To remain competitive, you have to design mobile-optimized websites from the ground up. We all know that mobile is on track to overtake desktop usage in a few years, but what does it mean for website designers? It means they need to start designing mobile-optimized websites now!
A mobile-first website is extremely important for a business in 2022. It helps keep the business mainstream and accessible by millions. Design a mobile-friendly website to stay up to date with the current trends.
The mobile revolution is in full swing, and mobile-first design is the way of the future. This blog post discusses how to design your website for mobile-first in 2022. We will cover responsive web design, mobile site redirects, mobile site usability, mobile ads, and more! Keep reading as we explain some tips for designing mobile-first websites in 2022.
Tips for Designing Mobile-First Websites
The best thing you can do for your business is to start with the mobile website design before you create your desktop website. This will allow you to work within the constraints of a mobile-friendly site. Then you can make enhancements to your desktop version of the website.
Sometimes people forget that most of their website traffic in 2022 will come from people on their phones and other mobile devices. This means the mobile-friendly version should take priority in design over the desktop site.
Create a Mobile Site Redirect
Another tip is mobile site redirects. If you have a mobile website, but your mobile visitors are not being redirected to the mobile version of your website, then they will see an error message and it can be highly frustrating for them.
To do this you simply need to add the proper code to your site. Different scripts are available depending on the site you use to create your mobile website. Some sites have this feature built-in, but if you are building the mobile website yourself, consider looking up mobile redirect code.
Visualize Ads for Better User Experience
Making sure that mobile ads work well on mobile devices is important as well. You may want to consider a mobile ad platform that doesn’t require a lot of space. If users have to scroll just to see your ads, then they will probably leave before actually purchasing anything from you.
Opt for a Hidden Menu
When you are designing your mobile-friendly site, you should consider using a drop-down menu button. This will hide the menu out of sight when you are online. This is especially helpful on mobile devices because there is limited screen space.
Consider Font Sizes and Navigation
If you are on your mobile site, make sure you can read all the content. Sometimes you may want to increase the size of the font in places. This is true if you have buttons on your mobile site. You want to button to be larger font, so it is easy to click through with your thumbs.
Also, using buttons over links is more appealing for users across the board.
Double Check Your Loading Speeds
A slow website will deter customers again and again. Make sure you find a way to speed up your website’s loading ability. Sometimes this can mean doing any of the following:
- Choose HTTPS to secure your website and speed things up
- Compress images before uploading them to your site
- Install a cache plugin
- Use a small-sized theme
Any of these will help boost your mobile website’s speed.
Use a Framework for Web Design
Our last tip is to use a framework when designing your mobile-friendly website. The mobile website frameworks of the past few years have been a hot item, and it’s no surprise.
The mobile framework you choose should be able to easily create responsive sites that look good on mobile devices while also being fast and easy to edit if you need to make changes later down the line.
Many mobile frameworks work on a grid system which is super beneficial and easy for users to use.
In Summary: Design a Mobile-Friendly Website First
No matter if you are a new business or have been around a while, if you choose to redesign your website, you should start with the mobile version first. This will be mobile-friendly, and it is easily able to adapt to different screen sizes.
The mobile framework you choose should be able to easily create responsive sites that look good on mobile devices. The mobile site will give visitors a better experience, which is what they need when visiting your site.
