3 Reasons You Should Consider a Mobile First Design During Website Development

Website development involves a host of design decisions, but many companies forget to ask an important question. What device will my visitors be using to access my site? A site optimized for a 24 inch high-definition desktop monitor will not have the same impact on the 4 inch screen of a smartphone. Mobile first design addresses this issue by designing for the small screen first then scaling appearance and features for larger devices. Here are three reasons to consider a mobile first approach in your website development.

1) Your customers are mobile first. 

Mobile isn’t the future. Mobile is the present. According to comScore, mobile-only Internet users surpassed desktop-only users in the U.S. back in March, 2015. While desktops and laptops still play an essential role in getting work done, users are consuming more and more content on smartphones and other mobile devices. We’ve all had the unpleasant experience of trying to pinch, pull, and scroll our way around a website that wasn’t optimized for mobile. You don’t want frustration to be your first impression on a potential client.

2) Search engines reward mobile first designs.

As we discussed in a previous post about search engine marketing trends, Google and other search engines are evaluating whether or not websites deliver a smooth mobile experience. When it comes to search engine marketing, Google’s priorities should be your priorities.

3) Mobile first leads to better design decisions.

At the heart of a mobile first approach is the idea that a site should be streamlined and responsive. The essentials come first and other, less important features make the cut only if space allows. Incorporating a mobile first design into your website development means a faster, cleaner presentation for your visitors regardless of what device they use to find you.

While a mobile first design may not fit everyone’s situation, you should at least consider how your website serves customers on mobile devices. Contact us if you are interested in seeing how to maximize your site’s effectiveness or if you are looking to design a new site. We are happy to help you formulate a website development strategy.