Mobile-First Web Design and Hosting Tips
There’s a 58.21% chance you’re reading this on your smartphone. That’s how much global traffic comes from mobile devices. And that’s one of the essential things you must keep in mind when designing and hosting your new website. Small screens rule the internet world, and mobile-first is the way to go.
Why mobile-first design?
Websites don’t look the same on your phone as on your laptop. When developers and designers get together, they need to decide which will be the primary screen for user experience. Based on the latest statistics, it’s better to go with mobile first and then scale up to tablets and desktops.
Here are a few more stats you need to be aware of:
- 46% of customers complete the purchase on mobile
- 40% of users will go to your competitors after a negative experience on mobile
- 58% of users use mobile to close the sale
- 50% of users want to use a website instead of downloading an app
- 46% of people in the United States spend more than 5 hours on their phones every day
Why is it important?
Businesses must adapt to the market. Currently, the market is mobile-dominant, which means a mobile-first design is essential to cater to existing and new users. Without mobile adaptability, you’ll alienate more than half of the global audience. The sooner you take care of mobile design, the sooner you’ll be ready for more sales and a better user experience.
The main emphasis should be on core functionality, like responsiveness and navigation, and adapting them to smaller screens. If you plan to overhaul everything, focus on enhancing performance optimization. No one likes long loading times.
How do you make sure your web works on mobile?
Here are some best practices to use when you make the switch to mobile-first:
Touch is king
Smartphones and tablets have touchscreens. You should adapt your website to gestures like swipes, taps, and pinches. Buttons and elements should vibrate when touched and must be appropriately sized. Some people have large fingers, and you don’t want them to have a negative user experience.
Test, test, and test again
Developers often make a simple mistake. They believe users will interact with their website intuitively. That never happens, so you need to test under different scenarios and conditions. Web creators must use different operating systems and VPNs to ensure the website works on every device and country. Sandbox environments are great, but going with the real deal is better.
When testing for iPhone, use a VPN for iOS and check for 404 errors, whether due to location access or a missing variable. Do the same for Android and desktop devices. Then, gather insights through A/B testing and refine your design.
Speed and performance above everything else
The more time users spend waiting on your website, the more time they have to think about something else. You don’t want that to happen. Speed and performance must be your priorities. Code, videos, images, and graphics must be compressed to minimize load time and enhance engagement.
Navigation must be simple
Mobile design is limited. It has more constraints than a desktop design and must keep the core functionalities. Stick to proven standards like home, product, and about us pages. It’s a good practice to include a collapsible hamburger menu. The more space you save, the better. Collapsible elements keep the flow organized and clean. But that doesn’t mean you should use pop-ups. No one likes them, even the inventor of pop-up ads. You’ll just ruin the user experience.
Start small and work your way up
Mobile-first design has a lot of steps. Your design can follow them progressively. You don’t have to launch everything at the same time. Get the basics covered, and add new features with time, as long as you have the space for it. Your online presence will improve over time, and so will your website.
