Why Mobile First Design Matters 

Written By Pursue Persuade
““With mobile searches now exceeding desktop searches, it’s important that your site be mobile-friendly. Googlebot now uses a mobile crawler as the default crawler for websites.” ”
— Google Webmaster Guidelines, 2020


Change is constant

The way that we access information has been changing for more than 30 years. Long ago, the computers we relied on before mobile devices did not provide nearly the functionality that they do now. Access to the internet did not exist, and when it did, loading web pages and the different functionalities available within them, took time to load, and many times, they did not work or people gave up on waiting for them to load. With the Blackberry being one of the first to provide access to emails in 1999, enhancing work productivity to the appearance of the iPhone and Android devices, we have become increasingly dependent on our mobile devices for accessing everything. 

Everything is available

As mobile devices become more widely used in the world, with more than 4.32 billion mobile users in the world using smartphones or tablets, people rely on instant access to information and apps because they make our lives easier. Now “more than half of all online traffic comes from smartphones and tablets alone.” (Nahai, p. 76).

Years ago we needed many “tools” to complete basic tasks like setting an alarm, reading the news, finding out the weather, looking up information, or for entertainment like watching movies, listening to music, taking pictures, and so much more. Now, we can do the same tasks with our computers or mobile devices by having apps or relying on websites to provide us with the information we need. 

Especially as people are more actively involved in work and communication, engage in the use of social apps, and even rely on mobile technology for instant access to information, these devices and the apps are an integral part of our daily lives. We can stay connected, access information, complete all of the previously mentioned tasks, and all while being on the move. These tools and apps can enable us to be more efficient in our work and enhance productivity, however, if the design is not optimized for mobile or desktop, the time spent navigating the sites we use, can distract us from work or other daily required tasks and can cause burnout.

Device Usage in the United States

Because of the increased use of mobile devices, focusing on Mobile first design (Randolph, 2018) is essential. As people use their mobile devices, their intent is to have instant access to information. Time is a big factor as users often seek and rely on access to instant information which requires that mobile design be optimized for page speed and loading time. 53% of mobile devices will abandon a website that takes longer than three seconds to load!

Images must be clear with a layout that is structured, and content that is clickable so that the information is available without a loss of time. So how can we focus on optimizing the user experience with mobile devices?

3 Tips for Mobile First Design:

  1. Less is More: Focus on the mobile device and layout. Keep it simple yet robust with clear and well-defined text, a simple layout, buttons, and interactivity that let the user know exactly where to find what they are looking for.  

  2. Responsive Design: Test your site to ensure that the layout fits the size of the screen the user is viewing. Navigation is critical and users should be able to locate what they are looking for with minimal time lag. A good design will promote a positive user experience when they can find the same information on both devices without issues.

  3. Loading Time: Test your site URL with Google Internet Speed Test to compare your mobile and desktop site. You want to make sure that the visitor to your site on either device, will not lose interest because of a lag. Optimizing your layout and design is key.

3 Things to Avoid in Mobile First Design

  1. Inconsistent aesthetics and layout: Choosing the right font type, color, and size for websites are essential for accessibility. Be sure to test your site on multiple devices to make sure that your content is readable and that images are clear. Choose a layout that lends itself to easy navigation and familiarity for the user. Readability is key for helping to avoid a high bounce rate.

  2. Excessive topics and pages: Be mindful of the table of contents and list of pages and that appear on the main landing page. Designing content needs to be done with a focus on ease of navigation and access to information. 

  3. Lack of interactivity: When visitors open a web page, they expect to be able to click on a button or a link and be taken to another page or relevant information. The use of extra buttons that do not lead anywhere or unclickable links results in confusion for the user and will lead them to look elsewhere. 

Because the use of mobile devices will continue to increase, focusing on Mobile First Design is essential. Web designers, business owners, and social marketers need to provide the best UX for mobile and desktop design. Focus on these tips to create the best user experience that promotes accessibility, boosts user engagement, and generates business leads and interest in your site. Learn more via this video overview.

Resources

Bouchrika, I. (2022, December 20). Mobile vs desktop usage statistics for 2023. Research.com. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://research.com/software/mobile-vs-desktop-usage#:~:text=%3A%20SquareTrade%20(2019)-,Latest%20Statistics%20on%20Mobile%20and%20Desktop%20Usage,of%20the%20total%20web%20traffic.

History of mobile phones: What was the first mobile phone? Uswitch Mobile Phone Deals. (2022, October 14). Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/history-of-mobile-phones/ 

Manukyan, C. (2022, September 22). Mobile-first design: Why it's important and how to do it right. Ucraft. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.ucraft.com/blog/what-is-mobile-first-design 

Nahai, N. (2017). Chapter 7. In Webs of influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion (pp. 76). essay, Pearson Education Limited. 

Randolph, B. (2018, January 2). How does mobile-first indexing work, and how does it impact SEO? Moz. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://moz.com/blog/mobile-first-indexing-seo 

Strahlow, R. (2022, May 17). Mobile-first VS responsive web design: All you need to know. Shaping Design Blog. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.editorx.com/shaping-design/article/mobile-first-vs-responsive-web-design 

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