For years, mobile design wasn’t top-of-mind, and at best was an afterthought. However, that is all quickly changing as mobile-first becomes the norm. Home usage of personal computers continues to decline, while access to
mobile apps and sites is seeing triple-digit growth. This switch has companies like Google and Facebook taking notice and developing for mobile first and web second.
Here are the top 4 reasons you should focus on mobile first for your next website:
4. New Opportunities
Mobile is great for business. Searches are being conducted, purchases are being made, and websites—including your website—are being visited all on mobile devices. Mobile offers convenience that is unrivaled and allows potential consumers to connect with your brand at any time.
3. Faster Load Time
By starting with mobile first, images and layouts can be optimized for the small screen size, which will improve load time for your site. In desktop-first development, elements that appear on the desktop version are hidden on the mobile version. However, they are often still loaded. By going mobile first, these elements can be designed to only show on the desktop version. Studies have shown that longer load times can lead to frustration and abandonment by visitors, which can affect your bottom line.
2. Mobile is the New Desktop
Desktops are not going away any time soon, but statistics prove that mobile is growing, and it’s growing fast, in frequency of use in particular. Compared to desktop users, mobile users are twice as active on Facebook. This is because smartphones and tablets provide convenience that enable users to constantly be connected. Any time people want to do a Google search or visit a website, all they have to do is grab their iPad off the table next to them or pull their phone out of their pocket.
1. Focus on What is Important and the User
Due to the constraints and limitations of mobile, determining what is most important and what’s just filler quickly becomes relevant. Designing and creating content for mobile devices before desktop versions forces you step back and take each item’s importance into consideration.
Due to the reduced screen size and load-speed limitations of many mobile devices, there are limits that must be considered. It is believed that better design comes from these limitations because they force problem solving and simplicity. With the average mobile device having 80% less screen space than the desktop computer, narrowing a site down to just essential content is strategic. Applying the limitations of mobile forces better content, better navigation, better design, and an enhanced user experience.
If you haven’t already considered the importance of mobile in your marking mix, you could be missing out on potential revenue.