Why Have A Mobile Friendly Website?

The digital world has changed considerably over the last decade. We’ve moved from a desktop-first era to a mobile-first era where website owners create sites that look good on mobile devices first and PCs second. That is why having a mobile friendly website is so important now.

The reason for this is that the way people use the internet is changing. We’re moving from a situation where people only plugged into the internet on their desktop computers to an “always-on” mobile society. People take their devices with them everywhere they go, and, therefore, they expect website owners to deliver quality mobile experiences.

The tipping point came some years ago now at the end of 2015 when mobile and tablet internet usage surpassed desktop. By the end of 2019, experts predict that mobile will account for more than 79 percent of all internet traffic. You need to be ready.

Google Uses A Mobile-First Approach To Search

Internet giant Google is moving firmly in the direction of mobile-first. The company now prioritizes websites optimized for mobile viewing in search results – something that created shockwaves in the SEO industry when first announced. If your site isn’t designed for mobile, you could find your website ranking suffering enormously, especially when searching with a mobile device.

Adapting to Google’s mobile-first initiative isn’t about paring back the desktop version of your site so that all your information fits on a mobile screen. You need to provide the same high-quality experience regardless of platform. Google’s savvy algorithms can check for this, so be careful. You might think you have a mobile-friendly website but don’t.

If you don’t know if your website is mobile-friendly or not, you can use Google’s mobile-friendly test. This special utility gets rid of all the confusion and can tell you how the search giant views your site.

Your Customers Want A Mobile-Friendly Experience

Creating a mobile-friendly website isn’t just about making Google happy; it’s about making your customers happy too. After all, the only reason Google cares about mobile-friendliness is that it wants to deliver its users to quality web pages, not trash.

Your customers care a lot about the quality of your website. Data from Compuware “What Users Want from Mobile” suggests that 57 percent of customers wouldn’t recommend a brand if it had a poor mobile site. The same report also found that 40 percent of customers hopped onto a competitor’s website following a bad mobile experience.

Mobile experiences, therefore, matter a lot. People want a mobile friendly website design that is easy to navigate.

Going Mobile-Friendly Increase Conversion Rates

The whole point of hosting a website is to convert. You want your visitors to do something that ultimately benefits both of you: signing up to a newsletter, buying a product, or donating to a cause. Whatever it is, a website can help. But if you don’t optimize your site for mobile, you could be missing a trick.

Data suggest that you can increase conversions substantially by having a mobile-friendly site. This makes sense. By making it easy to contact you or fill out forms on mobile devices, you increase the odds of collecting email addresses or receiving payment, making your site more successful.

So, in summary, mobile development is essential because it enhances the quality of the experience for your users. And because of changes in internet usage, any website that is designed for your business should be mobile-first and desktop second.