Checklist for Mobile Optimized Landing Pages

Mobile devices are getting more sophisticated as technology advances. These days, consumers are using their smartphones and tablets more frequently than their desktops to surf the Internet, to read reviews, to contact friends and so forth.

It is therefore, increasingly important for website owners to ensure that their websites are mobile optimized. Why? Well, here are a few reasons:

1. Higher traffic

   You’ll get more visitors (instead of them abandoning your website) and as a result, a lower bounce rate, and more repeat visitors/readers.

2. Faster loading speed

   Your website loads quicker if it is optimized, thus more visitors on their mobile devices will stick around. Mobile users have comparably shorter attention span than desktop users.

3. Thumb-friendly

   Mobile optimized website provides a more enjoyable thumb-surfing experience. Links are easy to click on and irritating mis-clicks reduced.

So don’t let your mobile visitors slip away because your website is not ready for them. Here is a checklist for you to optimize your landing page without missing out anything important.

1. Loading Speed

The first thing you should consider when designing a mobile optimized landing page is the loading speed. Internet users are scanners, meaning that they will take a couple of seconds to scan your landing page and would then decide whether they wish to continue on your website or bounce away.

Therefore, ensure that your files, codes and images are optimized for speedy performance. And cut down on unnecessary plugins. Another thing to remember is to avoid Flash or video since most mobiles do not support / load them. At least not now. It’s fine to have them on your original made-for desktop website but not for your mobile version.

2. Keeping it Brief

There are only a few inches of space on a mobile that you have to arrange your website in. So be concise and brief when designing your mobile optimized landing page. Users have short attention span, very short. Too many text and you overwhelm your visitors. Too many images and they find it hard to navigate.

Keeping it simple and not stuffing your landing page is the key, not just on your website’s landing page but also on other pages and your forms. You don’t want them to lose interest and click away.

3. Call to Action

There are a few things you need to remember when it comes to your call to action. First, you need to define one. What is it that you want your visitors to do? A purchase? A phone call? To fill a form? Subscribe?

Second, highlight your call to action. If it’s a phone call you are after, then have a “Call Us Now” with a phone icon and highlight it. Better still, include an offer eg a discount to tempt them to make the call then.

Third, try to place the call to action above the fold. This means that your visitors should be able to see it without having to scroll down much. If this is not possible, then provide a teaser eg “Scroll Down for Discount Coupon”.

4. Mobile-Friendly Layout

Since you need to fit everything into that few inches of space on a mobile, a single-column layout is always more advisable. It makes viewing more pleasant and it’s easier to navigate.

Play with color by adding contrast to your text and call to action. It makes them more prominent, which is what you want. Font size is recommended at a minimum of 16 pixels. You want your text to be legible at a comfortable distance. Use structured fonts and avoid stylized ones.

Use drop-down menu and clickable links for easy navigation. Mobiles are less scroll-friendly and you do want to make it easier for your visitors to move around. Please adjust to remove any left-right scrolling.

Leave some space between clickable options. This is to avoid visitors clicking on the wrong link or having them “pinch” and “zoom” the page.

5. Local-Friendly

The best part of having a smartphone is the user has Internet-on-the-go. Their locations are determinable using geotracking systems that track a user’s IP address. Leverage on this and you will be able to provide relevant information.

This means that you can personalize your website with local city names, include a map to the nearest store carrying your products, to advise how far it is to your shop hotel / restaurant and so forth. It’s about immediate information and instant gratification and your mobile visitors will love it.

The impact of a non-mobile optimized landing page has on the traffic of a website is quite huge. Many mobile users admitted that they will abandon a web page if it doesn’t load properly within the first few seconds.

According to researches, there’s a growing trend that users are surfing Internet through phones and not using traditional tools like desktops and laptops at all. Hence, it is wise to create a mobile optimized landing page for your website now. Hope the above checklist serves well as a guideline.

Is there any other tips you would like to add? Share with them in the comment section below.