5 steps to optimise your website for mobile

The 21st of April 2015, Google changed its algorithm to penalise websites that are not sufficiently optimised for mobile. This means that you are already two years behind if you have not already gotten started. But fear not! We will give you five tips on how to get things in order.

The changes in the algorithm mean that search performed on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, will prioritise pages that are fit for mobile. If your page is not, it will be harder to find in Google.

Did you know that a staggering 94 % of B2B buyers do research online before they make a purchase? With this in mind, it is clear why being visible in the search result should be a top priority. Here’s how you turn your website into an easy to find, mobile optimised site:

1. Make it responsive

You might have come to a website while on mobile where you have to scroll to the side to see the full page as it has not been fitted to the screen. This is not only annoying but damaging for the website’s performance in the search engine.

That the website is user-friendly on a desktop is, of course, important, but if it does not look good on smaller screens you stand the risk of losing a lot of potential customers.

Dependent on the industry, the share of search on mobile ranges from 39 to 72 %. In order to not loose out on these potential customers, you will need a website that is easy for them to use on mobile as well.

That a website is deemed responsive simply means that it automatically adapts its sizing to the screen it is viewed on. So how will the same website look on a desktop compared to a mobile device?

Most websites have a navigation menu in the header of the page with different elements arranged horizontally. When you enter the same page on a mobile device, you might see the same menu arranged in a dropdown format, allowing you to see all the elements on the smaller screen. This is just one of many ways a website can be better optimised for mobile.

Not sure if your website is optimised for mobile or not? Get Google’s opinion here.

2. Less is more

Many businesses make the mistake of keeping the same information on the mobile version of their website as the desktop version. This is not always the wrong way of going about things, but keep in mind that five lines of text on desktop will seem much longer when you view it on a smaller mobile screen.

Another way to look at it is to consider why the person is visiting your page on mobile over desktop. Maybe they are on the go, which means they will have less time and patience to read an extensive explanation of what you do.

Try swapping longer copy on your website for shorter text, remove elements that require a lot of data to load and make long forms shorter.

3. Make your website SMART

Using HubSpot you can implement SMART rules that changes the content on your website based on who the visitor is. One option is to display different versions of a page depending on the device the visitor is using.

If you are using call to actions on your website you can create simple buttons that are better suited to mobile (if you are not using call to actions start using them now!).

You can also write longer blog content for readers on desktop, and shorter summaries for those visiting your blog on mobile. Read more about HubSpot’s smart rules here.

4. Keep loading time to under 3 seconds

This goes for both desktop and mobile, but load time is even more important when people visit your page on mobile. Their patience is extremely short, and 47 % say they expect a website to load in mere 2 seconds.

If you want to find out if your website does well, you can use Website Grader. This also gives you an overview of how mobile-friendly it is, its performance, SEO and security.

5. Mobile first

The best way to ensure that your website is fit for mobile is to develop for mobile. It is much easier to scale up than down, meaning if you start with mobile you can create a great desktop site as well. This approach to website is focused on content, and it is the content of a website people have come to see.

Start by prioritising the content you want to have on the page, and structure this in a spreadsheet. Ensure that all “touch-points” are big enough and easy to use on a smaller screen.

Avoid using hovering effects and such as these only work well with a mouse, not on a mobile. And last but not least, test thoroughly that your website works on all devices.