It’s been common knowledge for some time now that having a website boosts business – whatever that business may be. But as we enter an ever-more digitalized age, it’s becoming clearer that these websites must also be mobile-friendly, not only to keep your company competitive, but also because it’s necessary for search engine optimization (SEO).
The undeniable increase in demand for mobile-ready sites
A website allows your clients (and more importantly, potential clients) to check out who you are, and allows your firm to curate content, info, photos, and even testimonials to show off your services and experience. But have you ever opened a website page on your phone and had to zoom in to be able to read the text? Or perhaps you had to scroll to the right or left side of the page to even find any of the menu buttons?
Studies show that people are using their smartphones more than ever before. In fact, mobile device usage exceeded desktop use way back in 2016! And Google has reported in recent years that more than 50% of search queries around the world now come from global devices.
That’s why it’s so important to have mobile-friendly versions of your website, which is easy enough to do with responsive web design.
Responsive web design
What is responsive web design? It’s a web design approach that allows your site to adapt on its own according to the device your viewer is using. If users are accessing your site via smartphone, your site will adapt to the mobile version. If they’re using a tablet, it will adapt to the tablet version, etc.
Responsive web design is a great way to keep all your information unified and easy to navigate, regardless of the platform. The uniformity of your site will also look great and help your brand stay consistent, which is good for client retention. Plus, it saves you both time and money on content creation.
How making the switch can help your firm
Making sure your website it mobile-friendly is good for two reasons: it will keep you ahead of your competition, and it will help your search engine optimization and ranking on Google.
Competitive benefits to mobile design
According to Google’s Mobile Playbook, which provides businesses with suggestions for maintaining a mobile-friendly website, 40% of users have switched to a competitor’s website after a poor mobile experience. That’s why it’s so important to stay up-to-date with an adaptable mobile website design. Here are some other benefits to making the switch:
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- Many companies are moving very slowly (if at all) into the mobile-friendly space. For example, one study revealed that only 44% of Fortune 500 companies were mobile-ready back in 2015.
- Analytics, tracking, and reporting can all be in one place. If you have one page for desktop use and another one for mobile use, you have to keep track of all the analytics for two separate sites. If all your information is in one place, there are all kinds of services that can help you analyze your site and its visitors from your one site.
- Social sharing is easier. In the mobile age, most people use their phones for social media. If your website and all its related links are mobile-friendly, it makes it easier for your clients to follow your firm and what you’re doing on your social pages. Plus, the process is simpler for sharing your page and/or your social posts from your clients phones, as well.
- Increase reach to all types of clients. Not all of your clients will be identical, and making sure that your site is accessible for a variety of different users helps you secure a wider variety of clients.
SEO and ranking on Google
SEO stands for search engine optimization, or getting your site to pop up at the top of organic (unpaid) searches on sites like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. SEO efforts make your site more attractive to these types of search engines, boosting your site to the top of the list. For example, if someone searches your city and your niche area of the law (i.e., “Atlanta expungement attorney”) you want your site to show up at the top of the list of results.
So what does this have to do with making a mobile design for your website? Google has been recommending mobile-friendly designs for years, rewarding sites that are fully optimized and penalizing sites that are not (i.e., putting sites with mobile capabilities higher in the results than those without). You may remember that from 2014 to 2016, Google even included a small “mobile-friendly” label next to optimized sites that appeared in mobile searches to improve users’ mobile experience. While Google has since removed the label, it now practices mobile-first indexing, which ranks websites based on their mobile version first.
At the end of the day, search engines want companies to avoid faulty redirects and smartphone errors, so they reward sites that are mobile-friendly, allowing them to move more quickly to the top of the list.
Get expert website help today!
At Legends Legal Marketing we help attorneys across the country improve their online platforms to increase their client base. We can help you and your team get started today investing in responsive web design that’s optimized for viewing on mobile and desktop, or develop your current website to become more competitive.
Let us help you make the most of your mobile website today to expand your client reach and stay ahead of your competition. Contact Legends Legal Marketing today to get started!