Image Source: Flickr/Dominik Syka

As we all know, mobile is totally the ‘thing’ right now. And for good reason—the connected world is starting to lean on their smartphones more than their desktops, a change that is stirring up online marketing. You’ve been told that you need a mobile optimized website for your business, and you do, but be careful! Not all mobile optimized websites are built the same.

It’s not enough these days to simply strip all the images off of your content landing pages and offer up the text in a mobile-friendly format. Small businesses need to connect with customers immediately, and it is the role of a mobile optimized website to make this easier for them. Those that don’t, lose you business. The following two attributes are necessities for small businesses:

Tap-to-Call

When customers arrive on your small business website from Google, Yelp or Urban Spoon, they need a quick, easy way to immediately get in touch with you. Don’t make it hard for them by not providing a phone number, or providing it but forcing them to copy it, exit the browser, load the phone app and paste in the number. Instead, a good mobile optimized website has a tap-to-call button right at the top of the homepage.

Tap-for-Directions

Many mobile users use their smartphones’ GPS to find new locations. I know I do. Make this process easy for them by including a tap-for-directions button above the fold. Including your address on page is not enough. Customers are looking for ease of use, or they very well just may go to your competitor, who makes this process easy for them. Install a button or link that opens up their navigation app like Google Maps or Apple Maps, and automatically plots directions to your property.

If your businesses mobile optimized website has neither of these things, you need to call your web developer ASAP and insist that they are included. Until then your website is broken, and you’re missing out on new mobile customers every day. Now, these aren’t the only parts of a high function mobile website, which should also include image optimization and minimal background scripts to aid in faster page loads, but in my opinion, a mobile optimized website for businesses is useless without an easy way for customers to make phone calls and plot directions.
——-
Author Bio & Dossier

Brandon M. Dennis is the Technical Marketing Manager at buuteeq, the digital marketing system for hotels. He manages buuteeq’s SEO, paid media channels, social outreach, and the company blog. You can connect with him on Twitter @buuteeq.