Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly?

Mobile devices (Smartphones, iPads, Tablets) are so integrated into our lives, it’s almost like it has become an extension of our existence ….

Answer this:

Where is your mobile device RIGHT NOW?
When was the last time you picked it up and used it?
What did you use it for?

Consumers spend more time on their smartphones than any other devices, including watching TV. We literally cannot function any more without it! Whether it’s using messenger apps such as Whatsapp, going online to read the news, searching for a destination, listening to music, shopping online …

On-the-go, easy-to-use, results at our finger tips – this is what we, as consumers, want! Your website, blog site or online store simply must operate in the mobile space for your business to succeed!

What is ‘Mobile-Friendly’?

A website, blog site or e-commerce store, that fits the screen of a mobile device – Smartphone, iPad or Tablet. It should be easy to navigate on a mobile device without zooming in or changing settings manually.

Log onto your web or blog site or online store from your mobile device and answer these questions:

Is the text easy to read?
Is the site easy to navigate?
Or do you first need to manually adjust it?

Mobile-friendly means your website, blog site or online store functions in exactly the same way as on a desktop, regardless of the device used.

The functionality stays the same, regardless of size of the screen.

Mobile Trends

As with technology related industries, the mobile industry changes rapidly and all the time! Voice searches are on the increase. Augmented and virtual reality is offering amazing experiences when interacting with brands. Digital health is a booming industry with over 300 000 mobile apps to choose from. This and more, is transforming consumer and business behavior globally.

Mobile Device Facts

These are the facts:

70% of global Internet users access online searches from their mobile phone
There are more than 3 billion smartphone users worldwide
Consumers spend between 3.5 to 5 hours per day on their smartphones
New brands/products are discovered by 51% of consumers using their mobile device

And here’s the thing: 94% of organic searches, worldwide, is run through Google. It is important to know, that Google prioritizes mobile page load speed as a key metric when determining your ranking, above those of desktop pages. This means, if your website, blog site or online store is mobile-friendly, and loads fast, Google pushes it to the top on its rankings in favour of your desktop version. Let that sink in …

M-commerce is e-commerce done via a mobile device. It is estimated that around $170.3 billion m-commerce sales will be made during 2020 from smartphones alone!

Social media continues to form an important part of consumer’s lives which means marketers will continue to use these platforms to grow brand awareness and brand loyalty.

There are almost 1 million podcasts globally with more than 65% of consumers tuning in via their mobile devices. Of the 65% more than half are more likely to purchase a new product/brand after hearing an advert via a podcast.

Mobile-Friendly Website

Over and above making sure your website displays well on mobile devices, you need to keep up with trends and statistics and make sure your website offers what the consumer is looking for.

Can the consumer engage with your brand/products/services via:

Podcasts
Social media
M-commerce

Consider that all mobile devices are touch screen so incorporate touch icons, easy to scroll functionality and easy to use menus.

Use responsive themes and plugins such as Mobile Page V3 or Breezy Mobile

Mobile-Friendly Testing

Here is a very easy and quick test you can run to see if your website is mobile-friendly:

https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly