5 things to consider when optimizing your mobile landing page

Not only do mobile sites operate on a small screen, but mobile users are also frequently on the move and “click” via the screen rather than a keyboard or mouse. This means your mobile site should be free of clutter, easy to read, and quick to load. You can check how mobile-friendly your website is by using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool.

For effective mobile web design, online advertisers should consider:

A responsive site changes its design to suit the device it’s viewed on. This is the best option for making designs work well on both mobiles and desktops. If a site simply appears on mobile as a desktop site presented on a small screen, the user experience is unlikely to be as simple or quick as it should be.

If someone clicks on an ad to compare prices or to find out whether you stock a product, finding that information from the page they land on should be seamless. Ads for blue men’s trainers, for example, should click through directly to the product page for blue men’s trainers — not the general page for men’s trainers or the homepage, forcing users to start their search all over again.

Mobile users tend to want information fast. Being able to search a mobile site rather than having to zoom in and scroll through a desktop design helps. Make sure the search field is clearly visible and available on every page of your site to help users find what they need. Even if someone has arrived on your site from a product-specific ad, a prominent search bar offers the promise of alternative products and encourages visitors to dwell longer.

Make navigation simple and intuitive — users should always find it easy to get back to where they came from. Menus can prove tricky on mobile sites because they take up valuable space. Consider drop-down navigation buttons that point to the main site sections and make sure there’s a “home” button available on every page, which encourages users to keep browsing for longer.

Full-size pop-up promotions, ads, or live chat boxes that appear over your site can disrupt the user experience. Even if they’re pushing a sign-up that would mean 15% off a first order, blocking the user’s screen is a distraction and sometimes an annoyance. Instead, discreet banners or web copy that offers sign-up opportunities at checkout can be more effective for increasing customer engagement.

A responsive mobile site will naturally show fewer webpage items (such as copy or images) on the main screen than on desktop. This means that the marketing copy you prioritize on mobile really has to grab the user’s attention. Tone of voice is even more important, because you have less space to work with.

What do you want your marketing copy to achieve? Should it outline the benefits of each product or inform potential customers about where your products are stocked? Whatever your specific goals, make sure your copy is punchy and relevant.

Image-led mobile sites are entertaining for users to look at and can help users learn more about your brand without having to read lots of marketing copy. Visual assets such as product photos can also do more to capture your user’s interest on the small screen.

Video is also a strong way of influencing potential customers to buy, but bear in mind where your content might be viewed. For example, can your message be communicated without sound and in a short enough form that somebody could watch it on the train? Video content can be incredibly engaging when done well, but it requires careful consideration for you and your potential customers to get the best from it.

Speed is everything when trying to entice visitors. Prospects will wait only seconds for mobile web pages to load before going elsewhere.

Images, videos, and drop-down menus are all useful but they have to be balanced with technical capability. A multimedia-heavy site may struggle in areas with poor signal or high-density mobile use, or on older smartphones that have less functionality.

PageSpeed Insights is a free-to-use Google tool to help you understand your site speed. If you need to make improvements, it may help to reduce image sizes, shorten videos, and remove unnecessary features. Avoid clutter on your site by including only those images and videos that truly add value for visitors.

Collecting data can happen two ways: passively, such as by tracking customer journeys on your website with analytics tools, or actively, by asking customers to provide personal details. You can use the latter for location-based marketing, follow-up emails, and personalized offers that match their needs.

Asking users for information is easy on a desktop because of the large screen and full-size keyboard. On mobile, forms are inconvenient and can cause visitors to leave before they make a purchase.

You can bridge this gap by using Google Sign In, a single-click button that lets customers register on websites with their Google account to share details like their name and email address.

With more consumers searching and shopping on mobile devices, it’s clear that optimizing for mobile is crucial. From encouraging more click-throughs to following up with people who left before completing a purchase, improving mobile speed and usability can make all the difference to your business.