Optimizing mobile websites is important and you must have gone through the tips given by various marketers but how about learning it from Google itself? Here are a few Google defined principles to design a mobile site which will increase website conversion;
1. Call-to-Action Above the Fold:
The CTA should be located at the center of the page and clearly visible to the users as soon as the site loads. If you place it in the sidebar of the desktop site when on mobile it will move somewhere to the bottom and users will have to search for it.
2. Keeping Short Menus:
Long menus may work on desktops but on mobile, the menus need to be short as viewing long menus is a pain on a small screen. A shorter menu with precise categories works best on the mobile phone.
3. Ease Way Back to Homepage:
When users browse through the various pages of your site, they would want to easily go back to the homepage, and this can be easily achieved by linking the site logo on top to the home as this is the standard protocol that users are aware of.
4. Promotions Should Not Steal Away Focus from the Site:
Promotions can overshadow the main content especially when you are browsing through a phone where everything looks small hence make sure not to place promotion next to navigation or CTA so that the users focus on the content and not the ads.
5. Improve Site Search:
Placing a search bar on top of the site is the standard protocol hence make sure to add a search on the top. The search results need to be strongest on the first page and auto-fill option will help users searching for the products on site. Add the option of advance search by adding filters to make the search more relevant to what the user is looking for.
6. Make E-commerce Site Simpler:
If your website is an e-commerce site, then your main aim should be that the users can easily access the site and make the navigation simpler to encourage them to engage with your site. Do not ask users to simply log-in before even they have explored the site. The idea of forcing sign-ups to access a site will only backfire on you. Do not force users to create an account to purchase from you by allowing the guest to purchase. If the user has shopped from you before, fill in the form for them from your database to help them make the process quick. If they have selected a few products on their mobile app and switch to their desktop to finish the process, make sure the products in the cart exists there as well.
7. Easy to Fill Forms:
Filling forms through the mobile screen is really difficult especially entering texts through a small keyboard on the phone hence reduce the number of unwanted fields and make use of checkboxes and visual calendar to make the input easier. But do not pre-select an option for the user and let them decide what data they want to share with you. Also, make sure to use forms that are secure to maintain user data privacy so that they can trust your brand.
A good mobile presence is required by all the businesses hence implement these mobile-first design rules to further improve your website’s mobile engagement and conversion.
