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!

Are You Being Seen?

The Fall selling season is upon us.  The holiday ads are just around the corner.  Many in direct sales have jumped on the bandwagon to try things out during this BUSY time of year.  So what will make YOU stand out in the crowd.  Why will people click your link and not someone else’s?

First, let’s talk about your profile picture…..it shouldn’t be of your dog, or your cat.  It shouldn’t be of a product.  It should be of you.  I change mine on a monthly basis (sometimes more often).  I am always in the picture – sometimes alone, sometimes with family or sometimes with friends.  The key is that I am always in the picture.  WHY?  Because my customers want to see me.  If there are several people on their social media feed doing the same business, I want them to remember me!  They may not remember the name but they will remember my face.

Have you been creating your own community (or group) on social media and hearing crickets?  Why not join communities that already exist.  Every big social media platform has a community aspect.  Facebook groups.  Twitter chats. Pinterest group boards. Instagram hashtags.  Joining groups and sharing not selling will help you build relationships which will help you build your business.  I don’t mean just liking a page.  I mean leaving sincere comments, interact with people so that you can be SEEN by the RIGHT people (your target population). Who knows you may also make some awesome friendships along the way.

I LOVE this tip! Treat *every* social media post as a potential landing page.  Let’s be honest, how many people will actually click on your website or blog the first time they see you?  They will see you a few times, watch your posts or look at your pictures then click your website or blog.  So, think about the content of what you are posting and saying on social media.  Think to yourself: does this Instagram photo or Pinterest pin represent my brand? Is this tweet grabbing my audience? Create content that is useful, inspiring, or memorable to your target audience so that it is landing page-worthy.

 

Start to utilize Pinterest and Instagram more.  I have to be honest, I have never really thought about the return on investment in either of these forms of social media.  BUT, stats show that these forms of social media are growing which  means more traffic, more visitors, more clients.   For anyone running a blog or online biz, it’s kind of magical (and a total necessity).  Make sure you include a call to action in your pin descriptions and in the pins themselves, if possible.  People need a push to take action in the direction that you want them to.  Add “click here” or “click through to read the full post!”.

What is your best top for boosting traffic to your blog or website?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!