More than half of digital users view content on their phone rather than their desktop computer—here’s how to make your mobile content stand out
Smartphone obsession has taken on a whole new level. The morning scroll now comes before getting out of bed, getting dressed and even before coffee. First dates, dark movie theaters and important meetings are no longer considered no-phone zones. Even the most cracked screens won’t stand in the way of today’s digital natives. So, what does this smartphone-obsessed society mean for your brand? It’s time to go mobile.
According to BrightEdge, more than half of users view digital content on phone screens rather than computer monitors. Google recently changed their algorithm to rank mobile sites at the top of every search results page. Ditching the desktop has changed the way people see, read and understand your content. To keep up with your ever-growing mobile audience, check out these tips.
1. Make Your Headline Short and Catchy
The headline is the most important part of your blog post, hands down. If you have a unique, catchy headline, users are more likely to click on your content. But if it doesn’t grab attention or pique their curiosity, they’re going to move on—potentially to your competitor’s site.
Keeping headlines brief is essential for all types of content, but with mobile, it matters even more. Short, catchy headlines have the power to captivate even the most preoccupied scrollers. Buffer reports that headlines six words and under earn the most click-throughs. But they have to be useful, too: Your headline should tell readers exactly what they’re about to read.
2. Use Your First Paragraph as a Summary
The first paragraph of your blog post gives readers a small taste of what’s to come. Many times, users won’t read beyond an article’s initial paragraph. That’s what makes the introduction so important. Use this space to summarize your message to make sure readers have a firm grasp of what’s to follow in the body copy of your blog post.
3. Group Content for a Smooth Read
When filling in the details, keep a mobile phone’s screen size in mind. Remember this: Brevity is your BFF. Long blocks of text are likely to drive readers away from your page. Limit your paragraphs to four to five short sentences.
To avoid text from overwhelming the screen, try grouping your content. Grouping is the practice of breaking up your content into digestible, easy-to-read blocks. You can do this in the following ways:
- Organize your content into subheadings
- Summarize your information into small paragraphs
- Alternate between text and images
- Add lists or bullets
- Use bold or italic text
Short, simple sentences are another great way to get your point across to someone doing a quick read. Unsure of what words to cut out? Read your post out loud to detect abrupt breaks and run on sentences.
4. Keep It Casual
Despite what your English teacher might have said, simple, conversational and consistent language is key to delivering a clear message. Using fewer words and less complicated language makes for a smooth reading experience. Trying to impress readers by using big fancy words ends up making your content harder to understand and less enjoyable to read.
5. Wrap It Up with a Recap
Use your last paragraph to remind skimmers and scroll-to-the-bottom readers of your most important points. Remember that more than half of your audience will read your content on their phone screens, so optimizing your mobile site will make a big difference. All it takes is a few simple formatting tweaks and language changes, and your website will be ready to wow the new age of digital natives.
Still stuck on how to optimize your website for mobile, and make your contact more mobile-friendly to coincide with your site’s revamp? Contact us today. We’d love to help you.
