Today, most people search online for information, products and services on their phones. For your business to reach them, your website must work well on mobile devices, and Google now ranks websites based on how their mobile version performs. Here are some design tips to keep in mind for your mobile website.
Mobile websites should load fast and keep graphics simple. Large images and heavy scripts load slowly on mobile connections, so compress your images, use them sparingly and make sure the text is easy to read without zooming. If your website loads too slowly, users will click away and look for information elsewhere.
Your website should work well on every type of phone, not just the latest models. Make pages easy to scroll and buttons easy to tap. Keep text short and to the point, and use links to let visitors reach more detailed content.
Make sure the most important information is the easiest to find. Users should be able to easily locate your contact information, location, directions, and anything else that is important to your business. They should not get lost in a sea of web pages searching for the information they require.
You don’t need a separate domain name or a separate website for mobile visitors. The best approach today is responsive design, where one website automatically adapts its layout to fit any screen size. That way there’s just one site to maintain and one address to promote.
Another important part of designing your mobile website is testing it on a range of devices. Different phones, such as iPhones and Android phones, and different browsers display websites in slightly different ways, and tablets like the iPad have their own screen sizes. Make sure your site looks and works well on all of them.
Your mobile design should put the most important parts of your website first. By offering the information visitors need right away, you can easily reach mobile visitors who are looking to buy your product or service. For most businesses, the mobile version of their website is now the one most visitors see.