Go mobile or go bust. Are we overplaying it here? It may sound a tad dramatic, but the reality is that if your digital strategy isn’t focusing on the mobile user experience, you’re losing out.
We’ve seen the progression of daily mobile usage taking over desktop usage. Today, more than half of all Google searches are carried out via a mobile device. And with more and more people using mobile to search, browse, buy and engage online, the mobile experience can’t be overlooked anymore.
Think about how often you use your smartphone on a daily basis and how frustrated you get if the site isn’t mobile friendly. Thankfully most sites these days are responsive (and if it isn’t mobile friendly it could effect your search rankings), but it’s really just the start.
What is a mobile first strategy?
When our digital consultants talk about mobile first, we focus primarily on the mobile user’s needs and their experience before desktop. We do this by designing, developing and marketing for the smallest screen and then scaling it up.
When you look at a desktop site, there are always certain features that can’t be applied or rendered the same way on a mobile platform. With a mobile first strategy, we take into consideration the limitations of small screens and design a site that works within those parameters. Therefore avoiding having to overcome issues that sometimes arise when scaling down from a desktop design.
Your mobile site ultimately becomes more user focused, because it forces you to prioritise what is most important for the user from a content perspective. Google’s notion around micro moments can directly be applied as a thought process to developing a mobile first site.
3 key benefits of mobile first websites
Enhanced user experience
When designing a mobile site you look at what really matters and strip away unnecessary information, keep menus short and get straight to the point. Basically you’re making it easier for the user to browse and find what they need on your site. When this clean approach is applied to desktop sites, it already improves the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI).
Made for all platforms
A properly designed mobile site translates to a great site across all devices. Anything you design for a mobile site will essentially work for a desktop site, so the approach can then be applied and enhanced for larger screen sizes, if required. Just as responsive sites adapt to the size of your device, a mobile first design works in much the same way on larger screen sizes.
Improved SEO
A mobile first site ensures your content is relevant as space is at a premium. Information is also more manageable because it is designed with mobile readability in mind. This means short paragraphs and easy to read content. All the things that search engines love, which can favour your organic search rankings.
For more insights on how our digital consulting services can help your business shift to a mobile first approach get in touch with Cloud Cartel.
