Topic: Which one is Better? Mobile Compatible Website or Mobile Optimized Website
Mobile compatible and mobile optimized website might look the same, but there are a few things that help in distinguishing them. Also, in terms of Search Engine Optimization, website designing and conversions, these websites have different priorities in place. The sooner you learn the differences between them, the better.
Without further ado, let’s learn what makes a mobile compatible website different from an optimized one.
Mobile Compatible Website:
A mobile compatible website is essentially an HTML based webpage, which is viewable on smart devices like mobile phones and tablets but is not properly optimized for them. Such websites cater the web browsers better, with larger screens and enhanced navigation ratio as they are designed for desktop users.
While visiting such websites, you might notice a few things. For instance, you need to scroll right, left, up, or down to learn the dynamics of the website when using it on your mobile phone. The webpage might load slower than other websites with a need to zoom into the content to read it.
To sum it up, a mobile compatible website is a reduced version of a desktop website. It may not improve mobile user experience and Google rankings or generate higher leads over time. Additionally, most of the users get frustrated while using such websites because of its limited functionality on mobile phones. This in turn pushes away users and the businesses are unable to convert profitable customers.
Mobile Optimized Website:
On the other hand, a mobile optimized website is designed specifically for mobile devices and tablets. Unlike a mobile compatible website, this website is mobile-friendly with a higher responsiveness. There is no need to zoom into the content or pinch it to read the texts.
Likewise, the website is more efficient and easier to navigate for the users. From viewing images easily to loading media quickly, you can do multiple things at once. Another imperative function of a mobile optimized website is the option to call, email, and view the location of the business.
While using a mobile optimized website, the engagement ratio increases with better conversions and reduced bounce rates. Not just that, but such sites are preferred by most of the users because of their enhanced functionality.
Both websites, mobile compatible and optimized, work fine on different devices. However, a compatible website is laptop or computer friendly, whereas an optimized website is more mobile friendly.
Why is it important to know the difference?
At first, you must have thought that both websites are alike, which is certainly not the case. The minute you understand the main differences, you will know which website works best for your business.
Of course, choosing a certain type of website depends on the intent of your users as well. If your users prefer working from a laptop or system, then you can design a compatible website. However, the digital space is leaning towards a mobile-friendly landscape and having a mobile optimized website will reap bigger rewards.
Google has also enabled this feature known as Google Mobile First Indexing, which automatically checks if websites are mobile optimized or not. Through this update, Google checks how different webpages appear on the mobile first, regardless of a website having a desktop friendly userbase.
This means that if your site is not mobile optimized, Google will rate it as the least mobile friendly and you will have trouble generating higher Google rankings. Therefore, having a mobile optimized website is much better than a mobile compatible one.
Why Google prefers a mobile optimized website over a compatible site?
Google favours everything that its users ask from it. Consequently, if a user is unsatisfied with a specific website, Google will either rank it lower or push other websites above it. In this way, the website is unable to generate the right leads or increase website engagement.
When this happens, the website loses its credibility, and it takes twice as many efforts to rank higher on Google. Since every other user switch between laptop and mobile phone, it is best to integrate a mobile optimized website. Not only it is ideal for higher Google search rankings but caters well to the growing mobile friendly audience for boosted reach.
If you want to make your website mobile friendly, reach out to us right away.