7 tips to create a mobile-friendly website for your small business

How to set up a good mobile friendly website

Having a mobile-friendly website extends beyond good practice, it’s a requirement if you want your business to succeed. Mobile now exceeds desktop Internet usage and this means mobile users expect businesses to provide an excellent experience optimized for their device. In fact, nearly half of consumers won’t return to a website if a website doesn’t load properly.

If you aren’t sure if your site is mobile-friendly, you need to make sure it is as soon as possible. It’s crucial to find ways to convert leads into sales and not turn people away because your website fails to load correctly. Customers on the go have their mobile devices in hand and want to be able to look up your business no matter where they are located – and possibly even contact you. There is a lot of competition in the small business arena, so remember that the ability to access your website via mobile is crucial.

Take a look at these 7 tips to make your site more mobile-friendly.

Pay attention to font size and button size.

The font size and button sizes are important to consider for mobile devices. Font size needs to be 14 px or bigger. While that may seem large, it’s better to err on the side of caution so your users don’t have to zoom in to read the content you share. The buttons should be as big as possible to reduce the chances that the user will miss the button or inadvertently push the wrong one.

Do not make a second website for mobile.

It used to be common to design websites for the “mobile web” and remove content to make it fit on a mobile device. Google does not like duplicate content, though, so if you build two separate websites that feature identical content without using canonical URLs you won’t rank well in a Google search.

Make sure your content is available on all mobile devices and platforms.

It’s essential not to exclude a group – if you do, then you’ve unintentionally created alienated customers who will look somewhere else to buy their products or services. Mobile users expect a harmonious experience across all devices. Make sure you deliver and that your content is viewable on all devices and platforms – this is one way to have an effective mobile content marketing strategy.

Use responsive design.

Responsive design gives website developers the ability to build a website that is viewable on devices of various sizes and slashes the amount of work website developers need to do when they create a site. When small business websites use responsive design, the web page has the ability to identify the consumer’s screen orientation and size and adjust the layout as needed.

Always keep in mind that your customers are on their phone around the clock, so ensure your content is accessible 24/7. Responsive design boosts your traffic because it makes it easier for your customer to share your content. Users appreciate convenience; so take the necessary steps to make their experience with your business seamless at every touch point.

Use high-resolution images.

High-resolution images are a really important part of your responsive website to make sure your visitor’s experience is excellent. The newest models of iOS devices have high-def screens that need an image that is double the resolution of a desktop computer. Images that are very high resolution will prevent you from having blurry or pixilated images when viewed on a high-definition screen. An unclear, poorly cropped, or distorted image makes your website, and therefore your business, come off as unprofessional.

Utilize YouTube videos.

The use of video is one of many ways to boost your business – consumers love video and is has become a core part of social engagement. Viewers like content that keeps it real and video can envelop your audience with experiences unlike other forms of communication. If you choose to put a large number of videos on your website, it alters the way the video is viewed via mobile. Turn to YouTube videos as a solution to prevent any potential issues when viewing videos on a mobile device – the YouTube embed code is already responsive. Through using YouTube videos, you save multiple steps because you eliminate the process of making sure each of your videos is mobile-friendly.

Ensure your site is well-developed.

Users admit that they would not recommend a service or product that has a weak website. If your call-to-action button on your mobile device is so small it cannot be activated, it does no good and will not result in a high rate of conversions. Check to make sure actions like swiping can occur without a hassle. Your customers will enjoy their experience on your website if it’s well developed and therefore, visit it more often.

Your mobile strategy needs to focus on ways to increase traffic and ensure that devices respond quickly. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly yet and doesn’t strive to give customers a compelling experience, it’s time to make some changes and get on board to set your business up for mobile success.

What changes have you made to your website to ensure it’s mobile-friendly?

Thanks to Sohail Abbas for sharing their advice and opinions in this post. Sohail is a freelance writer and digital marketer. Sohail is the founder and ceo of AllTopIdeas. He currently writes for several big Magazines. In the past, he has also worked for various publishing houses and literary agencies, both reading, marketing and editing. You can follow him on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn