Web Design

More than 52% of global web traffic is generated by mobile phone users, and this trend shows no signs of stopping. The rise of mobile also signifies the growing importance of mobile optimization – especially if you have a web design agency, manage sites for someone else or own a local business website.

If your website is not mobile-friendly, people are going to bounce. It also affects your website’s search ranking position, overall performance, and reputation.

Simply put, if you want to stay on top of things, then you need to remain relevant.

Mobile optimization starts with your landing page – the gateways to your sites. Here are some quick and easy-to-follow tips to make your landing pages more mobile-friendly.

What are the key differences between mobile and desktop user experience?

First, let’s acknowledge the differences between desktop and mobile UX.

Mobile users are likely to prefer simpler and shorter interactions. Unlike desktop, mobile context is always changing – people browse when they commute, eat or wait in line, which leads to varying location, attention, connectivity strength and even the way the device is held.

Because of that, mobile users are more focused and goal-oriented. Although phones are generally more distracting, mobile search is mainly for the purpose of getting things done.

Also, mobile experience differs per user, too. Different smartphone screen sizes, performance capabilities, operating systems and even browsers result in a wide array of different experiences.

Lastly, consider the input options. Desktop users mainly use a mouse and a keyboard, while mobile users utilize touch, voice, location and even motion.

How To Design Winning Mobile Landing Pages at Scale

Source: Cyprus Web Design

As you can see, mobile introduces many new elements to consider when building innovative web UIs.

Responsive design vs. mobile-first sites

There are two popular options for optimizing websites for mobile users: implement responsive design techniques or create mobile-only sites.

What’s the difference between the two?

Responsive design is a universal cure for most website owners. Basically, it compresses and slightly rearranges your content so that it fits smaller screens and looks great both on desktop and phones. If you’re interested in learning how to create better responsive sites, there are plenty of tutorials online.

Responsive design is great for B2B companies, heavily stacked info websites and long-form sales pages.

A mobile-first site is created with the mobile user in mind. Instead of adapting your websites to a user’s device, you make a new website for smaller screens and only then adapt it for desktop as well. It’s called mobile-first design and is heavily promoted by Google.

Mobile-first designs work best for B2C companies and local businesses. It’s a 100% optimized mobile experience for smartphone users.

So, which one is right for you?

It all depends on the type of traffic you get. Having a mobile-optimized website is more beneficial if the majority of visitors come to your site via mobile devices. However, if most interactions happen using a desktop, responsive design site may help you to maintain the balance.

For most companies, designers and agencies, it’s also a matter of budget. At first, the idea of building mobile-first websites, whether for you or your clients, can appear to be pricey. But it’s nothing but a myth. Cost-efficient services like Duda, for instance, can be a great way to build well-optimized mobile-first websites in bulk and brand them as your own. Literally, you can get your clients’ sites mobilized in minutes, which saves you and your agency tons of time and effort. Thus, it also presents an excellent opportunity to provide additional services that your clients need.

All things considered, the decision depends on your clients and traffic analytics.

Now, let’s take a look at the key ingredients of the winning mobile landing pages.

Visitors judge your website during the first page load

Once a visitor arrives at your site, you have about 5-7 seconds to make him or her stay. Therefore, you have to make it count.

The first thing that your mobile visitors see is a headline. It is the most essential part of your mobile landing page copy. It affects your clicks, bounce, overall engagement, conversion and even the likelihood to return.

Therefore, cut to the chase and communicate your value quickly and compellingly.

On mobile, your headline takes even more screen space than on desktop. Make sure that every word entices your visitors, is information-rich and leads them directly to your calls-to-action.

Here are a few examples of effective mobile landing pages that did it right.

Source: author

Communicate value with usability, clarity & looks

According to Google Consumer Barometer, mobile visitors use phones for research. They’re looking for business location, availability, contact details, opening hours, product catalog or prices. According to Nectafy, 88% of people who search for a local business on their phones are bound to act within 24 hours.

A rule of thumb here is that the easier it is to find what they’re looking for, the likelier your customers are to convert. Your website should be simple to use.

Make your website frictionless by testing these changes on your mobile landing page:

  • Larger fonts to make it easier to read.
  • Greater line-height to make clicking links easier.
  • Darker texts with clear links for better contrast.
  • Finger-size buttons and highly visible calls to action that are easy to click.

However, simplifying your mobile site doesn’t mean making it less complex. It just has to appear less complicated. You can still use cool mobile-friendly tools that help to get to your visitor’s point. For example, implement a nice mobile menu using Max Mega Menu. Or make it easy to make appointments by using universal scheduling tools like vCita.

All in all, usefulness is the number one metric of a good landing page. If your content and copy persuade the users to read more and click on call buttons, that’s all there is to it.

Mobile-friendly calls to action

Source: Let’s Nurture

Call-to-action is the second most critical part of your landing page copy after the headline. An unspoken rule is that they usually come in the form of a button.

Thus, make your call-to-action buttons eye-pleasing and easy to click. If possible, design them with the help of a designer and if not, at least try to make use of many online button generators or logo makers.

Again, don’t settle for basic, get creative. Mobile-only sites have a realm of handy features to use. For instance, if you build mobile sites with Duda, you can implement a click-to-call button that allows customers to call businesses with a single tap on their screen. Or think about adding a mobile map key that gives visitors directions to a business location.

Functions like that will make your website incredibly relevant for the smartphone visitors.

Conclusion

Mobile usage of the web is increasing, and mobile design is the new king. The web is constantly improving and experiencing change as it moves forward, and you don’t want to be stuck in the 2000’s time warp just to be left behind.