It’s the 21st century, almost everyone owns or has access to a smartphone. Our phones are used continuously throughout the day and whether that’s for checking emails, watching something on the train or for online shopping, it’s easy to see that technology has transformed the way we access information. Due to the increasing popularity of smartphones throughout the years, people have moved away from using desktops to search for things and switched to looking on their mobile. Many businesses are making the mistake of still only living in a desktop environment; this is going to have a negative impact on the success and growth of the company, which is why it’s important that everyone starts to think about mobile. But why? What’s the big deal about mobile first?
What is mobile first design?
Mobile first design involves creating a website with mobile users in mind; it is defined as the manipulation of a website in such a way that it can be viewed on a mobile screen first, rather than a desktop computer. Most interaction is now done on phones and in the first quarter of 2021, mobile devices generated 54.8% of global website traffic – this simply demonstrates that if your website isn’t mobile friendly then you are most likely going to lose sales. This type of website is designed for smartphones and ensures that you can still deliver content to your viewers in a clean and simple way. Google is also changing the way that their search engines rank sites; they will now rank sites based on their mobile usability rather than desktop if the user is searching from their phone. The ultimate goal of mobile first design is to create a website that primarily considers mobile users in the first instance to still ensure they have a positive user experience, no matter what device they are using.
Why is mobile first important?
The majority of people use their mobile devices to find content they need; think about it, how many times have you used your phone to search for something today? Chances are the answer is a lot and that was only able to happen because that website has been made mobile friendly. Mobile first design offers a wealth of opportunities for accessibility and ensures that you are creating a positive user experience. When desktop web design is used on a small screen – for example a smartphone screen – the text will be a lot bigger, the images will crash or corrupt and the load time will be much longer than usual; this will result in the user quickly closing the page and going elsewhere to find the information. It’s no secret that an unresponsive design leads to frustration and annoyance. Mobile first website design allows you to increase conversions, generate leads and achieve higher rankings but without it you will see a decrease in the ratings and rankings of your website and give your user a bad experience.
What are the benefits?
There are many benefits to using mobile first design for both your business and your users. Having a mobile friendly site helps you to increase customer reach, open doors to new markets, increase your conversion rates and improve your users experience – not to mention that mobile design also plays a significant role in influencing a website’s SEO ranking. The main benefit to using mobile first design is that you can reach a wider audience but still ensure that users – no matter how they are accessing your website – are still receiving an optimised web experience. Providing a good user experience ensures you can gain their loyalty and keep them coming back for more. Mobile first design also forces you to use precise and interesting content to ensure the experience on a smartphone has the same value as the website would on a desktop.
It’s easy to see that without mobile first design your website will rank lower in search results and result in you losing customers. Smartphones are a part of technology that is here to stay which is why it’s crucial your website is compatible with this format and provides users with a positive experience. If you are looking to make your website mobile friendly then you are in the right place, the expert team here at Worcester Web Studio are here to help!
Here at Worcester Web Studio, we are proud to have extensive expertise and knowledge in website development and marketing solutions. Contact our team today on 01905 347400 or email us at info@worcesterwebstudio.com to discuss how we can help you!
