When was the last time you went to your own website? How about the last time you cruised around your website on an iPad or an iPhone? Were you pinching and zooming? If your website was less than ideal on a smaller screen, you are missing out on a growing number of visitors from your website.
Nearly 24% of total website traffic came from mobile devices in the first quarter of 2013, up 78% from the same time in 2012 and over double (109%) since 2011, according to Hubspot. The trend is expected to continue, with the majority of emails being opened on mobile phones versus a desktop computer and social media maintaining a majority focus on a mobile phone. If you aren’t concerned how your website looks on a mobile phone, you are alienating a growing portion of your audience.
Aside from how your website looks, think about how people use their mobile phones – with their fingers. When was the last time you touched a screen only to find it wasn’t a touchscreen? I see children, tweens and teenagers do it all the time. I did that very thing this morning. It’s becoming second nature and your website should be intuitive enough to adapt to that user requirement.
Big Buttons
You cannot have hyperlinks on your mobile and tablet website versions – you can’t click on it. As someone on the smaller side of life, I don’t often have ‘sausage finger syndrome,’ or the inability to click on small things on the screen due to large, stumpy, clumsy fingers. However, hyperlinks will do me in occasionally and it’s aggravating, shortening the time I’m willing to spend on a website. Statistically, users that cannot use a website the way they want to on a mobile device will leave the site in favor of a competitor, so ditch all those hyperlinks for big, obvious buttons.
Swiping Next
Moving slides and through gallery slideshows using a side-to-side finger motion is essential. That’s how users interact with media on a mobile device and they’ll expect the same thing from your site.
Realistic Forms
Make it easy to fill out forms and get in touch, otherwise it simply won’t happen. Click to call buttons for quick calls, shortcuts to Google Maps directions and contact forms that are short and easy to use so they aren’t stabbing their screens for ages just to let you know they’re interested.
Author Bio: Valorie Reavis
Social Marketer, foodie, closet geekA marketing professional who has focused primarily on the hair and beauty business for of the past decade, Valorie now runs linkup marketing, a digital marketing agency for the hair and beauty professional. Valorie works to engage clients in the marketing process and help them successfully engage with their clients and community. Energetic and passionate about the industry, Valorie focuses on blending traditional and digital media in order to bring salons closer to their clients.
