5 Reasons Your Mobile Site Makes Your Visitors Furious

Don’t deny it: you’ve definitely screamed at your mobile phone.

And that’s okay – it probably deserved it. Whether it was a slow loader, an attention seeking pop up or a store locater that simply didn’t find what you were looking for, that website sure was asking for it.

We’ve all encountered mobile sites that have had us gasping for the exit button. But that’s not how you want your customers to feel when they land on your mobile site.

That’s why we’ve handpicked the 5 biggest mobile mistakes that will make your visitors furious. It’s high time you learned what you’re doing wrong and how to avoid it.

1. Pesky Pop-Ups

Do you know what your visitors hate the most? Those glorious pop-ups that follow them down the screen “just in case they missed your ad or message the first time.” Here’s the thing: your visitors most likely do not want to download your mobile app. And they certainly don’t want to take your feedback survey 2 seconds after stumbling upon your mobile site.

They simply want to make a purchase, find out more information or get a specific question answered. Your mobile site’s job is to get out of their way and let them. Stop making your potential customers angry with ridiculously prominent pop-ups that are impossible to close on a the teeny tiniest of screens.

2. Forever Loading Pages

47% of people expect your site to load in 2 seconds or less. If it doesn’t? They’re goners. First, let’s consider the reasons why your customers choose to visit your mobile site – they’re bored and looking for entertainment, they’re on the go and are looking for information or they have decided to make a last minute purchase. Your slow loading time interrupts all of your user’s objectives. They’ll simply grow angry and leave to find another solution (most likely in the shape of your competitor’s site).

Next let’s consider Google’s impact: a slow loading time can (and will) affect your page rank. This is because it takes longer for search engines to crawl your pages and will increase the chances of your site having a higher bounce rate. But just what does affect your site speed and how can you alleviate the problem? Identify and get rid of: unoptimized images, excessive widgets or plugins, ad overload and any bulky code.

3. Ridiculously Long Forms

Let’s get this straight: people hate filling out forms. The more fields a form has the further you’re pushing your customers away from the buying funnel (or checkout). Don’t you want their money? It is important, especially on a mobile device, to consider only the essential elements your need to know about your customers. If you don’t need their second name? Don’t ask for it. Your mission? Eliminate the pointless in favor of the fundamental.

Okay, but there has to be any easier way, right? Sure is. You can for example, make use of auto-fill forms that allow your customer’s mobile device to remember their details for your website. On the iPhone mobile Safari has a form auto-fill feature that will make your customer’s life significantly easier.

4. Navigation Nightmares

What kind of user leaves your mobile site faster than an annoyed one? A confused one. If your visitor lands on your mobile site and doesn’t know what to do, it’s not because they’re clueless – it’s because your design is. Your mobile’s navigation should not be a maze – it should be created to provide a simple, impossibly obvious and clearly labelled guide for your users to seamlessly make their way through.

Want to know how to create a beautiful user experience for the mobile user? Check out this video called ‘Design Principles for a Better Mobile Web’ by Jenny Gove, a Mobile Experience Researcher at Google:

5. Mobile Homepage Re-Directs

Do you know what’s super annoying? The kind of annoying that makes you want to fling your beloved iPhone out of the window of a moving train? When you specifically search for a term, a product or a question and your expectations of landing on a shiny web page full of relevant information are dashed with one swift (and pointless) homepage redirect. “Nooooo! But that’s not…”

Yes, that’s right – that’s not what your customers asked for. And they won’t appreciate your ‘alternative suggestion’ either. No matter how well your homepage is designed (and no matter how slick the navigation), it is never a solution for a customer query. And your visitors should never be subjected to landing on it unless they specifically type your name or URL into Google.

How to Create a Customer-Friendly Mobile Site:

Don’t want your customers to hate you? Great, they try creating a customer-pleasing mobile site with a clear, simple and easy-to-navigate design. Your mission? Deliver on what your customers ask for (and search for). Think foolproof, fuss-free and fast loading.

Want to learn more? The Online Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing is perfect for anyone responsible for the planning, execution or measurement of mobile marketing campaigns. The course covers everything from apps and gaming to mobile commerce and messaging. Keen to upskill? Find out more here.