop browsing is often clunky and unintuitive on a mobile device, and the resultant loss of sales will be punishing.

Another of the increasingly important effects is its impact on social media. Sites like Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram are specifically geared towards mobile browsing. Users who are led to your site from those mobile-based sites are going to be decidedly unimpressed with the awkward transition, which will likely dissuade them from visiting again. Social media is spearheading the mobile revolution, and you need to take it into account if you have any desire to successfully digitally market your business.

Apart from anything else, lack of mobile optimisation in today’s digital climate can look lazy, ignorant or incompetent. Mobile browsers will feel unwelcome on a site that seems only geared towards desktop users, which means you’re alienating massive segments of your customer base before they’ve read a single word on your site. It might seem like a secondary concern but honestly: it’s anything but. Don’t get left behind!

If you need any help or advice from a member of our team, feel free to call us on 01538 750 538 or email us at [email protected].