Around 3.8 billion people use smartphones globally in 2021. It amounts to a whopping 48.53 percent of the world’s populace owning a mobile phone (read smartphone). And that’s like a solid 9.3 percent spike over the past 1 month. So, what do these numbers spill? Well, the very fact that a wealth of people globally are increasingly getting used to smartphone usage. After all, it’s always more convenient to scroll on a mobile screen than browse on a laptop/desktop every day. Speaking of that, it’s about time for website designers and developers to contemplate the new standard to create a highly engaging experience for mobile users.
Below goes your pro guide to scale up your website for mobile users to ensure breezy scrolling and more improved website navigation from this New Year onwards
Mobile-first design and responsive design are not Siamese twins
There is a misconception that mobile-first design is synonymous with responsive design. While these two concepts are almost alike but they aren’t the same stuff.
A responsive website design is one where the website layout adjusts easily to any kind of screen size, irrespective of the device. It’s like building the website for big-screened devices first and using a mobile-based layout as an afterthought.
But, with a mobile-first design, the “mobile-screen” experience takes precedence over layouts for other screen sizes found in other browsing devices. With numbers of smartphone users fast overtaking desktops/laptops, it’s about time web designers focus more on mobile-first design than mere responsive design.
More importantly, Google has also underlined the growing demand for a mobile-first approach of late with the release of the mobile-first index algorithm. Put simply, if you don’t pay heed to a mobile-first approach with your design projects, your clients won’t be able to grab a spot on top of search results.
So, here goes a compact guide on how to amp up speed with mobile-first website design.
Prep up your arsenal
Prepping up the right toolkit is your first step in marching out for the mobile-first design approach.
Good thing is, there is a bevvy of solutions and tools around to help you hone the needed skills for creating the perfect mobile-focused UI. For example, Skeleton would make a great tool for small-scale website projects that need minimal compiling and fluid grids.
Another smart tool would be Bootstrap which offers a universal solution for front-end website development for smartphones. You will get a default grid line-up, a sea of components as well as several JavaScript plugins.
The right set of tools would enable you to minimize as well as prioritize contents which are most crucial for your specific website projects. An arsenal packed with ideal tools would help to optimize site speed as well as ensure clarity with both imagery and textual content.
You can have s look at the ESPN official website here for reference. The site has been split up into easily navigable content categories which makes it a breeze to scroll through the website on mobile devices. The grid structure for videos has aptly created the environment for using tools like YouTube.
Limelight on mobile-first elements
Now, that you have got your arsenal ready, the next step is to start developing a mobile-first site from the scratch. Don’t just leap to the newest design trends, the most important thing at this stage is the foundation.
So, for example, you must be aware that navigation on mobile pages is generally under the hamburger button. But, you can scale up this very concept to another level as well. Please check out the Shojin official mobile website here and see how it has primarily focused on the most essential site option within its navigation bar so that users don’t feel too overwhelmed while scrolling through it.
A simplified yet functional approach
The maxim is to stress a streamlined approach that would be both simple and functional. In other words, the website design should feature the bare essential items and also would not prevent visitors from carrying out the necessary activities while visiting the site. Try to limit the number of interactive features on the site and also make sure all those items are convenient to spot and use.
Put simply, the CTAs and buttons you use on the mobile-first website layout should be clearly visible and tappable. The fonts must be easily legible (regardless of screen size) and the navigation should be speedy and 100% simple. The rule of thumb is to keep clickable elements at a minimum of 48px in height.
Responsive imagery is the lifeblood
Images render a cutting edge to a website and are handy to create an immersive experience that mere text can’t do as a whole. But, then, improper usage of images can sloth down your site big time.
While using images, be mindful of the different demands of each type of screen size in regard to images. For example, if it’s a desktop webpage, it would need images with around 1200px width.
Previously, developers used to load up an image with a large resolution and embed the very same image file across every platform. That was not a sensible approach as it slowed down downloading time largely.
Count on SVG
A rather smarter approach is to have a minimum of 2 versions of the same image- one for mobile and another for desktop pages. One may try out SVG here. It’s amazingly scalable – even more compared to bitmaps. The best benefit of using SVG is the ability to churn out clickable and sharp graphics and icons across all kinds of browsing devices. Thanks to the smaller size of files, your site would load up at jet speed.
The Hubspot website is the perfect example of SVG usage gone right. Intricate illustrations have always been a dominant part of Hubspot. Now, had these images been saved in PNG, they would have taken aeons to load. But, since Hubspot has been smart enough to bank on SVG here, you enjoy a super speed while scrolling through the website, both on a laptop and mobile.
Typography perfecto
No matter how great the images or graphics are on your website, you won’t be able to send the needed message to your site visitors if you tank the text. Put simply, the right typography is a crucial part of the mobile-first design; your site’s textual content should be clearly legible across mobile and other browsing devices. In other words, the typography used must be able to convey your client’s business value proposition with utmost clarity.
Clarity with typography
Your primary focus here would be easy readability with the typography. Find out typefaces which would look universally appealing across all browsing devices. Then, be careful to maintain a fine balance between the fonts used for the heading and body- in accordance with the specific typography legibility demands of various browsing devices. The overall experience must be breezy and consistent while a visitor would scroll through every web page, regardless of the size of the browsing screen.
For reference, check out the official website of IMPACT. If you compare the website layout on mobile with that of desktop you will see the mobile ones feature smaller sized heading than the desktop one. Also, unlike the desktop version where the headings are above the featured image, the mobile one features headings below the images. Such a smart mobile-first layout immediately creates an appealing experience for mobile users. Then, there is the search tag which would come in handy when a visitor is looking for more information than what’s displayed on the current web page. The IMPACT site also deserves kudos for ensuring easy clarity with the typography. The right typography structure would actually guide visitors naturally along the web page.
Cash in on exclusive mobile-specific features
There are certain specific features on smartphones that you won’t find with desktops. For example, smartphones would exclusively allow you to make calls or send messages and so on- from the mobile browser itself. Besides, there is the “mobile” factor which allows users to move a smartphone all around their room which is not really feasible with a bulky and wired desktop. This particular aspect especially comes in handy when you have plans to use concepts like VR or AR on the webpage for a more immersive experience.
So, the idea is to capitalize on these exclusive capabilities of smartphones to churn out a unique user experience for mobile site visitors. In fact, you might even focus on building a mobile app for the website which mobile users can easily download on their phones.
The takeaway
A responsive site which works on desktop and mobile devices seems to be the order of the day. But, with the number of mobile users on the rise, a website with a mobile-first approach will always have an upper hand in the current market.
The most fundamental thing that you need to follow with website design and development today is to put maximum focus on the experience of smartphone users primarily. That way, your website will be able to garner more attention which would eventually take the site to the top of SERPs. The ad, of course, your mastery in the mobile-first design approach would also be your trump card in the job market.
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