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Mastering Mobile-First: Best Practices for Mobile Optimisation in 2024

Xugar Blog
Sagar Sethi Entrepreneur
Sagar Sethi
18/09/2024
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Mobile-first indexing is super important now, not just a trend. With everyone using their phones more and more, it's critical for digital marketers and content creators to know how to make websites mobile-friendly. This guide will show you the best ways to make sure your site works well on phones in 2024. 

Fun fact: As of 2023, over 60% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices!

Why Mobile-First Indexing Matters

Mobile-first indexing is crucial because it has changed how websites are ranked on Google. Let's explore why this matters.

More People Use Phones

Nowadays, more people use their phones to access the internet than they do desktop computers. This shift means that websites need to be easy to use on smaller screens. If a website isn't mobile-friendly, people might have trouble reading or navigating it on their phones.

Google’s New Ranking System

Google, the search engine, has changed how it ranks websites. It now looks at the mobile version of a website first, which is called mobile-first indexing. This change happened because so many people are using mobile devices. If a website doesn't work well on mobile, it might not rank as high in search results.

Consequences of Ignoring Mobile Optimisation

Neglecting mobile optimisation can have several negative effects. First, a website that isn't mobile-friendly might end up with lower rankings on Google. This means fewer people will find and visit the site. 

With less traffic, the website might lose potential customers or viewers, leading to lost revenue. In today's world, making sure a website works well on mobile devices is not just a good idea—it's necessary to stay competitive.

Responsive Design

Responsive design means your website changes to fit any screen size, whether it's a phone, tablet, or computer. This is important because it makes sure everyone can use your site easily, no matter what device they have. 

A responsive site not only looks good but works well too, which makes people want to stay longer. Google likes websites that people enjoy using, so having a responsive design can help your site show up higher in search results.

To make your site responsive, you can use tools like Bootstrap that help your site adjust to different screen sizes. Make sure your pictures resize properly and use special coding to change the layout for different devices. Always test your site on different devices to make sure it looks and works right.

Fast Loading Times

Fast loading times are super important because nobody likes waiting for a website to load. If your site is slow, people might leave before it even finishes loading. Google also cares about how fast your site loads when deciding where to rank it in search results.

To make your site load faster, you can shrink your images using tools like TinyPNG. This makes them smaller without losing quality. You can also save parts of your site on a visitor's device, so it loads faster next time. Making your website’s code smaller and more efficient can also help speed things up.

Easy Navigation

Easy navigation means it's simple for people to find what they’re looking for on your site. If it’s hard to navigate, people might get frustrated and leave. To make navigation easy, design your site with big buttons and links that are easy to tap with a thumb. Use menus that can collapse to save space and keep things simple, so people can find what they need without getting confused.

Mobile-Friendly Content

Mobile-friendly content is important because it keeps people interested. If your text is too long or complicated, people might not want to read it. To make your content mobile-friendly, use short sentences and small paragraphs. Bullet points and lists make information easy to scan. Avoid pop-ups because they can be annoying on phones. If you have to use them, make sure they’re easy to close.

Optimise for Touch

Since mobile devices use touchscreens, websites need to be easy to use with fingers. Make sure buttons are big enough and spaced out so people don’t tap the wrong one by accident. Keep forms simple by having fewer fields and making them easy to fill out. Avoid things that need hovering, as they don’t work on touchscreens.

Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are important things that measure how well your website works for users.

  • LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): This measures how fast the main part of your page loads. Try to keep it under 2.5 seconds.
  • FID (First Input Delay): This measures how quickly a page responds when someone first clicks or taps on it. Aim for less than 100 milliseconds.
  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): This measures how stable the page layout is as it loads. Keep it below 0.1 to avoid unexpected movements.

Test Regularly

Regular testing helps keep your site mobile-friendly. Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check how your site works on phones. Lighthouse is another tool that gives you tips on how to make your site better.

Real-World Examples

Let's explore some real-world examples of how mobile optimisation can make a big difference for websites. We'll look at two case studies to see how these changes helped improve traffic, engagement, and search rankings.

Case Study 1: Increased Mobile Traffic with Responsive Design

Imagine a website called "TechGear" that sells gadgets and electronics. TechGear noticed that many of their visitors were using mobile devices, but their site wasn't easy to use on phones. 

They decided to implement responsive design, which means their website automatically adjusts to fit any screen size. They also worked on making their site load faster by compressing images and optimising their code.

After these changes, TechGear saw a 30% increase in mobile traffic. This means more people were visiting their site using phones and tablets. Their bounce rate, which is the number of people who leave the site after viewing just one page, decreased. 

This showed that visitors were staying longer and exploring more pages. The improvements in user engagement also helped TechGear rank higher in Google search results.

Case Study 2: Boosted Search Rankings with Core Web Vitals

Another example is "BookNook," an online bookstore. BookNook wanted to improve their search rankings, so they focused on Core Web Vitals, which are important measurements for user experience. They worked on:

  • LCP: Making sure the main content on their pages loaded quickly.
  • FID: Ensuring their site responded quickly when users interacted with it.
  • CLS: Keeping the layout stable while the page loaded to avoid unexpected movements.

By optimising these areas, BookNook provided a better user experience. Google noticed these improvements and rewarded BookNook with higher search rankings. As a result, more people found and visited their site, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

These examples show how important mobile optimisation is for websites. By making sites easier to use on mobile devices and improving user experience, businesses can attract more visitors and improve their online presence. 
If you're interested in learning more about mobile optimisation, you can check out resources like Eviva Media and FasterCapital for more insights and tips.

Conclusion

In 2024, making sure your website works well on phones and tablets is super important. More people are using mobile devices to go online, so having a mobile-friendly site helps you give visitors a better experience, rank higher on Google, and stay ahead of other websites. Focus on making your site adjust to different screen sizes, load quickly, and be easy to navigate.

Start by checking if your site is mobile-friendly and make changes to improve it. You can use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see what needs fixing.

If you want help, check out Xugar's SEO services. They can help make your website better for mobile users, so more people visit and stay on your site.

Ready to Get Started?

Take the first step today! Test your website's mobile-friendliness and start making improvements. If you need expert help from an SEO agency in Melbourne, contact Xugar to make your site the best it can be for mobile users.

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