When building a website, it’s important that it’s built for mobile first. By doing this, you can ensure that your website will look great on all devices, whether customers are accessing it through their tablet, smartphone or desktop computer. Simply choosing a responsive design isn’t enough. You must consider how your mobile users expect navigation, content, calls to action, visuals, etc. to be displayed throughout your site.
To ensure that your site is built for mobile first, we recommend following these tips.
Make All Pages Fast Loading
People do not like waiting for pages to load, especially on mobile devices. They’re usually in a hurry and want to go straight to their destination. Test your web pages using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. If your pages are not fast enough, there are a few steps you can take to improve speed.
- Optimize images
- Use plugins sparingly
- Improve your hosting plan
- Take advantage of caching
- Use a content delivery network (CDN)
- Eliminate large HTTP requests
Choose the Right WordPress Theme
If you are building a WordPress website, give attention to the available themes. WordPress offers tons of themes, and many of them are responsive and beautiful. But, don’t simply choose a WP theme based on aesthetics. Write a list of features you’re looking for and choose a theme that aligns with them. Otherwise, you may end up selecting a theme that has too many features and slows down your site.
Include Key Information at the Top
People want their information fast, so don’t make them dig for things like price, location, directions or a CTA. Place this information at the top of your home page where mobile users can access it immediately.
Create Scannable Content
Web content should be easy to read. Break things up for readers by using bullets, lists, numbers and white space. Remember, most people scan a page instead of reading the whole thing. Also, choose your fonts carefully. Some of the safest and best fonts for mobile include Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Garamond and Georgia.
Include a Mixture of Content
To cater to a wide range of people, be sure to include a mixture of content, such as infographics, podcasts, short videos, images, text and more. Although your audience may be similar, they have different ways of learning about your products. Allow them to take control of how they consume your content.
Test Your Site
Don’t assume that just because you picked a responsive theme, you’re in the clear. Test your site to make sure it provides a good user experience on all devices. As you review the results, you can pinpoint areas that need your attention and create a better website for users.
More and more people are accessing the web through their mobile devices. Make sure your website is built for this audience so that you welcome them with open arms rather than chase them away.
