Madeline Miller
I can’t imagine trying to get somewhere new using a map printed on paper. As someone who watched mobile devices skyrocket into popularity throughout my childhood, I remember all of the milestones, especially getting my first iPhone as a freshman in high school. Now it feels like an age gap of only a few years separates me from so many groups of people and I’m confident that I could determine many aspects of a stranger’s personality based off of when they received their first smartphone.
The point is that a lot has changed, we do everything on our phones now! As a result, mobile-friendly websites are only becoming more important as mobile devices become even more capable than anyone ever imagined they could be a decade or two ago. This has posed a new challenge for developers that now have to consider the way their websites will appear on a phone as well as a desktop computer.
There are multiple strategies web designers use to start building a website that’s mobile-friendly. One way that designers build mobile-friendly websites is by using a separate URL and designing a website specifically for mobile devices.
For those designing a single website that must be responsive to both formats, there are arguments that the process should begin with designing the site on mobile first while many argue that it’s best to design a mobile site by making the original desktop version responsive, though each approach comes with its own challenges.
Mobile-first design has become popular with modern websites. The value in a mobile-first design approach is that your mobile site will only have essential design elements and content. Since mobile devices are the most limiting due to their size, it’s critical to keep your design simple, this can also make the transition to your desktop design easier.
Starting with a less complex design is faster to complete and can also help with user testing. This design strategy can help with search engine optimization as well, which we will cover later in this article. Some arguments against a mobile-first approach are that an over-simplified design can look too dispersed, with lots of white space and enlarged images and text on larger screens.
If you’re using a mobile-first design approach, keep content dispersion in mind as your desktop users will become frustrated with the decreased usability of your website if texts and images are not dispersed properly.
If you’re starting with a more complex desktop design, consider how to make the elements of your site responsive to mobile devices, as that is just as important if not more so than the usability of your desktop site, you wouldn’t want your website to appear squished and cluttered when loaded on a smaller screen.
Regardless of your design strategy, there are lots of things to keep in mind. Here are some helpful tips for designing your mobile-friendly website:
- Alternative Capabilities
Mobile devices have different capabilities than desktop computers, and they continue to add more features that website designers can take advantage of to increase conversions. Examples include the click-to-call button, GPS directions, and credit card scanning.
- Landscape, Tablets and Left-Handed Users
Don’t forget that mobile-friendly websites must also include tablets and your site should adapt to users who prefer browsing in landscape orientation as well. Keep in mind that placement of buttons should also be accessible to left-handed users.
- Search Engine Optimization
In 2015, Google introduced mobile SEO as a tracking parameter, this led to mobile-friendly websites ranking higher in mobile search results. Now Google has systems to evaluate a website’s usability on mobile vs desktop and ranks search results based off of the content exclusively on a website’s mobile version as they know the majority of users are browsing on a smartphone.
- Keep it Simple!
Your site will be more responsive on mobile devices if you use minimal images and text. Make forms as short as possible to streamline the conversion process. This will also make your site load faster, improving your overall experience. Be aware of content dispersion to improve usability of the desktop version as text and images will become much larger.
- Use Large Buttons
Larger buttons will be easier to click on a mobile device. Especially the “BUY” or call-to-action button! This will help users navigate your site better on mobile and improve your conversion rates as well.
- Avoid Pop-Ups
Though pop-ups can be effective in engaging your customers, avoid using them when designing your mobile site as they can often be difficult to navigate away from. If you do choose to include them in your design, make sure they’re easy to dismiss.
There are so many ways to optimize your website design to maximize conversions on mobile devices. Regardless of your platform or the size of your business, TeamVirid can tailor a plan just for you and your website's goals.
Consider your marketing strategy and focus more on social media advertising to retarget mobile users to your website and make sure your developers are on top of the always changing features to make sure your website stands out.
If you’re looking for a new platform, wondering why your mobile conversion rates aren’t hitting their targets, or simply don’t know where to start, Virid can help!