Pros and Cons of Mobile-First Web Design
Caity Lavelle | April 5, 2022
A lot of web designers start with the desktop when working on any website project and work their way down until they reach the mobile side. Google’s then-CEO, Eric Schmidt, set the stage for mobile-first design. Mobile-first indexing is enabled by default for all new websites (new to the web or previously unknown to Google Search). When a website is not responsive—when you realise you have to manually zoom in to see the navigation or content—you will likely exit that site and move on to another website with a more friendly UX. Web designers who create beautiful websites built to function properly on desktops no longer have the ability to treat mobile design as an afterthought. In other words, responsive mobile-first web design isn’t just a niche or a trend; it’s the present. If you are looking for a leading web designer firm, go for someone who can create a mobile-friendly web design for you.
WHAT DOES MOBILE-FIRST WEB DESIGN MEAN?
Mobile-first web design is a web design approach that prioritises the mobile user experience. The philosophy is that mobile devices are at the centre of the entire process and not an afterthought for the web designer.
Mobile-first web design is all about prioritising the mobile user experience over the desktop. It’s based on the assumption that most users will be accessing your site on mobile devices, which means it should be a priority in the design process. The first and most important reason to create a mobile-friendly website is to provide your visitors with the best possible experience when visiting your website from a smartphone or tablet.
This is a very good idea because different devices require different design methods and unique user experiences.
The goal of mobile-first web design is to make sure that your site meets the needs of people who use their phones and makes it easy to use on any device.
As more people use smartphones for internet browsing, the demand for mobile-friendly websites has increased tremendously. Your website needs to be easy to use on a smartphone or tablet if you want to get more customers and keep them.
A well-designed responsive website ensures a consistent user experience across all devices. This results in higher search engine rankings, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction.
WHY IS MOBILE-FIRST WEB DESIGN IMPORTANT?
Mobile-friendly web design is a concept that has permeated all website design and development areas, from responsive web design to search engine optimisation (SEO) and content creation.
As search engines continue to develop new ways to make their indexes as comprehensive as possible, websites that aren’t mobile-friendly are quickly being left behind. This means that if you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, your rankings will suffer, and your ability to draw in new customers will be seriously compromised.
Even if you aren’t concerned with your search engine rankings, it’s important to remember that mobile devices now account for the majority of web searches. This means that a large percentage of your potential customers are already viewing your website on a mobile device. If they can’t use it properly because it hasn’t been optimised for a small screen, these customers will quickly turn elsewhere for their products and services.
As more and more web traffic continues to funnel through mobile devices, businesses that lack a responsive design or haven’t adapted their websites for mobile users will simply fall by the wayside. They can keep their customers and grow their business in the future if they take steps now to make sure their content is available on all kinds of devices, like tablets and phones.
HOW DOES MOBILE-FIRST WEB DESIGN WORK?
Consider the following scenario to show how designers can apply the mobile-first approach:
Assume you’re a web designer working on a restaurant’s website. Because the designer must apply a mobile-first strategy, they must examine what a smartphone consumer could expect from a restaurant’s website.
Designers must determine what an end-user is looking for while browsing a restaurant’s website on a mobile device. Given that the user is on a mobile device, it’s safe to assume that they want operational hours, a precise location, and contact information. As a result, a restaurant may choose to include additional location and contact information to increase end-user satisfaction (or, given that it’s a mobile device, a click to call button). Based on these assumptions, the page can be generated exactly as follows.
Tablet users have more space to view the page and, most likely, more time. Designers can capitalise on this by providing more features or information about the food menu (photos) or the chef.
Site designers have lots of room to display additional information on desktops. This data includes blog entries, images of previous party events, the mood, and contact forms. This will help with business development and advertising.
WHAT ARE THE BEST PRACTICES FOR MOBILE-FIRST WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT?
To achieve mobile-first web design, web designers should keep the following best practices in mind:
Prioritise content
When it comes to mobile-first design, it’s important to remember that content is king. Because smaller screens have limited room, web designers must make sure that the most important items are prominently shown, as these are the ones that consumers will actively seek out.
It provides a user-friendly navigation system
In order to provide a nice and clean user experience on mobile devices, intuitive navigation is critical. To display supplementary aspects of the page, web designers might use features like navigation drawers (using Hamburger menus). This will make it easier for users to find the information they need.
Avoid using obtrusive pop-ups
Mobile devices, as previously said, have limited storage space, and no user likes being bombarded with pop-ups or adverts that take up the entire screen. Website owners and designers must only concentrate on what is important to users and supply them with the information they seek.
Put your code through its paces on real-world devices
Testing a website on real devices is the most effective way to ensure that it provides an ideal user experience across devices. This helps designers figure out if the website looks good on mobile phones, tablets, and desktop computers alike.
HOW MARKETING SWEET CAN HELP YOU?
If you’re looking for a complete and customised web design package, look no further than Marketing Sweet. We know that each business is different at its core, and has different needs. We have a wide range of services for you to choose from.
We also have a team of talented web designers who can help you construct a website that reflects your brand and personality. Also, our experts can help you with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) so that people can find your website when they search online.
The most important reason why we prioritise a mobile-friendly website is to provide your visitors with the best possible experience. This results in higher search engine rankings, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction.
We know what an end-user is looking for while browsing a website on a mobile device. We are a leading web design marketing agency. We provide complete solutions for our clients, from website design and development to SEO and more.
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