Specifically tailored mobile landing pages are one of the real advantages of adopting a dedicated mobile website and this is largely due to the ability that you have to control which version of a page a user sees through the techniques outlined above.
If Google ranks your mobile content primarily on the basis of the content on your desktop site, it means that you have a bit more license to shape the experience of a user without having to worry about quite a lot of the SEO elements that normally intrude on user experience.
So, what are the two key factors that will supercharge your mobile landing pages?
– Speed
– Clarity
Speed is an essential consideration. Although Google claims that it’s not a fundamental part of their ranking process, it’s hugely important to users and shouldn’t be overlooked.
According to Broadband Genie, the average speed of 3G in the UK is between 1-4 MB/s (Source: http://bit.ly/PQko4K ). Taking into account the time taken for a server to process a request, the data to be downloaded and the browser’s rendering engine to build the page for the user, even a comparatively small web page can take more than 10 seconds to load on a mobile browser.
That’s too long. You need to do everything in your power to cut the amount of time that the mobile page takes to load:
– Reduce the size of images so that they take up less bandwidth.
– Reduce the number of JavaScript instructions on the page to make it simpler.
– Use CSS styling for key page elements rather than images.
– Avoid web fonts as these require an additional request to another server.
– Minimize the number of social elements on the page – keep the buttons, but don’t include feeds of recent tweets or Facebook updates.
The faster your pages load, the more likely it is that users will stick around to look at them.
Even people with larger screen phones and “Phablets”, like the Samsung Galaxy Note, still have limited screen real estate to use. Ignoring pixel density for a moment, this is a size comparison between an iPhone 5, and the most popular laptop screen size (14 inch):
Even though a web page is rarely designed to take up the whole of a screen, the difference in available space is huge.
That small area of screen (3.5 inches by 2 inches) on an iPhone 5 needs to contain everything you have to convince a user to take action.
Product pages on a retail website need to include:
– Branding
– Product name
– Key features
– Product image
– Price
– Call to action
– Purchase button
Essentially, they need to include all of the same information that a product page on a desktop website does, but in less space.
So what are the tips for mobile landing pages?
- Don’t make people pinch and zoom
- Test it on both landscape and portrait views
- Make sure fonts stand out
- Concise content is king
- Speed is of the essence Don’t use flash
- Click-to-call: According to Google’s Mobile Movement Study 61% of mobile users call after a local business search, so why not make it easy for them? Mobile searchers by definition have a phone in their hand, so by adding a click-to-call button you are increasing the likelihood of them getting in touch with you.
- Make sure forms are short and simple
- Keep your CTA above the fold
- Most Important: Obey the 44×44 rule In order for users to be able to navigate your site comfortably all CTAs need to be big enough to easily click with a thumb. A CTA that is 44×44 pixels should be large enough to accommodate most people’s thumbprints, but you also need to make sure there is enough space around the buttons to avoid accidental clicks.
