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3 reasons you should care about what device your visitors use to access your site

Getting the best results possible from your website is an important business goal. Working out how to improve the experience of visiting your site will go a long way to achieving that. What part does the device used to access your site play in that improvement?

For quite some time now mobile and tablet access has been creeping up on desktop web browsing. Back in 2016 smartphones crossed the threshold and became the most used device for accessing the internet. Looking around you at the sheer number of people with their faces buried in their smartphones, this is unlikely to come as a surprise.

It’s also small wonder, then, that nearly all sites optimise their code for desktop, tablet and smartphone usage. Google makes no secret of the fact that your SEO ranking will be negatively affected if your site is not mobile compatible.

If you need further convincing, here are my top three reasons why you should be thinking carefully about how your site is accessed.

1. It’s not all about mobile, but it nearly is

With 99% of 16-35-year-olds choosing to access the internet on mobile, the smartphone is not something you can ignore when it comes to website design. However, desktops (50%) and laptops (80%) are also used across the age ranges to access the web. In other words, you need to cater for both. Depending on your target demographic, you may need to consider a unique mobile experience. Thankfully using Google Analytics correctly allows you to see exactly what needs to be done for the most effective outcomes.

Careful and strategic use of data about how people are accessing your site is important. Using it to orientate your design and cater for actual visitors will improve the return on investment from your business website.

2. If people can’t see your content, they may not buy from you

Getting to grips with non-desktop access to your site is more than just making your homepage responsive (see my handy jargon guide, here). With close to 50% of buyers viewing 3-5 pieces of content on your site before engaging with your sales team, you need to make the content clear to view. Just a basic shift to “Mobile-friendly” may not be enough to do that. You may need to consider specific questions about how mobile users consume content on your site and how you can bring them the best experience.

3. Local Content brings people to your door

More and more people use their smartphone on the go to find shops, somewhere to eat, or a night out. If your business relies on footfall then you may miss a share of that business if your site is not ready to engage those visitors. Once again it comes down to thinking about how visitors will use your website and making it as easy as possible. For example, if you’re a restaurant, to leverage local search to it’s maximum make your menu super easy to get to from the mobile homepage. After clicking the “website” on the local maps search, that’s normally what they’ll be looking for.

With mobile increasingly looking like the future it’s really important to look at how you can make sure your site is giving those on-the-go guests to your page the experience they want. Need some help with making sure users get the experience that drives your business forward? I’d be more than happy to talk it over with you.