Why Optimize Your Website for Mobile Users

For the month of June, we looked at a random sampling of ten church websites that Evoke manages (from across the U.S.) to identify the percentage of users who were on a mobile/tablet device while browsing these websites. 

Can you guess the average percentage of users who were browsing on a mobile device?

40%? Higher. 

50%? Higher.

55? Almost. 

57% of the users visiting these church websites were on a mobile or tablet device. That’s almost two-thirds of your website visitors!

If your website is not automatically optimized for mobile users, you have missed the opportunity to make a good first impression with most visitors!

So how do you optimize your site for mobile users?

​Here are a few ways to ensure your site looks great on mobile devices and increase overall engagement with mobile users.

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1. use a Responsive Website Platform

Be sure your website platform is “responsive”, meaning no matter the screen size the user is on, your website content layout will automatically adjust for the specific screen size.

Gone are the days when you need a separate mobile website. Website coding technology now has the built-in capability to adjust the layout of content in response to the specific size of the screen being viewed.

Some website platforms and templates do this better than others. The best way to test your website for this feature is to browse your website on a computer/laptop, grab the side of the browser window and condense the size to whatever size you choose.

Does the content “responsively” reorganize based on how large or small the browser window is? If not, you need a responsive website platform. Evoke can help you with that!
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2. Decrease the Number of Pages

20 years ago, all of your website content needed to be “above the fold” because people would not scroll below what they could first see on the screen due to slow loading times.

However, user behavior has changed (thanks to the invention of smartphones and social media). There is no longer an apprehension to scroll down web pages which means you no longer need as many pages on your site.

If your menu looks like the example below, you are overwhelming users with too many options and making it hard for them to find the information they need in one place.

Condense multiple pages of content into one page and ultimately, simplify your menu to a handful of pages (shoot for 10–15 pages depending on your organization).
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This main menu has too many options and the menu drop-down lists too many pages. All of the pages related to worship assistants (Acolytes, Altar Guild, Communion Assistants, etc.) could be condensed onto one page. “Why We Worship” and “Sunday Worship Times” should also be condensed into one page.

Your most important information should still be “above the fold” and designed to inspire users to keep scrolling but you are no longer limited to this small area—Yahoo…can you feel the freedom!?!

Here is an example of a condensed menu:

3. Interlinking of pages

Because of all the scrolling as mentioned above, mobile users rarely click on the website menu to browse a site. 
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The menu disappears the second we scroll down and appears as three lines in the top corner, called a “Hamburger menu”.

Therefore, it is crucial for your website pages to be interlinking, meaning one page of your site includes links to another page on your site so that users on a smartphone do not have to use the menu at all in order to browse around your website.

Like breadcrumbs leading Hansel and Gretel through the forest, interlinking helps mobile users explore deeper into your website, keeps them on your site longer, and also boosts your search engine rankings.

 It’s a win-win!  

Here is an example of interlinking on a church’s worship page:

Here are two relevant links for someone who may be worshiping online with this congregation—how to submit a prayer request and how to make an online offering.

4. Skimming is King!

Long paragraphs of text are dreadful to read on a mobile device. What looks short on a computer or laptop is actually quite long on a smartphone, so check your paragraph lengths. 

Just like in this blog post, no more than two short sentences should be together in one paragraph on a website to help cater to anyone who wants to quickly skim your website.

Instead of paragraphs, use shorter blocks of text and bullet points when you can to help users skim the content on your pages. 

5. Important Links as Buttons

Notice in the example above, there is also a button to “Email Gary”. Although you can hyperlink text on your website (or in emails), we recommend that important links are also made into buttons. 

Why? They are easier to click, especially for mobile users.

Buttons also draw more attention to the action you wish for the user to take, therefore, increasing overall engagement on your website. More engagement = more RSVPs, volunteers, or donations.

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Spend some time looking over your website and implementing these strategies so you can be sure you make a great first impression no matter which device visitors use to find your organization! 
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And if you need help redesigning your site on a responsive platform, reach out to the Evoke team. 

CONTACT EVOKE