We’re all well aware of how much smartphones have managed to solidify themselves into our daily lives. These days, you’d probably no more leave the house without your phone than you would leave without pants on. So it should come as no surprise that recent surveys have found that over 51% of mobile users access the internet only using their smartphone. And experts believe that by 2025 that number will likely be over 70%.
This shift to mobile internet use is what gave rise to the idea of a mobile-first web design about five years ago. Since then, web designers and developers have spent countless hours perfecting the mobile experience for apps and websites alike. Yet many small businesses are still relying on website designs that only display correctly on desktop, which may lead to many users leaving your site due to poor readability and loading speeds.
What is Mobile-First, Exactly?
Mobile-first web design isn’t quite the same as a responsive web design (and which is going to be right for your business depends on your industry, budget, and more). Whereas responsive web design allows desktop-first sites to load correctly on mobile divides, mobile-first sites are further designed to work on mobile devices, and then having responsive aspects available that also allow them to display on desktop and tablets as well.
The goal of mobile-first web design is to create the best possible user experience for each unique device. As use of smartphones only continues to increase, it becomes more and more important to ensure that they are getting the best possible experience while on your website, so that you can increase the chances of them converting into paying customers.
Why Should I Consider a Mobile-First Website?
Perhaps the most important answer to this question is one word: Google.
Since 2019, Google has prioritized mobile-first when it indexes websites. This means that, as Google’s bots crawl your website, it will use the mobile version of it to index and rank your site. What happens if you don’t have a mobile version, or the one you have is poorly designed? Google knocks down your quality score, which in turn lowers your rankings on organic search result pages.
Another reason to consider a mobile-first website is the fact that 79% of smartphone users have made at least one online purchase using their mobile device in the last 6 months. In addition, mobile-first websites have much faster loading speeds. With 40% of users reporting that they only give a page 2 seconds to load before leaving it, having a fast site is extremely important for user experience.
Design Tactics for Mobile-First
The design tactics for mobile-first websites are specific to creating the best possible user experience for your website visitors. Proper mobile-first design elements should include:
- Minimal Content
- A Clear Call-to-Action
- Attention-Grabbing Images & Graphics
- A Simple Design
- Mobile-Optimized Image Sizes
Make the Change and See the Difference Mobile-First Can Make
If your business is looking to increase sales by better appealing to your target market online, building a mobile-first website is a great way to achieve this goal. And it doesn’t have to be a huge expense; we offer a range of website package options to suit every budgetary need, from simple 3-page sites to more elaborate 10+ page sites. And you can rest assured that, no matter how small or how big your project is, you will receive the same level of care and attention to detail to ensure your website is everything you want it to be.
At Gulf Coast Web, we have over 25 years of experience in managing all types of digital design and marketing campaigns – even for companies outside of our immediate area. Our staff consists of highly-trained digital design advertising professionals who are both passionate about their jobs and excel at what they do. Contact us today to book a consultation with our team. We look forward to outlining exactly how we can help you grow your business with our digital media agency services.