Mobile web design is crucial. That’s because mobile devices are changing how we connect and how companies operate. In fact, most of the online traffic today comes from mobile devices.Mobile devices are not only the new digital powerhouse but also they’re a bridge to the physical world. They affect more than just your online operations—they’ll transform your entire organization. But, of course, that means you must focus on designing and creating a mobile-responsive site.Are you struggling to convert first-time web visitors into new customers? Request a tailored strategy call with one of our seasoned conversion specialists.
The Importance of Mobile Web Design
In the last quarter of 2019, mobile phones accounted for 52.6% of global web traffic, finally topping desktops. [1] Further, the number of mobile users globally is expected to increase to 5.8 billion by 2025. [2]Thus, mobile devices aren’t the future; they’re the now. So, if you want to scale your business, you must focus on meeting your target audience where they are, not where it’s convenient for your brand.Also, mobile has changed shopping habits. Google reports that 59% of consumers say that shopping on their mobile devices is crucial when deciding which brand to buy from. [3]Finally, many internet users load mobile sites using weak and slow phone connections. So, creating a mobile web design that loads faster is crucial. Typically, the world today is mobile-first—and that’s why you need to have a mobile-friendly site.
4 Key Components of a Mobile Responsive Website
You may have an excellent desktop display, but there are key differences to note when creating a mobile display.First, content organization. Desktops are usually viewed in landscape mode with large areas to view content. Mobile viewing is typically done in portrait mode, meaning narrower widths and vertically stacking content.Second, priorities. In some cases, their priorities can differ, which means prioritizing content on the website should be different instead of simply duplicating from one display to another. Now mobile devices can carry out complex tasks just like a desktop, and users want the same experience. If you don’t have a good website for mobile, you can lose a significant portion of users.Third, menus. Desktop menus are typically “mega menus” with several categories and sub-categories to choose from. While this works great for a large desktop where the user can read all of the options and use a cursor to click on small, specific options, mobile displays are much smaller and use thumbs and fingers, which are much larger. Therefore, creating single-level menus with large buttons will help increase the ease of navigation on mobile.Fourth, be aware of any forms that customers need to fill out. This can include email sign-ups for newsletters, billing information, or anything similar. Adjusting the format vertically instead of horizontally will make a huge difference for consumers trying to make a purchase or sign up for more information. If a mobile user gets frustrated with the small buttons or inconvenient layout, they may give up and leave the website.
How to Optimize Your Site for Mobile
1. Add Large Buttons
Mobile responsive sites should have buttons large enough to allow users to tap them without zooming in. In addition, there should be adequate space between hyperlinks. If you place your links too close together, a user may try to click on a specific link and accidentally end up clicking a different one. So, when designing your mobile website, keep spacing in mind, and ensure that web visitors can easily click every hyperlink.
2. Ensure Your Text Is Large Enough
Large text is crucial if you want a mobile-responsive web design. Mobile users shouldn’t have to zoom in or scroll right or left to read anything on your site. The text should be large enough for them to read comfortably. Ensure your text is large enough on screens of all sizes so your web visitors can easily read what you have to say.
3. Provide an Intuitive and Simple Search Feature
Your site’s search feature is vital to mobile users. Again, simplified menus can make mobile browsing easier. However, they can make it more daunting for mobile users to find a specific product. So, place your search feature front-and-center to make it easier for web users to find what they want. Also, make an intuitive search feature part of your mobile web design.
4. Make it Easy for Web Users to Get in Touch
If a web visitor is searching for your contact details, remove site obstructions so they don’t get frustrated. Don’t complicate things even further by making it difficult to get in touch with you.At least 84% of shoppers consider excellent customer service a primary factor when making purchasing decisions. [4]If you can’t provide live chat 24/7, provide a contact form where mobile users can contact you via the “Contact” link in your menu or simply link to a Facebook chatbot.
5. Add Eye-Catching Call-to-Actions
A call-to-action is a banner, image, or piece of copy that asks prospects to take action. For instance, you may ask users to learn more about an offer, sign up to your mailing list, or buy a product. This marketing technique plays a significant role in mobile web design. However, it might be daunting to create a compelling call-to-action because of the limited screen space on mobile devices. To create a compelling call-to-action for your mobile-friendly site, place it above the fold where web visitors can see it without needing to scroll down.
How to Reduce Mobile Loading Times
How much does a second cost?A one second delay in web page load times can result in:
- 11% fewer web page views.
- 16% decrease in consumer satisfaction.
- 7% decrease in conversion rates. [5]
Your mobile website taking a few extra seconds to load can hurt visitor engagement.
1. Minimize Redirects
Redirects slow down your mobile site because it takes the server more time to find and retrieve the original page requested by clicking on the initial link, where it doesn’t reside any longer. The extra seconds in the process can increase your churn and bounce rates. So, if you want to reduce your loading times and keep your web visitors’ attention long enough to generate leads and increase conversions, minimize your redirects.
2. Use Compressed Images
Adding too many images on your mobile website means it will take more time for them to load. To reduce loading times, use compressed images and scale them for mobile sites instead. If you can reduce the number of pictures on your mobile website, that would be ideal. Even better would be not using images except for vital graphics, such as the web logo and other essential things.
3. Simplify Your Mobile Web Design
A site designed with all the bells and whistles looks quite incredible. However, the amount of code it involves makes your website heavier and thus slower. To reduce your mobile loading times, keep your mobile web design appealing and straightforward to make it lighter and reduce loading times on mobile.
4. Cut Down the Use of Custom Fonts
Custom fonts look fantastic, but they use a lot of CSS or JavaScript, which can slow everything down. So, if possible, keep the use of custom fonts to a minimum. However, if your site depends heavily on fonts, limit their use to your headings or other vital areas.
5. Turn Mobile Browser Caching On
Nowadays, mobile browsers can “remember” your web pages and save the data on your tablet or smartphone for later use. In addition, by turning on browser caching, your web pages will load faster on mobile devices, reducing your loading times.Want to maximize ROI by converting mobile abandoned carts into paying customers? At Ampry, our conversion experts inspire web visitors to complete their transactions and return to abandoned carts. Schedule a personalized strategy call with one of our experienced conversion experts today!
Sources
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/277125/share-of-website-traffic-coming-from-mobile-devices/
- https://www.geopoll.com/blog/global-mobile-penetration-growth/#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%202018,will%20grow%20to%205.8%20billion.
- https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/mobile-shopping-brand-decision-statistics/
- https://www.oberlo.com/blog/customer-service-statistics
- https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/building-websites/website-load-time-statistics/