It’s 2018. Suddenly, trends you were trying to keep up with have evolved into newer, scarier, trendier trends

If you aren’t optimizing for mobile, you may as well be stuck in…2012 or something. We’ll get you up to speed as we explore five crucial mobile trends to follow, that’ll grow your business this coming year.

#1) Google is Putting Mobile First

Recent studies show 43.6% of web traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones.

With Google introducing its Mobile First Index, the search engine powerhouse has placed priority on mobile, making it their primary search engine index.

A search engine index is a collection of pages or documents located by search engines after they’ve web-crawled through links (visiting your website for tracking purposes). And Google’s predominant form of crawling is shifting from a desktop browser view to a mobile browser view.

Google even has their own mobile friendly test that tells you if your website is up to standards.

Make sure to test your site and find out what you have to do to improve mobile optimization.

#2) Design Your Mobile Destiny

If your overall design is already mobile responsive, you won’t need a complete re-design for the mobile experience.

Replace images with icons because they work alongside the limited space of a mobile site, creating an optimal viewing and navigational experience. This prevents potential leads from having to scroll, shift, or resize when visiting your website on their mobile device.

Bigger buttons decrease the likelihood of mistakenly pressing wrong buttons or simply not seeing them. Button sizes of at least 44px by 44px maximize the user experience, while increasing conversions on ecommerce sites.

Body fonts on mobile sites should be at least 14px (10.5 pts), making for legible content that doesn’t require viewers to zoom. Fonts on labels and forms are suggested to be a minimum of 12px (9 pts), while headers should be 32px (24 pts). Overall, just think bigger fonts all-around. Make sure to read your pages on a mobile phone, and ask yourself if it’s easy and pleasing to read.

For a deeper mobile test, try Google’s Page Speed Insights test.

#3) E-Mail Friendly Mobile Design

According to studies, anywhere between 51%-66% of people read their e-mails on their mobile devices–making mobile optimized e-mails a must in 2018:

• Similar to a headline, subject lines ought to be short and catchy. Mobile platforms cut the subject line due to limited space and it’s an advisable practice to keep them 40 characters or less.
• A single column design allows for email compatibility on all devices, while simplifying your design and highlighting important content.
• Keep your e-mail width 600px or less, so mobile users can still read e-mails formatted for larger devices.
• Fonts of at least 14pxl (10.5 pts) or more, ensure easy readability
• Create visible finger-friendly CTA buttons to make it easy to click and get people where you want them to go
• Always test and read your emails before sending them out. Make sure the font style and sizes are easy to read, buttons and links are easy to press, and always ensure that all links are going to the right places.

#4) The Macro Implications of the Micro Moment

You’re sitting in a Starbucks, and you remember you need to buy curtains. So, you whip out your smartphone, ask “Where can I buy curtains?”, and the most relevant site appears on your phone, with the information you seek.

You’re not alone. 96% of smartphone users reach for their mobile device at the exact moment they wish to inquire about a product or service.

These instances are known as mobile micro moments–a brief glance at your mobile device for information that you can consume, or act on instantaneously. From searches, app interactions, mobile site visits, to YouTube video views, micro moments are endless.

One in three smartphone users don’t end up purchasing from their originally intended brand because other information was more readily available. The majority of consumers discover new companies or products when searching on their mobile device. Needless to say, brand loyalty is passé.

Applying geotargeted keywords – particularly for local businesses – is one of the best ways to prepare for mobile micro moments. Also make sure to have a verified Google My Business page set up for your business. This will help your business show up locally on Maps and the Google Directory listings at the top of Mobile searches

Turning up when and where people are searching, leads to higher conversion rates and returns on your investment. Make sure you have an optimized local-mobile marketing strategy for 2018!

#5) Nativity in Ads

Native advertising is paid content matching the visual design of the ad space (eg. social media, news sites, etc.) coming off as non-disruptive, natural content. The ads behave consistently with the native user experience, and function just like natural content.

Above is an example of native advertising. It’s sponsored content, but the design and tone fits with the format.

It’s believed by Business Insider that native ads will make up 74% of total US display ad revenue. As marketers begin to focus more on personalized relationships, your target is less likely to respond to obvious ads. However they’re more likely to click on content that feels extremely relevant to their personal needs and wants.

Given the rise of mobile advertising, native ads must integrate into the mobile experience without interfering with user actions.

Mobile users get most of their content on social media, and companies are allocating more ad dollars into these platforms.

Social media made up almost half of mobile display ad revenue in 2015, with native ads such as the two below:

Technology moves fast, and trends are hard to stay on top of. Mobile is the obvious natural progression. If there’s one key focus you need to address in 2018, it’s your mobile strategy!

Eden’s team of marketing experts, web programmers, and website designers are fluent in the complex language of mobile-ese. Together, they collaborate to create intuitive, mobile friendly, on-trend web experiences that generate higher conversion rates.

Your brand will be found when and where they’re needed most, by the people who can benefit most from your product or service.

Contact us now to help you increase your mobile conversions and ROI in 2018!