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There are things that we can all do to improve user experience and reduce friction on websites. Make phone numbers clickable on desktop and mobile devices. I still regularly come across websites that don’t have clickable phone numbers. Make it easy for customers to call such as an icon or button. If a phone number is not clickable, the customer has to copy and paste it into their dialer, or remember it, or write it down. And that’s just silly. It takes 10 seconds to make the phone number clickable.
With respect to clickable phone numbers, a lot of web developers seem to rely on the fact that most modern mobile devices will pick up on the fact that a user is trying to click on a phone number, and intelligently open the dialer, even though the phone number is not technically a hyperlink. But not all phones do this. And no desktop or laptop computers without a touchscreen do this. A lot of people use Skype, and other programs to make phone calls on their desktop.
I have my phone synced with my computer so that if I click on a phone number, it opens the dialer on my cell phone. But if a phone number is not clickable, meaning it’s not a hyperlink, this functionality is eliminated. It takes 10 seconds to make phone numbers clickable on all devices.
Make addresses clickable on desktop and mobile devices. In my experience, an overwhelming majority of websites have addresses that are not clickable. What if a potential customer wants to click on the address and have it open up their maps application so that they can see where the business is in relation to where they are?
Or maybe they’re already ready to drive over and patronize the business? If the address is not clickable, they’ll have to copy and paste it into their map’s application. This will cause unnecessary frustration and can kill a conversion. It’s extremely easy to make an address a clickable hyperlink. This is a no-brainer. It’s unfathomable to me why most websites don’t have clickable addresses.
Make email addresses clickable on desktop and mobile devices. Same concept as above. And while I generally see most websites have clickable email addresses, occasionally I still run across one that doesn’t. And that’s lame. People are super impatient.
All it takes is a single point of friction to cause enough frustration for a potential customer to click that back button and go somewhere else. Making important elements such as phone numbers, physical addresses, and email addresses clickable is one of the easiest ways to reduce unnecessary friction.
I went to the MGM Grand Las Vegas website, went to click on the phone number to call them, and their phone number was not clickable. Just for fun, I clicked on their address – same thing. So, my only option was to copy the phone number, open my dialer, paste it into my dialer, and click “call”. If the phone number was clickable, it would have been significantly easier to call them. If their address had been made clickable, My Maps app would have simply opened up. But instead, I would have to copy and paste the address into my Maps app.
These may seem like small issues. But in fact, they are quite large. They increase friction in the sales process and reduce conversions. My expectation as a modern consumer is that I should be able to click on a phone number, or an address, and get the response I’ve come to expect. When that didn’t happen at the MGM Grand hotel website, I became frustrated. It’s mind blowing to me that an organization as large as the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas doesn’t have clickable phone numbers and addresses. And yet I still see this all of the time. In fact, I see it a majority of the time. Important distinction:
There is a big difference between being clickable on mobile vs. desktop/laptop. If you do not designate phone numbers and addresses as hyperlinks, phone Operating systems such as iOS and Android OS may automatically pick up on the fact that they are phone numbers and addresses, and make them “clickable” and trick you into thinking that all is well. But iOS and Android may not always do this if the phone numbers and addresses are not formatted properly. If you did not designate the phone numbers and addresses as clickable by designating them as hyperlinks, they may not always work properly on a mobile device, and they will never work properly on a Desktop or Laptop. With so much at stake with respect to conversions, any little poorly designed detail can be a conversion killer.
If you need help making your email, phone or address clickable, reach out to us for help with conversion rate optimization services. We have completely done-for-you services, as well as hourly consulting CRO services. You can get in touch with us at nimbus@nimbus.market.
Robert Portillo is the founder of Nimbus Marketing. Nothing satisfies him more than expressing his thoughts well. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. He can often be found at local farmer’s markets, hiking trails, and the beach.
