The way people use the internet has changed drastically over the past few years. As of 2018, most people now view websites on a mobile platform, rather than on a laptop computer. That might sound counterintuitive, as most websites are designed to be viewed on PCs and laptops. Their mobile sites may not be very functional at all. How many times have you had to click on “desktop mode” because the mobile version was unworkable?
For this reason, one of your primary concerns when creating a website is mobile optimization. You need to know that your visitors will get all the functionality and information they need no matter what platform they are using.
To help you optimize your website for mobile, take the following into consideration.
Smart Hosting
Hosting is the very service that lets your website show up online. Without it, you have nothing. However, many are still convinced that the type of hosting they get doesn’t matter. They believe that one company is as good as another.
The truth, however, is not that simple. Some hosting providers are far better at providing services than others, meaning your website will face less downtime and you’ll never be left in the lurch in times of crisis.
Furthermore, depending on your needs, you may want particular settings and features. If you’re expecting a lot of traffic, a hosting service with a cheap VPS is probably right for you. This gives you your own private server, meaning that your website can handle more traffic and bandwidth in general.
Keep It Simple
In general, clean designs are important no matter what platform you’re using. However, when it comes to mobile, that’s more important than ever. Any cluttered website is unattractive on mobile, and usually pretty difficult to use, too.
Use a website designer that makes it easy to view your site in both desktop and mobile format. As a general rule, if something works for mobile it will work for desktop. The opposite, however, is not always true. Ideally, you have the resources to create significantly different experiences based on the platform. However, if you are doing it without expertise and it will take you too long to get both done, go with a design that is optimal for mobile.
Equal Functionality
It’s not good enough that you have a mobile website that looks great. It needs to have as much functionality as the desktop site has. There is little more frustrating than finding the information you need on mobile, but having to move to your desktop to follow through with any action. Mobile sites should support sales and payments, as well as any information collection or contact forms.
This is especially true if you are offering a mobile app. Make it easy to open the app store right from the mobile site. Users are far likelier to actually download it when you lead them straight to it. Don’t make them have to search for it themselves.
