4 Mobile-Savvy Tips for Mid-Sized Businesses to Stay Competitive

Over a third of all online searches are now done on mobile devices and this trend is still growing. One of the most important things to remember about mobile users is that they search differently than desktop users. While desktop users work in relaxed environments in the comfort of a home or office, mobile users are usually on the go, either riding in a car or another vehicle or walking around while shopping. However, the majority of mobile users are usually trying to pass time. Mobile requires more immediacy and brevity. Here are some tips to improve the mobile search experience for both users and businesses. Prioritize Social Over Mobile Mobile users usually prefer entertaining visual content, which is why they spend so much time on social networks. That's why it's a good idea to provide links to social networks on all your pages that are popular with mobile users. These links inspire mobile users to add comments to social media posts. Simplify Popular Pages Find out what your most popular web pages are for mobile users and make those pages easy for them to use. You can help mobile users save time by providing a "click to call" link that allows them to call your phone number without punching in the digits. Another technique is to scale down the photos so that they load quickly on small screens. Your most popular mobile pages should avoid rich content and JavaScript, which can load too slowly on mobile devices. Optimize for Local Users Most mobile users are searching for local content, either for shopping or networking. Make sure your site is optimized for local searches by keeping your information up to date on local search resources such as Yelp, Google Maps and Facebook. Provide Access to Desktop Site Whether you have a separate mobile site or an optimized for mobile desktop site, it's a good idea to provide access to your full desktop site, just in case the mobile user wants to do extensive research. Think of the mobile experience as a promotional vehicle for your deeper content.