We are constantly on the go, and Google has adapted to this lifestyle. So when you think of mobile marketing strategies, remember that just because your website ranks well on a desktop does not mean the same will be the case for mobile. It has never been more critical for you to have a mobile-friendly website. You need to keep many additional factors in mind regarding mobile optimizations.
Three Options for Mobile Website Strategy
When it comes to getting found by Google on mobile devices, there are only three ways to set up your site for mobile. we should warn you we’ve listed the three below in the order of the one we least recommend to most recommend, so be sure to keep reading to find out our top recommendation.
Separate URLs
With this configuration, you have a desktop and a mobile version of your site. Your site will detect the type of device a user uses and direct them to the best URL for that device.
This type of setup is time intensive and challenging to manage for numerous reasons, one being that these mobile websites have a lot of SEO issues (which defeats the purpose of trying to build a site that will get found by Google).
Dynamic Serving
With this setup, content is on the same URL, but users see a different code depending on their device. Dynamic serving is better than the option above, but it’s not without problems. If a new device gets invented, guess what? You’ll need to create content for that device.
Responsive design
Ding, ding, ding! Here’s the one we recommend. With this configuration, your page’s content and layout respond to each user depending on their device (without the need to separate URLs or use different codes) – This is the best practice these days.
Plus, it’s SEO friendly (Google even recommends this method), so if for no other reason, I’d say go this route for that alone.
Mobile Landing page Strategy
The goals of your mobile marketing efforts are likely to get people to convert, so you must ensure your landing pages are as efficient as possible to do just that. Keep the following in mind when you put them together:
- Make them responsive (hopefully, you paid attention to the last section of the post)
- Avoid adding images with large file sizes as this will impact load time (more information on the importance of site speed is below)
- Add your call to action above the fold.
- Include the majority of the critical information near the top of the page.
- Get to the point. Make it clear what problems you’re solving and what your visitor will get in return.
- Keep PDF formatting in mind. If you have somebody download a content upgrade, like a guide in a PDF format, remember those don’t always format well on phones. Consider including mobile-appropriate formats instead.
- Make buttons “thumb friendly” – Don’t make them too small or out of place; your thumb needs to be able to navigate the screen.
Why does Mobile Speed Matter?
Site speed has historically been a ranking factor for search engine results pages, but it’s moving closer and closer to the spotlight. Google wants to provide users with the best experience possible, and let’s face it; nothing is more annoying than when a site loads slowly.
Not to scare you, but Google recommends that your mobile site loads in under a second – This is easier said than done, but it’s a worthy goal.
We recommend checking out Google PageSpeed Insights to see how quickly your site loads on mobile devices. It will also advise what to change to help your site load more smoothly.
Some of the recommendations may include the following:
- Compress your images
- Reducing file size can help speed up load times.
- Cache your site
- And load above-the-fold content first.
- Minimize redirects.
It’s important to implement Google Analytics on your site so that you can track performance. Wherever you see any shortcomings, be sure to address them promptly.
As you can see, the good news is that as intimidating as it may sound, it isn’t that difficult to create a mobile website these days. The hard part is simply getting started. If you found this post helpful, and need more help with mobile marketing, Let the experts at Hale Insights help grow your business with mobile marketing.