Gone are the days where Internet can only be accessed via desktop. Today, users have gone mobile. Each and every year, studies are showing that internet usage via mobile phones is continuously rising. In fact, today, 95% of all mobile searches are done on Google.
Recently, Google has announced the shift to mobile-first indexing. This means that Google is going to favor websites that are mobile-friendly. So online marketers need a mobile-friendly site in order to reach their customers.
What is mobile friendly SEO?
Mobile SEO is the process of optimizing your website so that visitors who access your site from mobile devices or smartphones have an experience optimized for the device. When the website is viewed on a mobile device, it is just a smaller version than that that would appear when viewing from a desktop.
To succeed with mobile SEO today, your site needs to at least work on mobile devices. Here are five reasons why you should make your move now.
1. Faster Page Speed
According to Moz, Page speed is a measurement of how fast the content on your page loads.
Page speed is important in SEO because it is one of the ranking factors that search engines consider. Page speed is also important to user experience. A fast site speed will result in a better user experience, while a slow site speed will result in a poor user experience, lower average time on the page and higher bounce rates. A user is typically staying on a site longer if the site speed is faster because they can easily get what they need without waiting for too long. With that being said, site visitors can be converted into sales better while minimizing bounce rate.
A website with three to four seconds or less is considered to have a good page load time. This varies slightly based on the type of site and the content it contains but typically if your web pages load in under three to four seconds, you’re doing well. You can evaluate your page speed with Google's PageSpeed Insights and find out what is your website’s speed and what are the things you need to improve.
2. Improved Usability
Mobile-friendly websites are specifically designed for mobile devices users - nobody wants to browse a desktop website on their smartphone. A research on Mobile User Experience shows that the best experience is provided by a mobile-dedicated site.
With a mobile-friendly website, user can easily browse, read the content on your website and find the actual information they’re after right from their mobile devices, which makes a positive impression and improves your business-client relationship by making your website more available anytime, anywhere, that results in making sales.
3. Lower Bounce Rate
Reducing your bounce rate helps to boost your conversion rate, improve search engine rankings, and provide your visitors with the best possible experiences. And one way to achieve that is by having a mobile-friendly site.
If a visitor can easily navigate your web pages and the content is written mobile friendly, you reduce your bounce rate and increase the chance of converting visitors into customers. Take note, 67% of users are more likely to buy from a mobile-friendly site than a non-mobile friendly site.
4. Social media shares are huge on mobile
The fact that many users are using handheld phones, social media shares are huge on mobile devices. One of the great things about mobile devices is how easy it is to browse websites and able to share interesting posts or photos with others on social media. Notice how social media buttons are everywhere when browsing using your phone. If a SHARE button is not yet on your website, it’s time to integrate them and make it easier for your users to spread something they like about your business.
Through sharing, it can help you reach new and highly targeted potential customers that could increase your brand awareness. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram also gives a way to communicate with customers – tweeting, posting, messaging and other means of contact can all be made available through social media. Using social media can help you address any inquiries or complaints and can be done over mobile devices.
5. SEO-friendly
As stated earlier, Google is now prioritizing mobile-friendly sites when searching from mobile devices. If Google wants it, we do it. This means websites that are optimized to a mobile design and load quickly are promoted in the search rankings and have more visibility in Google searches.
In addition, a mobile-optimized website leads to better user experience, which then leads to a higher ranking in the search engines and an increase in the exposure of your brand.
Bottom line
In order for your business to grow, you have to be willing to adapt to change, and if you don’t you will get left behind in the ever-changing digital arena. Get your website mobile-friendly now!
