When browsing the web today, it’s fascinating how many sites are still not optimised for mobile. Smartphones have had a significant impact on people’s daily behaviours, and to adapt to that change a mobile optimised website is a must. In 2017 we passed 4 billion internet users worldwide, and people expect nothing less than that your site works perfectly on any device, is user-friendly, look great and of course, load fast.
Below I’ve listed a few essential things you have to consider when designing a website to meet a user’s mobile expectations. You can also test our website grader to see how mobile-friendly your website is.
Design for your thumb
Test your design to make sure the navigation bar and other links are big enough to avoid misclicks. Also, consider where you place most common interactions so that they are easy to reach.
Retina quality
Use high-quality images and svgs for icons to make your site look crisp on all smartphones.
Clarity
Your site needs to be clear and direct, remove flashy design and use clean and bold elements that help the user focus on what’s relevant. On tiny screens there’s a need for a clear interface, gradients and shadows take away the focus.
Few clicks
It’s easier and faster to scroll down and view more information on the same page than to reload a new one.
Fast
Make sure your images are light enough to avoid long loading times.
One choice at the time
It’s hard to multitask on a mobile, and the organisation and structure of the content are more important than ever.
Legible text
The text must be big enough to be readable without effort.
No text in images
On a desktop, it might work ok, but using a lot of text in images will probably be illegible on mobile and irritate the user.
Visual feedback
Use animations and icons to confirm actions and help the user to keep the right focus.
Get in touch if you want to learn more!
