Checklist and videos for mobile website improvement
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Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Unsure where to begin improving your smartphone website? Wondering how to prioritize all the
advice? We just published a checklist to help provide an efficient approach to mobile website
improvement. Several topics in the checklist link to a relevant business case or study, other
topics include a video explaining how to make data from Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools
actionable during the improvement process. Copied below are shortened sections of the
full checklist. Please let us know if there's more
you'd like to see, or if you have additional topics for us to include.
JavaScript pop-ups that can be difficult to close.
Overlays, especially to download apps (instead consider a banner such as
iOS 6+ Smart App Banners
or equivalent, side navigation, email marketing, etc.).
Survey requests prior to task completion.
Provide device-appropriate functionality
Remove features that require plugins or videos not available on a user's device (for example,
Adobe Flash isn't playable on an iPhone or on Android versions 4.1 and higher). |
Business case
Serve tablet users the desktop version (or if available, the tablet version). |
Study
Check that full desktop experience is accessible on mobile phones, and if selected, remains
in full desktop version for duration of the session (that is, user isn't required to select
"desktop version" after every page load). |
Study
Correct high traffic, poor user-experience mobile pages
Make quick fixes in performance (and continue if behind competition) |
Business case
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],[],[[["\u003cp\u003eEnhance your mobile website's user experience by removing intrusive pop-ups, overlays, and surveys, and by ensuring device-appropriate functionality.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eImprove mobile site performance by correcting high-traffic, poor-performing pages, optimizing page load speed, and ensuring efficient crawling and indexing.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eFacilitate task completion on your mobile site by unblocking essential resources and implementing search engine best practices according to your site's mobile configuration.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eConvert mobile users into loyal customers by integrating search with mobile apps, leveraging mobile-specific features like GPS and camera, and encouraging social sharing.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003ePrioritize mobile optimization by addressing frustrating elements, improving task completion workflows, and capitalizing on unique mobile opportunities to provide added value to users.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["The provided content outlines a checklist for improving mobile websites, focusing on three key steps. First, eliminate customer frustration by removing pop-ups, ensuring device-appropriate functionality (like avoiding Flash), and improving performance. Second, facilitate task completion by optimizing crawling, indexing, and searcher experience with best practices in design. Third, convert customers into fans by considering mobile app integration and leveraging smartphone features, ultimately enhancing value. The checklist provides links to further cases and studies for further exploration.\n"],null,["# Checklist and videos for mobile website improvement\n\nTuesday, December 10, 2013\n| It's been a while since we published this blog post. Some of the information may be outdated (for example, some images may be missing, and some links may not work anymore).\n\n\nUnsure where to begin improving your smartphone website? Wondering how to prioritize all the\nadvice? We just published a checklist to help provide an efficient approach to mobile website\nimprovement. Several topics in the checklist link to a relevant business case or study, other\ntopics include a video explaining how to make data from Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools\nactionable during the improvement process. Copied below are shortened sections of the\n[full checklist](/search/docs/crawling-indexing/mobile/mobile-sites-mobile-first-indexing). Please let us know if there's more\nyou'd like to see, or if you have additional topics for us to include.\n\nStep 1: Stop frustrating your customers\n---------------------------------------\n\n- Remove cumbersome extra windows from all mobile user-agents \\| [Google recommendation](/search/docs/crawling-indexing/mobile/mobile-sites-mobile-first-indexing), [Most hated advertising techniques](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/most-hated-advertising-techniques/)\n - JavaScript pop-ups that can be difficult to close.\n - Overlays, especially to download apps (instead consider a banner such as [iOS 6+ Smart App Banners](https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/SafariWebContent/PromotingAppswithAppBanners/PromotingAppswithAppBanners) or equivalent, side navigation, email marketing, etc.).\n - Survey requests prior to task completion.\n- Provide device-appropriate functionality\n - Remove features that require plugins or videos not available on a user's device (for example, Adobe Flash isn't playable on an iPhone or on Android versions 4.1 and higher). \\| [Business case](/search/blog/2013/06/changes-in-rankings-of-smartphone_11)\n - Serve tablet users the desktop version (or if available, the tablet version). \\| [Study](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/tablet-usability/)\n - Check that full desktop experience is accessible on mobile phones, and if selected, remains in full desktop version for duration of the session (that is, user isn't required to select \"desktop version\" after every page load). \\| [Study](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/mobile-site-vs-full-site/)\n- Correct high traffic, poor user-experience mobile pages \n- Make quick fixes in performance (and continue if behind competition) \\| [Business case](https://www.webperformancetoday.com/2011/11/23/case-study-slow-page-load-mobile-business-metrics/) \n- To see all topics in \"Stop frustrating your customers,\" please see the full [Checklist for mobile website improvement](/search/docs/crawling-indexing/mobile/mobile-sites-mobile-first-indexing).\n\nStep 2: Facilitate task completion\n----------------------------------\n\n- Optimize crawling, indexing, and the searcher experience \\| [Business case](https://www.google.com/think/research-studies/mobile-path-to-purchase-5-key-findings)\n - Unblock resources (CSS, JavaScript) that are robots.txt disallowed.\n - Implement search-engine best practices given your mobile implementation:\n - [Responsive design](/search/docs/crawling-indexing/mobile/mobile-sites-mobile-first-indexing#responsive-design): Be sure to include CSS `@media` query.\n - [Separate mobile site](/search/docs/crawling-indexing/mobile/mobile-sites-mobile-first-indexing#separate-urls): Add `rel=alternate media` and `rel=canonical`, as well as `Vary: User-Agent` HTTP header which helps Google implement [Skip Redirect](/search/blog/2011/12/introducing-smartphone-googlebot-mobile).\n - [Dynamic serving](/search/docs/crawling-indexing/mobile/mobile-sites-mobile-first-indexing): Include `Vary: User-Agent` HTTP header.\n- Optimize popular mobile persona workflows for your site \n\nStep Three: Convert customers into fans!\n----------------------------------------\n\n- Consider search integration points with mobile apps \\| [Announcement](/search/blog/2013/10/indexing-apps-just-like-websites), [Information](https://firebase.google.com/docs/app-indexing/)\n- Brainstorm new ways to provide value\n - Build for mobile behavior, such as the in-store shopper. \\| [Business case](https://www.google.com/think/research-studies/mobile-in-store)\n - Leverage smartphone GPS, camera, accelerometer.\n - Increase sharing or social behavior. \\| [Business case](https://blogs.adobe.com/digitalmarketing/digital-marketing/mobile/adobe-2013-mobile-consumer-survey-71-of-people-use-mobile-to-access-social-media/)\n - Consider intuitive/fun tactile functionality with swiping, shaking, tapping.\n\nWritten by\n[Maile Ohye](/search/blog/authors/maile-ohye?rel=author),\nDeveloper Programs Tech Lead"]]
