98% of Internet users in Malaysia use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. They use the devices to surf the web, read articles, post social media content and attend online learning. According to Statista, about 63% of organic search engine users are on mobile devices. If you have a website, you must optimize it for mobile use.
What is a mobile-optimized website?
We heard of the term mobile-optimized too often. But how do you differentiate mobile-optimized from mobile-friendly?
A mobile-friendly website can display on smaller screens accurately. However, it is not always working perfectly on touchscreen tablets. Text-based phone numbers or email addresses can trigger direct calls or emails via the CTA button and link. The example shown above is not a mobile-friendly site at all.
While a mobile-friendly site ensures your site functions on mobile devices, mobile optimization goes further. A mobile-optimized site properly displays on smaller screens and makes site navigation simpler. It restructures content, displays larger navigation buttons, and optimizes images according to screen size.
What are the benefits?
Improve your User Experience
My personal experience with Unifi Live Chat Support recently reminded me how critical mobile optimization is to its users. I would have abandoned the site if I had a better option. I struggled to zoom in to read her reply and zoom out to reply to her queries. One accidental click would log me out. I was logged off too many times.
We must understand the mobile experience is different from the desktop. Users must easily read your pages, click links without zooming in, and navigate on screen.
Users will have an optimal experience when a website is mobile-optimized. The users should find what they are looking for in as few steps as possible. If you don’t offer a good user experience, they will leave and never return unless necessary.
Improve website Loading Speed
A mobile-optimized website can load faster. Today users lack patience. They aren’t going to spend time on your site if your pages are not loading.
Increase User Engagement
When users spend more time on your website, they will likely interact with your site, not limited to liking content, clicking on CTAs or even sharing the content.
Attract More Local Customers
Today many people perform Google Search on the go. Google Search is the top search engine in the market. Therefore, Google will promote local businesses using a local SEO algorithm. If the user is near your physical store, they will likely drop by and make a purchase.
Growing Your Business
Having a mobile-optimized website is essential. If you don’t optimize your website for mobile use, you risk losing a significant segment of your target audience. Optimizing your website with up-to-date content makes sense for better search ranking.