Semalt Presents Eight Ways that Being Mobile Friendly Will Help Your Google Rankings

According to Statista, global usage of smartphones is on track to increase to nearly 4 billion worldwide. Many of these people may not even own computers. As a modern business, you cannot afford to miss out on this area. Over half of users on your website will leave within the first three seconds if it is not mobile optimized.

Bypassing mobile optimization, or making your website display properly for mobile devices, will a necessary part of business growth. Today, we will be going through eight different examples as to why mobile optimization is no longer an option; it is a necessity. Below are eight tips that you can use today to boost your mobile optimization.

Google's developer blog gives us four things to keep in mind. We need to be fast, engaging, reliable, and integrated. These four areas apply to any aspect of your business. But how do we use those on our website?

The fundamentals of mobile design demand simplicity. If you look at a mobile version of your website, you are going to notice large text, easy-to-use navigation, and a clear purpose. Ensure that people know what they are getting into when getting onto your page. Put what you have to offer them in the front.

Try and fit as much as you can without being too overwhelming on the first screen. Hook the customer with an engaging set of words.  For example, Semalt's website tells you immediately that our focus is on being an automated promotion platform.  It also offers to analyze your website. It is quick and straightforward, something that your website needs to be.

We do not plan on giving you a crash course in mobile design on this. What we will be giving you is a reminder to make your design adaptable. Several popular web design websites, or freelance workers, know how to go through this process. The best way that you, as an average consumer, will be able to determine this effectiveness is by looking at the website. 

It is vital to have a vision based on what you expect the website's appearance to be. You can sketch a rough idea of this on a piece of paper, but try to work through a couple of ideas before you choose something. If you happen to be a competent designer, this is where you start your work.

For everyone else, try to look at what your competitor is doing. For example, if you are a shoe company, you may be looking at websites like Zappos, Nike, or Reebok as good examples.  The key is to find a working theme for yourself that resembles what successful people are doing. Otherwise, you will display these examples to freelance designers on the internet. The idea is to improve upon their design, not steal it.

If you are like me, the typical consumer, it is crucial to understand the importance of following the current trends. But you do not need to understand everything about web design to know what a mobile website needs. If you were to speak to a web designer, you could narrow your selection by finding one that specializes in AMP.

Also, the AMP website has some ready-to-use templates if you would like to get an idea for what mobile users expect. They have designs that include blog posts, calls-to-action, and background videos. Whatever you are looking for, AMP is an excellent way to get things started.

Page speed is a consistent part of a site's best SEO practices. Whether or not you are focusing on mobile optimization, a faster page means a quicker time for people to look at the message you are sending them. If this takes too long, you will likely lose them.

The key to increasing your page's speed is to eliminate unwanted clutter. Start simple by reducing the size of your images and files. Remove unnecessary files that can are in your sitemap. Remove unused pages and code comments in the HTML.

Finding a balance between quality and size is the key. Having an incredibly detailed photograph or your business sixty years ago is a neat feature, but it doesn't need to be huge if the screen people view it on averages between 17 inches and the size of your palm.

Another way one can improve their loading time is through the addition of an adequate host. The host you are most likely to use will depend on the regular site visitors you get. However, seek out your host based on reviews under third party sources. 

Famous examples include iHost, GoDaddy, and BlueHost. All of them are competent hosts that can provide you with a domain name to apply to your website. They also have relatively high marks when compared to the competition.

Some hosts may also specialize in your area. For example, you can combine hosting and design through websites like Wix and Wordpress. Shopify is another example that specializes In those who want to produce an eCommerce platform. 

A reasonably simple area that is controllable on your website is the optimization of images. A high-resolution image is not very helpful on a mobile site. It doesn't do much besides slow you down. Also, a large image may take up a more substantial portion of the page than you may want.

By applying progressive loading to your images, it allows you to load a low-quality image at first. Once the page finishes loading, they will have seen enough of your page to know what is going on. By this time, the page will have a quality image on it.

You can also choose deferred loading, which prioritizes the content over the images. Similar to progressive loading, but without the low-quality option. This option is more "no quality," as your page will spend time partially blank while the user reads.

If you have a large number of images on your page, lazy loading is another option. This process replaces high-quality pictures with thumbnails, only loading the higher-quality option after clicking the thumbnail. It is a perfect option for those who work in eCommerce, as it allows them to display an entire product category in a small number of pages that will load quickly.

Ads are a necessary evil for many people. Nobody watching your website wants a commercial, but they are still an effective method in which to garner funding. If anything, I would prefer to stick the advertisements to encourage people to stick around. But marketing that people are willing to pay for is a discussion for another time.

Old-fashioned pop-ups are an excellent way to get people to turn away from your page forever. Taking them from the page with useful information is a fast track to this. Instead, you will want to seek to replace them with an overlay-style pop-up. These will still block the screen, but with an easy-to-access "x" on the same screen, it is far easier to deal with on mobile browsers. 

Consider replacing banner ads with more organic methods of advertising as well. If they come with a useful piece of content, people will be more likely to consider this to be a helpful resource. It will also be closer to word-of-mouth, one of the more useful pieces of advertising.

In the modern age of SEO, the changing environment continues to get complicated. The best way we can guarantee an effective process for you is through a discussion with one of our specialists. While Semalt is not a design company, SEO is the key to get your page to load fast while avoiding redirects and quick access. 

Our Website Analyzer will be able to display actionable ways that you may improve your SEO. Couple this with hiring an expert, and you will be able to optimize your website for key search terminology as well as mobile devices. 

By following through with one of these efforts, you will not find yourself much success. But with a coordinated attack on all fronts, you will be able to arm yourself with the knowledge needed to move forward. Whether you are a design expert that works well with HTML or an everyday business person who needs a boost, these tips can help you get started.

For optimization that covers mobile and desktop, feel free to reach out to our team of specialists on the matter. With a trial of our AutoSEO service, you will begin to work towards actionable goals to get you to the Google top.