Mobile-friendliness is one of the criteria of having a positive page ranking for search engine optimization; not only for Google, but for visitors as well. More and more sites are being searched and scrolled through on the mobile device. For it to be one of Google’s Webmaster points, this demonstrates how highly search engines think about mobile viewership.
Functionality
Number one is to make sure your functionality is the same across devices. This means the speed of your pages and images, it is responsive, buttons, etc. This can either be static—where it mirrors your desktop design but adjusted for a smaller screen—or can be responsive / dependent on the device—where the content may change in presentation or alignment based on what you are on.
Menus / Tabs
Something to pay attention to is the navigation features, such as the menu. Navigation can be more restrictive on a mobile device because of the much smaller screen, so if there are too many drop down options, it can be overwhelming and/or cut off. The ability and ease of navigation is vital to keeping users on your site versus a high bounce rate.
Layout / Design
As hinted at in the functionality section, the layout of your website can mirror or be different from your desktop. Either way, ensure that it is easy to read and follow. Go for simplicity over “flash”. A website’s purpose is to clearly convey what you want, whether that is to sell certain products or share information through a blog. A messy design, or one that has a lot of pop ups that block information, will do the opposite and cause visitors to leave. This may include what is written as well. A paragraph on a desktop is a lot different than that same paragraph on a mobile device. Keeping your information short and concise on mobile will better your results then long drawn out sentences.
Conclusion
Mobile-friendliness of your website is important, and goes past simple functionalities and features. This is important for bots, but if you just focus on that, you will forget who your website is designed for: your customers, both future and present. Make sure to review your site on both the desktop and the mobile device before you launch and every time you make updates, to ensure it works and looks correct on both devices.
Need help? Our web designers put an emphasis on the mobile friendliness of every site we create or revamp. Contact a team member today for a consultation.
Resources
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https://www.atomic74.com/click/responsive-vs-mobile-friendly-websites-whats-the-difference
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https://www.hostgator.com/blog/how-make-website-mobile-friendly/
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https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
