Google says that brands should not consider optimising content for mobile as a single one-and-done fix and that it needs to be nurtured and made an ongoing priority to ensure the best returns as smartphones continue to dominate the consumption landscape.
Google’s Customer Solutions President Mary Ellen Coe wrote an article last week saying that the bar for mobile content has been raised and that simply having a presence is not enough. Enterprises now need to make sure that they deliver fast and engaging experiences on these devices day in, day out.
She added: “While there are as many growth strategies as there are types of businesses, there’s one area where nearly every business has room to improve: the mobile web.”
The majority of people now say that long load times increase their feelings of frustration when navigating the web, while a study found that just a single extra second can have an impact on conversion rates. Excellent mobile content and webpages are also essential for attracting new customers and retaining current ones.
Google recommends using its own “Test My Site” tool to see what needs to be prioritised to improve the speed of mobile sites. A new version of the tool was released last week with the aim of making the process easier for enterprises eager to overhaul their content efforts this year.
A few case studies highlight the importance of mobile speed, as BMW recently saw its conversion soar 400% higher after using Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) initiative. Clothing company Dakine also saw a significant uptick for key metrics.
