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Fully Mobile: The Why & How of Smartphone Friendly Websites

Guest Post by PrimeSites Digital

 

In the year ending September 2023*, 11.1 million overnight (domestic and international) visitors came to or travelled within WA and 22.9 million day trips were taken within the State. Together, these visitors spent $17.3 billion in the State, $8.1 billion (47%) of which was spent in regional WA.

How can you tap into more of these visitors?

In today’s digital world, having a mobile-friendly website is a game-changer. According to Forbes *, an average of 56.69% of all global web traffic came through mobile phones in 2023. And we also already know that around 70% of the 3 million sessions on margaretriver.com annually are happening on mobile.* Further, data* indicates that 74% of online users are inclined to return to a website that offers a mobile-friendly experience.

Therefore, optimizing website designs for mobile devices is crucial to ensure a smooth and user-friendly interaction.  Being mobile-friendly means your site is all set up to look and work great on phones and tablets – of all sizes. It’s not just a cool trend and a smart move; it’s a must.

Why Your Website Should Be Mobile Friendly

  •  Upgrade the User Experience: Make it easy and enjoyable for folks to browse your site on their phones. When things look good and are easy to use, people are more likely to stick around.
  • SEO Perks: Want to be on top? Search engines love mobile-friendly sites. Improve your chances of being found online by keeping your site mobile-ready.
  • Reach a Bigger Crowd: Everyone’s on their phones nowadays. Having a mobile-friendly site means you can connect with more people, wherever they are.
  • Speed It Up: Quick load times matter. Visitors tend to have short attention spans, and if a website takes too long to load, potential customers may become impatient and navigate away. Mobile-friendly sites should be optimised to load fast, keeping your visitors happy and engaged.
  • Device-Friendly Design: Your site should look awesome on any device. A mobile-friendly site adjusts to different screens, so your brand stays sharp no matter what gadget your visitors are using.

HOW TO: Check Your Site

Wondering if your site is mobile-friendly? When checking if your website is mobile-friendly, consider the following aspects to ensure a smooth and optimized experience for users on various devices:

  • Responsive Design: Confirm that your website has a responsive design, allowing it to adapt to different screen sizes and orientations. Test how well the content reflows when the screen size changes. Ensure that text is readable without zooming in and that images scale appropriately.
  • Navigation and Menus: Check that your navigation menus are easily accessible and user-friendly on smaller screens. Consider using a mobile-friendly menu design such as a hamburger menu (that’s those three little horizontal lines) for efficient navigation.
  • Touch-Friendly Elements: Verify that buttons and interactive elements are appropriately sized for touch input. Ensure there is enough spacing between clickable elements to prevent accidental taps.
  • Mobile-Friendly Fonts: Choose fonts that are legible on smaller screens. Avoid small font sizes or intricate fonts that may be difficult to read on mobile devices.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility: Test your website on various mobile browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) to ensure consistent performance. Different browsers may interpret your website’s code differently, affecting the user experience.
  • Forms and Input Fields: Ensure that forms and input fields are user-friendly on mobile devices. Use responsive form designs, and consider implementing features like auto-correction and input validation.

So, in a nutshell, going mobile isn’t just about being tech-savvy; it’s about setting yourself up for success in the digital world. Keep it friendly, keep it mobile!

If you need a trusted, fellow MRBTA member to have a look at your website or lend a helping hand, feel free to reach out to PrimeSites Digital for a FREE website audit.

*Sources:
Image credit:  Tim Campbell Photo via margaretriver.com
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