Is Your Business “Mobile-Friendly”?

My instant response is always “OF COURSE!”.  I mean I have a website for my DS business, right?  I am a walking billboard for my angels and my Thirty One business.  But is that enough to qualify for being “mobile-friendly”?

Whether you are in DS or have your own business website, do you know if it is mobile-friendly?  I don’t mean able to take it on the road but is your website “mobile (phone) friendly”?  Did you know 57% of all US web traffic comes from smartphones and tablets, and it is only growing every day. People are using the internet on desktops and laptops less and less – which means your business needs to keep up.

So, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, here are some reasons to change it quickly!

#1 – Easy to View on a Small Screen

Take a moment to visit your website on your smartphone. I’ll wait. LOL.

Now, answer these questions:

• Was it easy to navigate?
• Was it difficult to scroll sideways to view the entire page?
• Did it feel cramped with all the information squeezed into a small screen?

I honestly never thought about the difference between how things are viewed on a desktop vs. a smartphone.  Thankfully, my DS company takes care of all of those things.  BUT, as I consider setting up something for “The Angel Connection” this is something I need to consider.  Visitors to your website on a desktop is very different than mobile visitors, so you need to consider it with a responsive website. What does that mean?  The site needs to adapt to the size screen it’s being viewed on. Or maybe you can have a mobile-first site, which is a version of your website with fewer menu options but easy to navigate to key information.

#2 – Simple to Find in Search

I never knew this….. there are different search engine options (SEO) for desktops and mobile-friendly devices.  I had a hard enough time figuring out desktop SEOs.

The key for mobile is 75% of people searching for local businesses will visit the store within one day. So, if your business isn’t set up with local SEO, you’re missing out on business.  Now, if you don’t have a store-front, be sure to let people know where locally they can find you – vendor events, business partners, online only, etc.

People using a mobile search might say “where can I get my comforter dry cleaned?”.  So it’s important to include keyword phrases people would say when using voice search on a mobile device to capture new business.  Google maps tends to prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results. This means sites which are easy to navigate on smartphones are at the top of the search results, while those lagging behind would slip farther out of view. Where will your business fall?

#3 – More Sales

This is KEY for those who sell primarily online!  Estimates who by 2021, nearly 72.9% of all e-commerce sales will occur on mobile devices. WOW!!  So, it should be mega simple for mobile visitors to your site to make a purchase without having to go to their computers.

Is your checkout form simple?  It can be rough on the eyes and fingers to see and fill out many tiny fields.  Does you credit card payment system syncs with your traditional website, mobile website, and even payments collected on the go.

#4 – Make Google (and Customers) Happy

Did you know, Google will give preference to websites which have a responsive or mobile-friendly web design?  This is HUGE because you will now have an which is an opportunity to rank higher in the search results.  Don’t you usually grab the first few businesses when you do a search?  Many customers expect businesses to have an easy-to-navigate mobile web experience, so if you deliver, chances are you’ll see more business and referrals.

So, are you panicking?  Ne need to….. It’s not difficult to get a mobile-friendly web design.  If you use a legitimate website designer, they should be well-versed in creating versions of your site for mobile, including SEO.  Are you a more DIY website builder?  They also have tools so you don’t even have to worry about creating a second site which is mobile-friendly.  It will be created automatically as part of your chosen theme.

This is not the future, but is happening right now. If you want to grow your business, you’ve have to make sure it’s easy for people to both find you in mobile search and navigate your site on their mobile devices.

Share your website with us so we can check to see if it is mobile-friendly.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Thank you Moscato Mom for today’s recipe….

I LOVE pizza. I used to create pizza with english muffins, tortillas, pits bread and of course the little frozen ones were always a staple in the house.  When I couldn’t decide what to have for dinner, salad and a mini pizza worked.  THEN I was told to go gluten free, and dairy free.  To say the least, I was not a happy camper.

Frozen gluten free, dairy free pizzas are nasty!  I found if I stuck with gluten free and just a little bit of cheese (real mozzarella) I felt okay.  Then I was hit with the high points for gluten free products which did not mesh well with my Weight Watcher program.  What was a girl to do?

I trust Moscato Mom and love many of her recipes so I am ready to try this one….

She says “This dish is not just amazing the day you make it – but we made enough to take for lunch the next day and I swear it was even better reheated. Now I keep pretty much all of the ingredients on hand for any time that pizza mood strikes… which is often.”

Ingredients

4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups Rao’s Low Carb Pizza Sauce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place the shredded zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with about a tablespoon of salt, and toss.
• Let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture by dumping the zucchini into a kitchen towel or clean t-shirt, pulling up the ends and squeezing out all of the moisture.
• Combine zucchini with eggs in a large bowl.
• Press the zucchini mixture into two 9x9in pans (or two pie dishes or a 13x9in baking dish).
• Bake 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef as you cook it.
• Drain the fat from the pan and stir in the spaghetti sauce and spoon the mixture over the zucchini crust.
• Sprinkle with the mozzarella.
• Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.

