So you’ve got a website, and you’re starting to generate a bit of traffic. You’re wondering what you could start doing to get more clicks, more shares, and more followers.
There was an estimated 63% of web traffic in 2018 belonging to mobile users. It is important now, more than ever, to learn how to make an existing website mobile-friendly.
You’ve been wondering how to bring your website to the next level. You want make it easier to use for the majority of your viewers.
You’ve come to the right place!
What’s the Difference?
You may be wondering why a mobile website is important. You’re probably thinking: “My phone can already go to any site I want it to.”
You’re not wrong. That is because most of the popular websites with the majority of mobile traffic have caught up.
There are plenty of websites that most of us use almost daily. Take a look at the most visited websites. Google, YouTube and the major social media platforms have spent the last decade adapting to mobile users.
Most of us take easy access on our phones for granted, but think back. Have you ever gone to a website on your phone or tablet and:
- Had to zoom in and scroll around just to be able to read the words on the screen?
- Received a small pop-up on a website with the “X” button getting cut off on the side of your screen?
- Had your web browser app close randomly or neglect to load?
It can be frustrating. Most people will typically try to find the information they need elsewhere when a website does not fit their needs. Let’s find a way around this.
Let’s talk about WordPress. WordPress is a popular tool that can create a wide variety of sites. A lot of users start here to build traffic or start their own website. So they, especially, can benefit from easier mobile access.
Why Use WordPress?
Most of us who own a website know our way around WordPress, but let’s go over some of the benefits.
WordPress is an online platform that people can use for blogging or advertising their services. It is very popular for start-ups and newcomers in the online arena who are looking to build their own sites or portfolios.
It helps you build your own custom website online, with a very limited hosting fee of less than $3 per month. This is why so many people use it.
Yet, some people have struggled with making their sites optimized for mobile users. Let’s discuss some remedies for that.
How to Make an Existing Website Mobile-Friendly
There are a few simple techniques you can use to optimize a mobile-version of your site. WordPress, itself, offers quite a few of them.
Let’s start with the basics.
Add a Mobile Version of Your Site
This may sound obvious, but it is the most important first step here.
Your site needs to be able to adapt to different screen-sizing, referred to as responsive design.
The newer versions of WordPress come with responsive capabilities in their directory. For optimization, use plugins for responsive design to find the best additions. That’s what this next part is for.
Use Plugins
Plugins are critical for creating ideal mobile-friendliness. Most are easy to use and can go a long way for your mobile website.
Local by Flywheel is great for responsive design. It’s important to note that it’s not the only thing we need when making a website mobile-friendly.
As I mentioned, WordPress offers a few different plugins. Try the WPtouch Mobile Plugin. This is a very easy addition, and it offers a simple new theme for mobile users without hurting your SEO or making you create a new URL.
Keep your mobile site running fast with plugins like AMP. These types of plugins aide in the operation speeds of your website. This keeps it running at an optimal speed for your viewers.
Superfly offers a great and user-friendly WordPress menu. This can be used for both desktop and mobile sites for a one-time fee of $26.
WordPress has gone in the right direction for a few mobile-friendly additions. Make sure you are keeping up to date on the newest versions. This is for optimizing images, pop-ups and other common issues mobile websites face.
Take a Mobile-Friendly Test
This may be the most important part. Once you have taken the initial steps to make your website mobile-friendly, it is a great idea to get feedback and see what needs to be improved.
There are free mobile-friendly tests at your disposal that you can learn from. Simply type in your URL and it will tell you if there is anything wrong with your mobile optimization.
Take the advice, and roll with it. There is always room for improvement.
Create an App
So we mentioned websites like YouTube and social media platforms. The question is: Do most of us only use Google Chrome or Safari on our phones to access them?
Creating an app makes their sites more accessible, handy, and visible to the consumers’ eyes when they open their phone or tablet.
This can go a long way.
The good news? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a computer science degree to make your own custom app.
This can be a major turning point in developing more traffic. As we discussed earlier, the majority of web traffic is on mobile devices. So an app can set you apart from a lot of competition.
Whether it be a blog, online market, or a service you are offering, creating an app can make a big difference.
There are great tools you can use online for App Development. Check it out and see if you can benefit from designing your own!
Next Steps
If you are looking for a way to receive more traffic, views, or sales, look no further.
There is no better first step than learning how to make an existing website mobile-friendly.
Regardless of your industry, this could be a huge step for SEO and marketing.
Now that you are ready to get started, take those steps. Turn your website into a mobile-friendly masterpiece. Afterwards, create your own app, and you might be amazed at the difference it makes!