Mobile users are increasingly expecting there to be a seamless transition between the desktop and mobile view of your website. Not only does your website need to be responsive, but viewers expect load times to be extremely fast to suit their mobile on-the-go needs. Below are the key elements of mobile optimization strategy.
Mobile users run into a variety of problems which hinder their ability to view websites on the go. Things like crashing, freezing, wonky page formatting, painfully slow load time or the website not being available at all. Bummer.
So how important is it that your website loads quickly? According to kissmetrics.com, “A 1 second delay in page response can result in a 7 percent reduction in conversions.” The last thing you want is for someone to abandon your website before they have even had a chance to see it.
Unfortunately, most website owners don’t think about optimizing their website until after it’s been launched. And in this case I am not talking about search engine optimization, but performance optimization.
While there are things which can be done post launch, a good web developer will take into account optimization at every stage of the web design process.
It all starts with the hosting provider you decide to trust and with hosting your website. You really do get what you pay for with hosting providers. Always look at reviews about their support and find out how often their servers go down.
- Stick with reputable companies.
- Avoid cheap $1 hosting plans.
- If you own a WordPress website, consider managed WordPress hosting. (ex WP Engine)
When you’re looking for a company to design your website, make sure you find out ahead of time what approach they take. Do they embrace a mobile first strategy or is that sort of an after-thought? Optimizing your website for mobile may include things like image compression or loading fewer images as you scale down to mobile and minifying your files.
It’s more important than ever for your website to load just as quickly on mobile devices as it does on your desktop. Performance issues will certainly impact your business success especially if you are selling products on your website. Even if someone is just coming for information, a slow website, especially on mobile, will negatively effect the all around user engagement resulting in a trip back to Google to find another company with a more responsive website.
Mobile optimization is just one step in getting viewers to stop hating your website. Explore our web design whitepaper to learn more about improving your website:
