6 New Content Rules for Mobile Websites

We are two months into “Mobilegeaddon”. In April, Google started favoring mobile-friendly websites. It’s a move that sent web developers scrambling to make sites mobile friendly and responsive.

But before you give yourself a pat on the back for getting mobile-friendly, take a look at your web content on a mobile device.

Why Web Content Written For Computers Is Not Effective On Mobile Devices

• Does your site visitor have to scroll, and scroll and scroll to figure out what your site is about?
• Is the headline taking up most of the screen?
• And what do the pictures look like? If you can see them with little or no text, do they still promote your business?

In its “Multi-Screen World Study” Google revealed that 65% of searches begin on a smart phone. In 57% of cases people are using a second device such as a desktop or laptop computer to email, browse, network, play a game or continue searching.

Writing For Mobile is A Lot Like Writing For A Toddlers’ Tea Party

In short, your website visitor is a distracted, multi-tasking person whose eyes are scanning and fingers are skipping from one device to the next.

You need to structure your mobile web content to accommodate people who are not giving you their full attention.

Best Practices for Mobile-Friendly Content Writing

To get your message across on mobile devices, your content needs to be short, simple to grasp, relevant and above all interesting enough to engage the reader.

1. Write tight

   Slash unnecessary words and aim for brevity. Don’t waste the reader’s limited attention on fluff and puff.

2. Informative headlines

   Real estate is at a premium on even the largest mobile phones so keep your headlines relevant, short and enticing.

3. Make your point fast

   Grab your reader’s attention with the five “Ws” of good storytelling  – who, what, why, where and how – in the first couple of sentences.

   With this writing technique your key points are up front where fast-moving scanners can see them.

   Save supporting information for further down the page. Those who want to dig into the details can scroll down to find out more.

4. Shorter is better

   Writing for the small screen means keeping your sentences and paragraph short and easy to read. Short generally equates to simple sentence structures and a clear flow of ideas.

5. Use your call to action early

   With a small screen you cannot depend on the reader making it to the end so include your call to action early and make sure it is easy for a mobile audience to execute.

   For example, clicking a big button is easier than typing in an email address on a mobile device.

6. Use images wisely

   People look at pictures more than text. This has two consequences for mobile content:

   a. Your website visitor will pay more attention to your site images than your written content.

   b. Even the smallest picture takes up space.

   If an image is not reinforcing your message then you are wasting valuable real estate.

With these mobile content writing tips, assess how well your website content performs for mobile devices.

A professional writer will be able to help you audit and reconfigure your content for mobile devices. To find out how to engage one, download our popular e-book “How To Work With a Content Writer” by clicking here.

The book is packed with valuable tips and advice about how to get the high quality website content you need.