Is your website mobile-friendly? If not, you could be damaging your brand.
Mobile accounts for half of web traffic worldwide. And this number is only going to increase, with desktop making way. Perhaps you’re even reading this article on a smartphone or tablet right now.
All that said, not everyone realises exactly why a mobile-friendly website is a must.
To make it simple, we’ve put together 5 key reasons why your business needs to provide a mobile-friendly experience.
1. Most people are using mobile
Mobile is the go-to choice for 55.4% of people when making a purchase online. It’s simpler and faster for them to search from the palm of their hand, rather than wait until they’re sitting at a desktop computer or laptop.
As a result, the mobile version of your site typically provides the first impression of your company. Will you dazzle them with a great user experience or confuse them with an unwieldy view? You never get a second shot at a great first impression. People will quickly leave and find your competitors instead if the experience is not great.
2. Mobile improves search engine ranking
When people search for your products and services, you want them to find your site first. With the first opportunity to impress, you have a better chance of converting clicks into customers. To rank highly, a mobile-friendly design is a must.
Did you know making your website mobile friendly will increase your reach?
Google used to index and rank websites based on the desktop version. However, with the majority of people using the mobile version to view sites, the search giant had to move with the times.
Thanks to a recent algorithmic update called Mobile First, the mobile version of your site is now the version Google uses. As a result, if your website doesn’t have a mobile version, it will struggle to rank highly on search engines.
Another mistake we frequently see is when a site has lots of great content on the desktop version, but the mobile version is stripped back and content light. While this might help improve the user experience, it won’t help with rankings.
Mobile friendly design isn’t something to um and ah about – it’s vital for driving traffic to your website.
3. Faster loading time
Websites that are designed for desktop favour large images and horizontal layouts that can be slow to load on mobile devices. Also, mobile users are likely to be using a data connection that may not be as fast as broadband or fibre. You’ve got to be sure that your website can cope with a slower speed. Creating your website with only desktop users in mind will decrease the chances of loading quickly on a mobile device.
Are you putting your customers first?
Watching a website jolt and jump as it slowly appears on the screen is incredibly frustrating for any visitor. It will put them off from working with or purchasing from you. They’ll click away and never want to waste time trying to reload the page again. Even if your website’s design and content is outstanding, if it takes an age to appear, the visitor won’t stick around to see it in all its glory. Making your website mobile friendly is crucial to keeping your visitors engaged in the excellent products and services you have to offer.
4. Prioritises what’s important
Designing a website for mobile makes you prioritise what’s necessary. There’s limited space on smaller screens, so the most important words and images have to take centre stage. This will help you whittle down copy and images into a concise layout. Your visitors will be better able to understand what you’re all about. When you focus on being mobile friendly, you’re bound to produce a website that gives an excellent initial impression of your business.
Have you considered the costs?
You can save time and money by opting for a mobile friendly website. Uxeria cites that 70% of online business failures are caused by bad usability. When people find your website difficult to use on mobile, you will lose out. This will result in you having to put extra time and money into redesigning your website at a later date. Make your website mobile friendly now – it will benefit your business in the long run.
5. Increases customer loyalty
Google uncovered that if customers have a negative experience of your website on mobile, they’re 62% less likely to purchase from you in the future. Your mobile-friendly website is an essential part of earning your customers’ loyalty. Drive your buyers to make repeat purchases by making your website a joy to browse on the device they are using all the time.
Will your website keep them coming back?
The process of making a mobile friendly website puts concise design at the forefront. If you’re running an e-commerce business, your customers need your website to be easy to search and shop from. With 47% of website visitors checking out a company’s products and services page before looking at any other sections of the site, it would be a mistake to overlook the functionality of how you list your products and services. Putting mobile-friendly design first is a super smart move for building and maintaining a loyal customer base.
Get a mobile-friendly website and more for your accountancy firm
Getting to grips with mobile-friendly design can be daunting. Thankfully, Rapport Digital has a team of web design experts specialising in websites for accountants and accounting firms, just waiting to help. We understand that a mobile-friendly website is integral to your business. But we also understand the complementary efforts like SEO, PPC, email marketing and social media that make it a success.
With our holistic approach, you can hand-pick the services you need to succeed online. Contact us today talk about your website.