One of the big design trends that we will continue to see pushed in 2017 will be mobile optimized websites.

Why does mobile matter? To put it simply, it’s how you get found on Google. Google will penalize non-mobile friendly sites, causing your funeral home’s website to show up farther down the search listings.

As we’ve noted before, Google recently reported that local searches are now occurring more on a smartphone than on a desktop device. And a study by McKinsey&Company found that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site if they can’t easily access your information, and more than 40% said they will try a competitor’s site instead. So not making mobile a priority could be costing your funeral home potential business.

To make sure your funeral home website is mobile-friendly, here’s a quick rule you should know.

The Basic Rule of Thumb

It’s what’s known as the “one eyeball, one thumb, arm’s length” rule. Here’s a quick rundown of how it works:

Let’s start with the “one eye” part. On a mobile device, all your important basic information should be easily readable with one eye. That means that even mobile users who are distracted still easily find important things like your business hours, contact information, location, services, and even obituaries.

The one thumb rule means that the content and links are easy to navigate just using one thumb on a handheld device. One study on mobile design found that most people (85%) use only one hand to navigate a website on a smartphone, making this an important aspect of your mobile site’s layout.

And the arm’s length means that all content, including pictures and video, can be viewed comfortably at arm’s length. How does your website hold up to this test?

Google offers these other tips to get the most of your mobile design:

• Make it easy for customers to navigate your products and to make payments.
• Measure your website’s mobile-friendliness by how easy it is for a user to complete the most basic tasks. When someone is visiting your site on a smartphone, what are they usually there for? Can they order flowers easily, write a memory on an obituary? Google says that “Being able to support these tasks is critical and this is why the measure of your mobile site is how well customers can complete their objectives.”
• Select a mobile theme or design that’s consistent for all devices. These days, everyone’s mobile experience is different. Think of all the different kinds of smartphones or tablets out there. Google recommends using a responsive web design so that no matter where someone searches from, the experience on your site will be the same. (Responsive web design also will boost your search rankings, meaning you’ll grab a higher spot on a Google search).

Other Design Trends to Consider

Mobile is just one of many important digital design trends. Here are some others to watch out for in 2017:

• The importance of content layout. John Moore Williams of Webflow writes that “design’s ultimate role is to present content in an intuitive, efficient, and ‘delightful’ way.” That means whether visiting from a mobile device or desktop, your content should be laid out in a way that’s easy for users to navigate and find.
• Immersive storytelling. Forbes writes that “Combined with bold, visually stimulating design and a whole array of interactive UI elements, immersive storytelling is helping brands to connect with their customers on a more personal, engaging level.” Your website should help share your brand — the story of you and your funeral home — with families.
• Authenticity. As content continues to play a major role in web design, it means we will see more authenticity from businesses and their websites. Usersnap notes that this means fewer stock photos and more real, authentic photos. “The important thing to remember however is that your website serves a purpose and therefore everything on it, including the image, must do so too. Images of your people (meet the team) are popular too – put a face to the brand.”