We discussed in part 1 that the popularity
of mobile devices has completely changed the
landscape for home service businesses.
Again, almost half of organic search visits
come from mobile devices. This means mobile
optimization must become a marketing
priority.
Mobile searching affords unparalleled
convenience; consumers navigate each stage
of the buying process with their smartphones.
They research a problem, identify a
solution, locate a business that offers said
solution, and then reach out. Businesses
need to build a site that caters to this
step-by-step process.
There is also the added incentive of
improving your Google SEO. The company
recently announced, “Starting April 21, we
will be expanding our use of
mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.
This change will affect mobile searches in
all languages worldwide and will have a
significant impact in our search results.”
Say a potential customer arrives at your
site. They click around and learn a bit more
about what you do, but still need more
information. Now they search for a phone
number, so they can call you up. Strangely
enough though, they look all over the place,
but can’t find one. Frustration begins to
overtake desire to contact your business.
They exit out of your site and move on.
Nuance Communications has found that 79%
of consumers prefer to contact a customer
service center by phone, rather than work
through online service tools. Your business
has worked hard and done the legwork to
drive traffic. Don’t let a silly but
critical mistake ruin all that. To capture
mobile traffic, and thus more business,
really think about placement of the
all-important contact number.
Hey, Can I Have Your Number?
Let’s perform a spot check. Put yourself in
the shoes of a potential customer, and get
on your mobile site. See how many steps it
takes to locate your business’ number. If it
takes more than a couple of taps or swipes,
you may be in trouble.
 It’s
irrelevant whether your contact number is
buried within the site, off screen, or
simply too small to see. The point is
potential customers can’t find it and call
you.
61% of mobile searches result in a phone
call, so they definitely want to call you.
We discussed simplicity and scroll-ability
in an earlier post. The third piece of the
puzzle is optimal contact number placement.
You may be thinking, “Well we’ve listed our
number on the ‘Contact Us’ page. That should
be good enough.” That may be the case on a
desktop, but again, we’re talking mobile
sites here. Customers are busy and need
their hands held. Don’t ever leave it up to
the customer.
Unwritten Laws
There’s no unwritten rule of website
creation that says contact information must
appear all together on some dedicated page.
A phone number and email address are
infinitely more important than your
business’ physical address, correct? Treat
them as such. Put them front and center.
To get caught up on our previous mobile site
tips, check out part 1 of the series.
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