Mobile-friendly websites are absolutely essential these days, with 80% of web users accessing the internet via a smartphone.
There are few different ways to make your website mobile-friendly, with some championing responsive web design as the catchall solution to ensure that a brand’s website works and displays well on all devices, as it automatically resizes the site to a range of screen sizes. Others argue that mobile-first design, where the site is designed with a smartphone or tablet in mind from the very start rather than being optimised later, is the way forward, while some brands can make good use of apps depending on the nature of their site and business.
Whichever option you choose, it’s important to be bear in mind what the user actually wants from a website accessed via mobile. The modern web user has certain expectations, and you must meet these if you don’t want them to click away. Here are 5 essentials that every mobile-friendly website must have:
- Super-fast loading. This is the number one priority for mobile-friendly websites, to load quickly enough to satisfy impatient consumer demands. Kissmetrics found that 47% of consumers expect a page to load in 2 seconds or less, while 40% of consumers will abandon a website that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Even a 1 second delay in loading time can cause a 7% drop in conversions.
- Task-orientated navigation. Users are on your website for a specific purpose, to find out information, compare prices, see opening times or contact the brand. You need to make it incredibly easy for them to accomplish their goal or find the info they want. If they can’t find it in one or two clicks, they could click away.
- An interface that works with one hand. This means simple, well-laid out buttons and functions, without the need to type unnecessarily or scroll too much. Your site should be extensively tested to ensure that all actions can be achieved quickly and easily just using the thumb of one hand.
- Clear, uncluttered layout – and good use of available space. Google Mobile Ads research from a few years ago found that 74% of users want mobile sites to look clean and efficient, and the same is true today. Your site should be streamlined, simple and task-orientated.
- Full functionality. Users don’t want a watered down version of your laptop-friendly website on their mobiles, especially if important functions are missing. Knowing what to include and what to leave out in a mobile web design is something of an art form, but make sure that users can do everything they may want to do on your mobile site that is available on your full site.
Do you have a successful mobile-friendly site with great conversion rates? If so, please feel free to share your top tips for conquering the mobile market – other budding web designers and marketers will thank you!
