Mobile-friendly websites design places more emphasis on mobile browsing than the desktop version.
This has been a crucial strategy in the past decade. Statista research shows that just over half of all website traffic is now on mobile devices. This includes approximately 45% of all online purchases. These numbers will only increase as smartphones become more familiar and more intuitive, despite the fact that they have been around for ten years.
Websites that fail to make an effort to provide a high-quality mobile experience could be severely behind their competition. This guide will help you stay on top of the latest trends in designing mobile-friendly websites.
Tip 1 – Use the mobile first approach
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Mobile website browsing has almost overtaken desktop browsing, so designers must stop considering the desktop version the “main” site. Mobile-first design, which places the mobile version of the website on top of the desktop version, has been a well-known best practice for many years.
Designers are encouraged to make design decisions that respect the limitations of mobile devices by focusing their artistic direction on the mobile experience. Mobile users interact with their phones using one hand. Taps and swipes are more difficult than on desktops. For example, hover animations that rely on mouse input are a problem on mobile.
Mobile-first design emphasizes simplicity and ease of use from the start. This approach doesn’t mean that desktop versions will be stripped down to minimalist sparsity. It is actually easier to simplify a complicated layout than it is to expand on it.
Also, it is important to test your multimedia on mobile before you publish. Photos or videos that were created for landscape orientations may not be compatible with portrait. Smaller sizes can make it difficult to see fine details like facial expressions and background elements. A mobile scrolling may be unnecessary if there is only one image available.
Tip 2 – Use the recommended dimensions for your mobile device
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The space available on a handheld device can seem smaller than in other contexts. However, it is important to consider size constraints at the beginning of your project in order to avoid any conflicts later.
Mobile screen resolutions will vary by device, but as of right now the most commonly used is 360×640 (aspect ratio 9:16) according to research conducted by statcounter. Google Analytics can tell you which specific devices your users favor, and you should make sure your website design is responsive enough to accommodate variations.
When it comes to font size for mobile design, at least 16px is recommended for body copy. This will vary depending on which typefaces are used. Some fonts may be more legible at 16px, while others may be easier to read at 16px.
There is no standard size for headline fonts, but the goal is to establish a clear typographical hierarchy through contrast in size, weight and style. If in doubt, you can test the font sizes using a mobile device.
Images and other media can be as large as the device allows. The subject of the image should dictate the size and shape it should take to preserve clarity. You don’t have to fit the entire image. Instead, you can zoom in on your subject and remove any background elements.
Last but not the least, it is important to consider button size when designing mobile-friendly websites. Touch screens are less reliable than keyboards and mice at picking up input. A study focusing on elderly users recommends touch screen buttons between 42 and 72px for optimal accessibility.
Tip 3: Optimize for portrait orientation
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Mobile websites can be used in portrait mode, but the device must be turned upside down. In the 2000s, Blackberry was the first to popularize the two-handed hold on a mobile phone. However, this trend has been largely abandoned with the advent of smartphones. Instead, users prefer a portrait mode that requires only one hand.
The narrowness of portrait mode is perfect for single column layouts. Site elements are placed in this fashion sequentially, from top to bottom. While content should be centered, alterning left and right justification can add visual interest and create the illusion of a two column layout. You can also present smaller elements, such as icons or photos, in a grid. Image carousels, on the other hand, can break up vertical scrolling by horizontal swiping.
There are many ways you can use the single column layout to your advantage, aside from breaking it up creatively. Website designers can use padding and whitespace to spread out content, as mobile users are more inclined to scroll for extended periods of time on social media apps. This makes the content easy to read and encourages continued scrolling.
The opposite is true: content that is too densely packed on one screen can make it difficult to read.
It is also useful to organize similar information in sections so that users can understand the purpose of each section without needing to read too much. This is especially helpful when you consider that roughly 79% of page visitors only skim website content. These sections can be distinguished by using different colors and the creative section borders will help to break up the monotony.
Tip 4 – Minimize the amount of food on your menu
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Navigation can be a tricky area, depending on how many options and destinations a user has. Desktop websites often have a large header navigation bar that includes multiple submenus and main menus. However, it is now common to keep all this information within a simple hamburger icon. Mobile website headers are often reduced to the logo and that icon.
The slide out sidebar overlays a portion on the screen with navigation options to create the actual menu. This is a popular approach. This allows the menu’s operation to be on a different dimension to the rest of page content, while still allowing the user to tap out and return to the previous screen.
Depending on the complexity of your menu, some menu options may have more submenus or nested options. To keep the menu short, it is best that the submenus are replaced by the original menu when the user clicks on one of these options.
Make sure to fix the navigation bar to your screen. This will save the user from having to scroll back all the way to the top to find it. Mobile users often hide the fixed navigation while scrolling down to give the content its due attention, and reveal it when they scroll back up.
Alternative navigation methods are available that can be used in lieu of standard menus or in addition. Tabs make it easy to navigate through different content sections without loading a new page.
UX designers are now exploring other navigation options than tap-based input. Horizontal and/or Vertical Swiping is the most popular. The handy search icon on mobile is a great way to quickly find what you are looking for.
Tip 5: Collapse secondary material
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Many desktop websites have ample space for detailed body copy, product specifications and other content. Mobile sites need to be concise and remove unnecessary content. This is where collapsible/expandable sections come in handy.
Collapsing content is when explanatory information is made optional by using an icon, such as a triangle and plus sign that expands/reveals the hidden content. Although hiding content may sound bad, the benefits of simpler browsing with persuasive headlines outweigh the risk of missing information. The micro-interaction of toggling is also yet another invitation for the user to interact with the page as opposed to passively reading.
Interstitials or popups should be avoided in mobile-friendly websites design. They are annoying and can make it difficult to navigate. Google will penalize you for using popups.
Tip 6: Limit the number of text inputs and form fields
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Mobile accessibility is hindered by text input. Although a single word is not a big deal, it can be frustrating when mobile sites require an email address. This will force you to navigate through capital letters, punctuation, symbol menus and other symbols with one hand. You should reduce the number of fields in your forms as possible.
Some interactions can be simplified by using auto-fill options, such as determining the majority of an address from a postcode or providing pre-filled selections to common email suffixes. Integrations with profile-based software like Apple, Google, and Facebook can also simplify the user’s login and personal information.
Integrations with third-party payment providers like PayPal are also possible on shopping pages. It can be difficult to get credit card information even from a desktop computer. You can allow visitors to checkout as guests if this option isn’t available. They will then be able to enter their billing information and their shipping information again.
Embrace mobile-friendly website design
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Mobile website browsing is clearly the future, as evidenced by the growth in global traffic. It may seem more of a burden than a chance when you think about all the limitations mobile websites must overcome, such as the lack of space and peripherals. These problems are not impossible, but they should not be ignored.
Although these tips will help you to find practical solutions for mobile-friendly website design problems, it is important to practice them. A skilled website designer is essential to help you create a mobile-friendly website that helps your us