Now for those leftovers…. My FAVORITE Thirty One lunch tote. 

For those who know me or have been to one of my parties, I am all about multi uses for our bags.  So, the Going Places Thermal is so much more than just a lunch bag…The leak lock lining keeps things dry when you head to those water parks.

 Mobile office   For Bible Study

  For lunch         A camera case

Who would have ever thought a thermal could be used for so many things?  The cross body strap makes it so much easy to carry for those moments when you need to be hands free.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

A Mobile Office Season

What do you think of when we talk about “mobile offices”? Social media, cell phones and email? Or are you a paper person?  Is your truck full of catalogs, order forms, samples and anything else you might need if a customer should approach you?   Maybe you just carry a large purse so you have stuff at your finger tips?  I am guilty of this one!  I figure it saves a trip to the car and the possibility of missing an opportunity.

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, you want to be ready, right?  Ready to capture a new customer or hostess or maybe even a new team member.

An article on Direct Sales Education Foundation shared some tips on how to be mobile friendly in a cost effective way. Most of us in direct sales have been bombarded with this kind of training while some of us are a little slower to catch on (count me in this group).

For those who are old school, we have a mobile office in our car.  Always ready to share the gift of Thirty One.  I use Thirty One’s Zip Top Organizing Tote with a Fold n File.  It is perfect especially for those who carry samples.  A perfect solution with 7 outside pockets for carrying all those extras. Thirty One doesn’t have samples but mine is also filled with some of our smaller most requested products.

The Fold n File fits right inside the tote and is great for hanging files. You never want to be unprepared, right?  This is also a great set-up for teachers, social workers or anyone whose business is on the go.

Maggie from BeautiControl is a great testimony to how her mobile office saved her. She arrived at a party only to realize she forgot ALL of her paperwork.  How could she do a home spa without catalogs, orders forms, etc? Too far from home to go back or to have anyone bring them to her, she remembered she had a complete mobile office in her trunk.  What a great feeling to get a text saying I “saved” her party (and her life).

What if you don’t need a mobile office.? How about: diaper bag, overnight bag, gym bag, quick trip to the grocery store, travel bag, car organizer, snack bag, dvd holder…..what would YOU use this bag for?

Maybe you are looking for something more compact?  Something you could drop in another tote or maybe hang on the back of the seat when you are out and about? Our Hanging Traveler’s Case is a great alternative.

Another option is our Your Way Cube with a lid  Rethink your mobile office. This smart solution features structured sides, handles and an embroidery option for labeling.  It’s also a great way to conquer the clutter in the pantry, closet, kids’ rooms – and more.

Be sure to gather information from people you talk to.  The purpose of gathering information is with the intent of connecting with them SOON. When you meet someone and give them YOUR company information, get their name and their email address.  Most people will share their email.  Then be sure to FOLLOW-UP.  The fortune is in the follow-up, right?

Don’t be caught out and about without YOUR tools to conduct business this holiday season (or anytime of the year)!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Mobile Office to the Rescue

What do you think of when we talk about “mobile offices”? Social media, cell phones and email? Or are you a paper person?  Is your truck  full of catalogs, order forms, samples and anything else that you might need if a customer should approach you?   Maybe you just carry a large purse so that you have stuff at your finger tips?  I am guilty of this one!

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, you want to be ready, right?  Ready to capture a new customer or hostess or maybe even a new team member.

An article on Direct Sales Education Foundation shared some tips on how to be mobile friendly in a cost effective way. Most of us in direct sales have been bombarded with this kind of training while some of us are a little slower to catch on (count me in this group).

For those of us who are old school, we have a mobile office in our car.  I have been using Thirty One’s  HangUp Activity Organizer.  No need to take up space in the trunk.  It hangs behind the passenger seat for easy access.

 

For those that carry samples, Thirty One’s Zip Top Organizing Tote is a perfect solution with 7 outside pockets for carrying all those extras.

The Fold n File fits right inside the tote and is great for hanging files. You never want to be unprepared, right?  This is also a great set-up for teachers, social workers or anyone whose business is on the go.

Maggie from BeautiControl is a great testimony to how her mobile office saved her.  She arrived at a party only to realize that she forgot ALL of her paperwork.  How could she do a home spa without catalogs, orders forms, etc? Too far from home to go back or to have anyone bring them to her, she remembered that she had a complete mobile office in her trunk.  What a great feeling to get a text that tells me that I “saved” her party.

There are many other uses for these products so what if you don’t need a mobile office.? How about: diaper bag, overnight bag, gym bag, quick trip to the grocery store, travel bag, car organizer, snack bag, dvd holder…..what would YOU use these bags for? We would love to hear from you…

Be sure to also gather information from people you talk to.  The purpose of gathering information is with the intention of connecting with them SOON. When you meet someone and give them YOUR company information, get their name and their email address.  Most people will share their email.  Then be sure to FOLLOW-UP.  The fortune is in the follow-up, right?

Don’t be caught out and about without YOUR tools to conduct business this holiday season (or anytime of the year)!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!