Digital marketing has made a radical change over the past few years, and you might not have even noticed it yet.

There are well over 1 billion mobile users around the world, and by many estimates, mobile platforms are outpacing the use of desktop browsers.

If you’re in the business of digital marketing, this means that you need to adjust – or that you should have adjusted already.

Mobile-first, the process of designing a site for mobile browsers and then applying the design to tablets and laptops, is what’s important now, whether you like it or not. In fact, Google has already changed its search algorithm to prioritize sites with mobile-first design.

But this doesn’t mean that marketers are making the most out of mobile use.

Mobile web apps are far less likely to convert than desktop even though you’re more likely to get someone to stumble upon a site on their mobile than on their desktop. Why is this?

Because it is taking time for markets to adjust to mobile-first, many sites aren’t optimized to convert on mobile devices.

When designing a mobile-first site, there are some things that you must consider before you roll it out.

Created Responsive Designs

Before you roll out your mobile-first design, you need to make sure that it’s responsive to web browsers. While mobile browsers are critical, many people still prefer to do their shopping via desktop.

But having just one design for just mobile or just desktop won’t cut it. Competitors are going to have a large advantage if you don’t use responsive designs. Looks matter to users, and they’re going to leave a site pretty quickly if it doesn’t meet their standards.

Prioritized Mobile Conversions

Converting on mobile is much different than converting on desktop. You have more room to work with visually on a desktop browser, so adding CTA links and optimizing your conversions is easier.

On mobile, you need to think about where you add your links. How far down the page are visitors willing to scroll? Generally, the higher up on the page, the better the conversion.

Created Content For Mobile Browsers

A lot of content in generated with desktop browsers in mind (blogs, infographics, images, etc). While this type of content is important, it might not be making the same impact on your mobile browser.

Generate content specific for mobile users. This will make your site or app more attractive to both Google and visitors. For example, a blog post should use long, drawn out paragraphs – this can be hard for mobile users to follow, and they may never make it to a CTA before they leave your site.

Improved Your Load Time

Your bounce rate should always be an area of focus, but it could be even more so on mobile. If a mobile page or app takes too long to load (think three to four seconds), many people will tap off your page and try their luck with a different site.

Understood Your Target Audience

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you need to take the time address your mobile audience. Inherently, there are going to be different types of demographics that prefer mobile-based web apps to desktop browsers.

If you want to have a successful mobile-first strategy, you must make sure you’re targeting the mobile audience correctly.

Updated Your Ads

If you have ads on your page, it’s time to consider what they would look like when designed for desktop browsers and made responsive for mobile.

Creating ads for mobile browsers will improve your user experience while also potentially improving your conversion rate. These types of ads will also be less of a nuisance to many users who struggle to find their way around pages rife with advertisements, and that can keep them on your site longer and improve your SEO.

Decreased The Number Of Clicks To Conversion

Mobile browsers and apps are all about convenience. It’s convenient to have a mobile browser on your person at all times, accessible whenever you want it. It’s also convenient if something is fast and takes up less of the user’s time.

The fewer clicks it takes for users to complete a conversion, the better. Every extra click is a step where users may lose their patience and abandon the conversion entirely.

Made Sure Important Links Are Noticeable

While reducing the number of clicks to drive conversions, consider what the user experience is. On mobile apps and sites, users like to see big buttons with easily readable text on them.

Creating sites to appeal to mobile users will help immediately and pay dividends and the percentage of mobile users rises.

Paid Attention To Mobile-First Trends

Like any marketing trends, it’s best to get ahead on mobile-first changes that are coming. Keep an eye out for any mobile-first related news, and adapt any sites or apps before it’s too late.

If you’ve already adopted a mobile-first approach, then you should have considered all of these already. If not, it may be time to change your marketing strategy on mobile devices.