Websites
A mobile-first checklist for your website
Most of your neighbors in Houston are looking for your services while sitting in traffic on I-10 or waiting in line at the grocery store. They are not using a giant desktop monitor. They are using a thumb and a small glass screen. If your website feels like a chore to use on a phone, those potential customers will leave before they even see what you offer.
Building a mobile-first site does not mean you need a degree in computer science. It means you prioritize the person holding the phone. When you make things easy for them, you make it easy for your business to grow. This checklist helps you look at your site through the eyes of a busy local customer.
Make your contact info clickable
A customer on a mobile phone should never have to memorize your phone number or write it down on a scrap of paper just to call you. If your phone number is just plain text, you are forcing your lead to do extra work. On a small screen, work is the enemy of a sale.
Every time your phone number or email address appears, it needs to be a live link. When a user taps the number, their phone should immediately ask if they want to dial. This is one of the simplest fixes you can make, yet it is often the one that local shops overlook.
- Link your phone number so it triggers the dialer.
- Make your address link directly to a map app.
- Ensure your email address opens a new message draft.
- Place a call button at the very top of every page.
Give the thumb some room
We have all had the experience of trying to click a small link on a phone and accidentally hitting the wrong button. This is frustrating for customers and makes your business look behind the times. Desktop users have a precise mouse pointer, but mobile users have a thumb.
Design your buttons to be large enough for a person to tap without looking closely. Make sure there is plenty of white space between different links. If your navigation menu has ten items squeezed together, your visitors will likely click the wrong thing and get annoyed.
- Use buttons instead of tiny underlined text links.
- Leave clear space around every clickable element.
- Test your forms to ensure the boxes are easy to tap.
- Avoid placing buttons too close to the edge of the screen.
Speed is your best salesperson
Mobile data in Houston can be spotty depending on where you are. If your website is loaded down with massive, high-resolution photos that take ten seconds to load, your customer will be gone. Most people will wait about three seconds before they hit the back button.
You do not need to get rid of your photos, but you do need to make them smaller. Large file sizes are the primary reason mobile sites feel sluggish. A quick site feels professional and shows that you respect your customer's time.
- Shrink your image file sizes before uploading.
- Avoid using large video backgrounds on mobile.
- Limit the number of fancy animations that slow things down.
- Check how fast your site loads on a standard 4G connection.
Cut the fluff from your text
Reading a long essay on a five-inch screen is exhausting. When someone visits your site from their phone, they are usually looking for a specific answer. They want to know what you do, where you are, and how to hire you. If they have to scroll through five paragraphs of history to find your hours, you might lose them.
Break your text into very short paragraphs. Use clear headings so people can skim the page to find the information they need. Keep your most important message at the very top of the screen so it is the first thing they see without scrolling.
- Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences.
- Use bold headings to organize your services.
- Put your main offer in the first viewable area.
- Use bulleted lists to make features easy to read.
Eliminate the pop-up hurdles
Pop-ups that take up the whole screen are difficult to close on a mobile device. Often, the little 'X' to close the box is so small that the user keeps clicking the ad by mistake. This is the fastest way to get someone to leave your site and never come back.
If you must use a pop-up for a special deal or a newsletter, make sure it is designed specifically for mobile. It should be easy to dismiss and should not block the main navigation of your site. Better yet, use a small banner at the top or bottom of the screen instead.
- Ensure the close button is large and visible.
- Wait until a user has scrolled down before showing an offer.
- Never block the entire screen with a promotional window.
- Test if the pop-up prevents people from seeing your phone number.
The takeaway. Open your business website on your own phone right now and try to book your own service. If you find yourself pinching the screen to zoom or struggling to click a button, pick one item from this list and fix it today.
Who wrote this. Written and maintained by the My Social Deals team in Houston, Texas. My Social Deals LLC handles SEO, AI search optimization, social media content and website work for Houston-area businesses. Questions can go through the contact page.
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