This is a new era of internet usage we have entered. Now people are not using their desktops and laptops to access the internet, as was the trend a couple of years ago. Today more people are using their smartphones and tablets to access the various online services and surfing the web. What kind of effect will this switch have on web development trends?
If you are a web developer, then you probably know about the mobile-friendly web design and development techniques. And even if you are just a business owner with a pretty well-doing website, then you should know about it.
So What is Mobile-Friendly Website Design?
Mobile-friendly websites are versions of any normal website that has been optimized to work properly on devices with a smaller screen. These websites have their content optimized to be displayed properly, without a hitch on a mobile screen.
It is the newest trend because thanks to improvements in mobile technology, we are able to perform various tasks on our phone, from shopping or ordering food to send people money. And that is why it is imperative that your website too, is mobile friendly. Still not convinced? Let’s look at a few more reasons for making your website mobile responsive.
Why Should You Choose A Mobile-friendly Web Design?
Why should you go for mobile-friendly design and development for your website? well, despite the fact that it makes it easier for users to use, there are some other reasons as well.
User Experience- Improved
It is the main goal of every business website to give site visitors the best user experience so that they convert to clients. This entire matter of providing a better user experience should be the first reason why your website should go mobile-friendly.
It is really tough when the user is visiting a website on their phone, and it starts loading the desktop version of the site. This makes for the worst user experience. When you choose to go with responsive web design and development, you make user that your website and it’s contents are optimized to match the screen size and resolution of the user. This way you would instantly provide the users a better experience before they have even begun with exploring your website.
Super Fast Loading Speed
Having a fast loading website is important, and that goes without saying. No user is going to wait more than 3 seconds for the page to load. And if your site is taking longer to load, then you will be losing a huge amount of traffic.
According to Google PageSpeed guidelines , a website needs to load within 2 seconds, and the site content needs to load within 1 second on a mobile screen. Anything more than that, and your site visitors are going to be a bounce back to another website because users today have a short attention span. So if you needed another reason to make your website mobile responsive, then this can be a good one.
Search Result Rankings Improved
You may ask if responsive web design is related to SEO rankings. Well, the answer is mobile-friendliness is simple. It is the third most important factor considered by Google when they are ranking your website. On November 2016, Google showed even more support to mobile-friendly websites when it announced that it would crawl the mobile version of the website before the desktop version.
The Google algorithms check the mobile-friendliness to decide on the organic rankings of the websites. And that is why your website should be switching to hiring a qualified responsive website design company.
Staying One Step Ahead Of Your Competitors
The world of internet is changeable. It changes so fast that one trend will pass you by while other replaces it, and you won’t even have a clue. But as it turns out that it is quite important that You follow some of these trends to keep yourself ahead of your competition.
Mobile responsive web design and development is taking over the internet, and your competitors know this too. And that is exactly why you need to switch to mobile-friendly web design. This way you can stay ahead of your competitors and gain more business along the way.
Higher Conversion Rates And Sales
The ease and convenience of the mobile-friendly website offer the users a better chance of connecting with your website. And when your website gives the users a better chance at connecting, they are definitely going to be more prone to converting into being your clients.
When a user sees that it is easy for them to contact you, or fill a form, subscribe to your newsletter or follow your social media accounts, they will feel better about your business and want to engage more with it. And that’s how you are going to get a higher conversion rate with mobile-friendly web design and development.
Social Media Marketing Opportunities Improved
Social media marketing opportunities are something every business is taking advantage of. And they should, since social media sites like Facebook Instagram, Twitter are taking over our life. And on top of that, most people are using their phone to access all these social media websites. So as you can see, you can’t really have a functioning social media marketing plan if you are not focusing on making your website mobile-friendly website in the first place.
How To Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly?
Now that you have some solid reasons to go for mobile-friendly web design and development, it’s time to look at how you are going to make your website mobile-friendly. Below is a list of six ways you can make your website mobile-friendly.
Make Your Website Responsive
A responsive website includes the same contents and information of the webpage, no matter which device you are accessing it from. This is the first way you should take when you decide on taking your website mobile-friendly. This way no matter what device your user is using to access your website, they will get the same web experience they would've gotten from the desktop version of your website. However, if you think you can’t build a responsive website on your own, then there are many custom website development services who can help you with that.
Make The Information Easy To Find
When it comes to mobile sites, the users can’t follow all the elaborate ways to find a piece of information on the website like they can on desktop. And that is why you need to make sure that the information on your website is easy to find.
Creating a better navigational system for your mobile-friendly website so that people can find information easily is going to help you to increase your business. So make sure you hire web developers who can design better navigation for your mobile-friendly website.
Turn Off Auto-correct For Forms
More often than not, mobile autocorrect makes it harder for the users to engage with your website by filling out forms on your website forms. And in such cases, you need to make sure that when the user is filling out the contact form on your website, the autocorrect gets turned off. This is a small way of making sure that your website becomes mobile-friendly. When you hire web development NYC service, make sure they include this small feature on your website.
Use Large Sizes For Buttons And Fonts
It is easy to click on the small buttons on the desktop, thanks to the mouse. But on your phone, it is a bit harder to tap on the small buttons. And that’s why your mobile-friendly website needs large buttons and fonts.
More often than not, people end up tapping on one button than the intended one because the button sizes are too small and they are situated too close. And that’s why you need to make sure that the sizes of buttons and fonts are big enough, and site visitors don’t have to squint to see what is written on the pages. When you hire a web development company, make sure that they are experts at making the website mobile-friendly.
Allow An Easy Way To Switch To Desktop View
Sometimes the users want to view the desktop website even when they are on their mobile. Maybe because they feel it’s easier to surf the desktop version, or maybe it’s because there are some functions on your desktop version of the website that is not available on the mobile version. Whatever it might be, make sure that the users have a chance to switch to the desktop view of the website.
Perform Regular Mobile Testing
Just like a mobile app, the best way to make sure that your mobile version of the app is working as it should be is through regular mobile testing. You should be testing out your mobile website on your phone every day to make sure that it is working as you intended it to work.
Conclusion
A mobile-friendly website is an absolute must if you want to keep up with the growing competition in the market. More and more businesses are switching to make their website more suited for mobile surfing. So if you have not done that already, go ahead and make your website mobile-friendly, because, for the long haul, it will be the best way for you to increase your business.