Digital marketing expert at NUVEW, helping businesses expand their online presence through custom website design and development & SEO.
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More than 75% of people around the world use a smartphone, so it’s no wonder that website designers have grown increasingly concerned with mobile optimization in recent years. Mobile web design is essential since most businesses are discovered through online searches now. But what does it mean to have an effective mobile webpage, and how can you create one?
There are many facets to mobile optimization. Here are four tips to ensure that your website’s mobile experience is a memorable one.
1. Appeal To All User Experiences
Smaller screens may give you less space to work with, but that doesn’t mean a lower-quality experience compared to a desktop design. Mobile sites should prioritize navigation, readability and accessibility. These elements are universal no matter what device the user is browsing on, but these come into play more prominently on a mobile website.
Mobile website optimization is more than just having a solid design. Remember that clients may be viewing the website on different devices. Each device, whether it’s a smartphone or tablet, will have a specific aspect ratio, meaning your website’s content should be sized according to those dimensions. That way, none of your audience is left alienated by improperly working web elements.
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2. Create A Responsive Design
A smaller screen means that content is scaled down. But you don’t want website elements to become hard to interact with. If a website is difficult to read or poorly structured, then the visitor will likely leave and look elsewhere.
When creating a responsive design, make sure every element works seamlessly. The customer journey starts when the visitor sees your page on the search engine results page, which provides organic search results for inquiries made on Google. Their journey continues while they use your website. As such, make sure every stage suits their goal, which is to learn whether your business offers the solutions they’re searching for.
Achieve a responsive design by using custom cascading style sheets (CSS). If necessary, make sure you have a developer that can tackle this for you. These determine how HTML elements will be displayed on a screen, giving you full control over a mobile site’s presentation.
Using CSS allows you to:
• Create a grid layout. CSS grid layouts allow you to adjust design aspects to suit different screen sizes. You can include the elements you want while configuring how they look depending on what device they’re viewed on. Using size percentages is recommended, so buttons and other elements adapt easily as screen size changes.
• Use media queries to adjust font sizes. Other than images and visual elements, text should also be responsive, or visitors may need to inconveniently scroll or zoom in to read it.
• Control the space between elements. When you use CSS, you can provide enough white space between all page elements, even when the pages are scaled down.
3. Decrease Loading Time
With the right mobile aesthetic, your website looks the part. But a responsive mobile web design goes beyond the visual aspects. When a webpage fails to load quickly or correctly, clients will likely leave the site without continuing to the next stages. In fact, most mobile users expect a page loading time of three seconds or less, or else you may fail to secure their attention.
A responsive mobile design shouldn’t have too many web elements. While you want the page to look interesting, overdoing the design is more than just overwhelming to visitors’ eyes; it also overwhelms the loading time and puts your conversions at risk. Aim for a compact design to minimize how long the website loads. You don’t have to cut corners: Focus on the most important information and optimize images for your mobile layout. Use lazy loading, which allows elements at the top of the page to load faster than those at the bottom. That way, elements aren’t loaded until needed, reducing your page’s loading time.
4. Redesign Pop-Ups
Pop-ups are among the most effective ways to catch your audience’s attention and increase interaction with your brand—if they’re used carefully and sparingly. However, on a mobile site, pop-ups can compromise the customer’s experience if they are intrusive or don’t work properly. In many cases, even medium-sized pop-ups are far larger and more disruptive than how they look on a desktop since mobile devices are smaller.
Your pop-ups should adhere to the following guidelines:
• Pop-ups cannot be obstructive. Google has established rules to follow for pop-ups so they don’t negatively impact the visitor’s experience. On mobile devices, the pop-up should cover only a portion of the screen and must be easy to dismiss. Make sure your pop-up has a clearly marked button to close it. If your pop-up contains an age verification form, login dialogs, cookie notices and other eligible types, however, it is exempt from this rule.
• Focus on one goal. A successful pop-up drives home the point at a glance. Visitors shouldn’t have to read long paragraphs to figure out the message. Stick to one clear, concise purpose to prompt the viewer to act.
• Target your prospects accordingly. Instead of attempting to target all prospects, consider the different types and focus on the one that is most profitable for your company. For instance, “hot” prospects are those looking to buy immediately, while “cold” prospects are still weighing their options. If you’re targeting hot prospects, consider including a limited-time deal in your pop-up for immediate action. For cold prospects, invite them to sign up for your newsletters or to receive special deals that can be used later on.
With these rules in mind, you can design your pop-ups without facing any penalties from Google.
Don’t Wait To Improve Your Mobile Design
As mobile browsing continues to increase, now is the perfect time to revamp your mobile design. Internet users depend on mobile websites, meaning you need to consider how your website works on small screens. By optimizing your mobile design, you can avoid Google’s penalties and increase conversion rates with your clients.
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Author: Hannah Trivette, Forbes Councils Member
