5 Suggestions to Ensure That Your Website is Optimized for Mobile

As the world continues to move away from desktop internet use and towards mobile browsing, it has become increasingly imperative to assure that your website is optimized for mobile. While having a usable mobile interface is essential for the satisfaction of your customers, it is also vital to your Google rankings. Google takes the mobile usability of your site into consideration alongside the other aspects of SEO when deciding where you should rank for specific keywords.

So, what should you look out for to see if your website is correctly optimized for mobile and will pass Google's usability tests?

1) Text
When clicking on your website on a mobile device, the viewer should be able to see any text in a clear and readable way. This means that the font size has to allow them to read without zooming and the text should fit the screen and scale with it. A fully responsive website will do all of this automatically.

2) Loading Speeds
Since a mobile device is not as powerful as a full desktop or laptop computer, loading speeds are even more critical. If your website is sluggish, it can take a very long time to load it on a mobile device. Neither Google nor your users will have the patience to stick around and wait for your site, so you need to ensure that it is running quickly and smoothly.

3) Images and Videos
Much like with the text on your website, you will need to ensure that any images or videos fit the screen (so no horizontal scrolling just to see all of a picture). Checking on your videos and photos can also help you to find areas where your site might be bloated and slowing down your loading speeds.

4) Clickability
On a mobile-optimized website, it is imperative that the user is easily able to interact with and click on everything they need to. This means not having tiny buttons or links to click, but instead having them be big enough for someone to each touch with their finger. Remember, mobile users, don't usually have the benefit of using a mouse.

5) Pop-Ups
As a general practice, you should avoid having pop-ups on your website. Users find them tedious, and you can sometimes be penalized by Google because of them. However, if you absolutely must have pop-ups, ensure that you keep them to a minimum and make sure that they are easy to close out of.

It is clear that mobile browsing is the way of the future, so it is always a good idea to get started on adapting sooner rather than later. With these helpful tips, you will be well on your way to building a mobile-optimized website that both Google and your users will love.

The Takeaway
If you are looking to refresh your website, Ridpath Creative can provide a customize a website package to meet your exact needs. Contact me today.