Mobile traffic has increased greatly over the past decade due to the number of people who have smartphones and other mobile devices. It is often easier for a patient to explore websites on a mobile device instead of a desktop, which means your medical SEO needs to incorporate a site that works just as well on any device. Unfortunately, many sites fall short of this standard, leading to lost online traffic and fewer new patients.
How mobile sites are lagging
Website design for doctors can be a challenge, especially for those not familiar with current SEO standards and modern trends. However, there are simple website issues that anyone can identify and improve on a basic level for smoother transitions to mobile. By understanding what to look for, you can recognize issues and make small adjustments to improve online usage. These are the most common problems a lagging mobile site faces.
Poor responsiveness
Responsiveness refers to a website’s ability to change format depending on the device used. Smartphone screens are considerably smaller than desktop screens, so it does not make sense for a website page to appear exactly the same on a smartphone as it does on a computer. You can check your website’s responsiveness by looking at it on each different device. If it does not translate well from desktop to mobile, you may need to focus your efforts on creating a new responsive theme.
Slow speed
Online users have very short attention spans. According to research done by Nielson Norman Group, the average time an online user spends on a single webpage is only 10-20 seconds. If your website takes a long pause just to load, there is a good chance you have lost the online user already. Speed is a critical part of SEO for doctors and successfully engaging new patients. Make sure that your mobile site loads just as quickly as it does on a desktop by compressing images, reducing the number of redirects, and caching certain page elements within the browser.
Improper page viewports
The viewport is the size of a page on a user’s device. On some websites, you can change the viewport of individual pages or posts. For example, you may make a picture smaller on a desktop but need it to be full size for mobile use. Some content management systems give you options to preview each page as if you were on different devices. Check size and formatting to make sure everything fits properly on the screen before publishing a post.
Difficult navigation
Sometimes menu bars that work well on a desktop become crammed and inaccessible for mobile devices. Ensure that menus have dropdown options and that information is organized in a proper hierarchy designed for scrolling. Users should have no trouble finding the information they are looking for quickly and easily.
Get started improving your mobile site
Doctor Genius focuses on improving all aspects of a website for SEO. Contact us to discover more ways to improve your mobile site. For more advice on reaching mobile users see: https://doctorgenius.com/blog/how-to-reach-mobile-users/
Doctor Genius, located at 16800 Aston Street, Suite 270, Irvine, CA 92606, provides a range of services for practice success. We seek to meet our clients’ needs by providing a variety of marketing, SEO, practice optimization tools, and coaching to transform the healthcare experience. Though we work to provide the most accurate information, the content found on this website is solely intended for entertainment purposes. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is entirely correct. You may not use the information on this site to cure, prevent, or diagnose a perceived medical issue. If you have healthcare-related needs, please speak directly to a healthcare professional. Never self-perform medical treatments discussed on this website. All images displayed are also for entertainment purposes only, and personal experiences may differ. Please note that the business tactics mentioned on this site might not be applicable to your industry or practice.
