5 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid in Mobile Website Design
It is no secret that the amount of people using the Internet continues to increase. It will also come as no surprise then, that the amount of mobile Internet users is also up. In 2015, mobile phone Internet user penetration was 52.7% and is estimated to reach 63.4 % in 2017. Accessing information through mobile is becoming more and more popular because it is easy, convenient, and accessible. These are all things you need to consider when figuring out your mobile website design.
It is no longer merely just an option to create a mobile responsive or mobile optimized website. It is now a necessity. While creating a responsive mobile website design is a good move, we recommend creating a mobile optimized site instead. Either way, when creating your mobile website, avoid these mistakes at all costs. Doing so will lose you customers instead of helping you gain them.
1. Desktop Design
If you are designing only for desktop users, then you have missed the whole point of creating a mobile optimized website. Mobile optimized sites have to be designed for the mobile user first. In fact, desktop sites and mobile websites do not even have to look the same as long as they carry the same message and branding.
A huge problem of only designing for desktop users is that often developers will put too much information on the mobile site and end up having to backtrack later. Using data that cannot be scaled to fit into a mobile device ends up causing huge headaches like dead-ends, navigation issues, and even improperly sized graphics. Think of the mobile website design first and then add information instead of the other way around.
2. Navigation
One of the trickiest parts of mobile website design is creating a navigation system that is intuitive and understood by all who use it. When designers get caught in their favorite way to search websites, it can lead to problems. This is especially true when their favorite way to search is better used on desktop websites. This becomes a problem and can even lead to complete website shutdowns, in the worst cases.
When designing your mobile website’s navigation, make sure to start by considering the best way for the user to navigate it. Put away your personal preferences and get into the mindset of the consumer. This will help make your mobile website more accessible to your customers and decrease bounce rates.
3. Page Speed
Attention spans are shrinking and you must consider that when creating a mobile website. If you are like most people, when a website takes too long to load, you leave. You try a new website. This is the same for a mobile website, perhaps even more so. When working on your mobile website design, remember to optimize your images, videos and other forms of content so your website will load as quickly as possible. This is because the slower your page loads, the more customers will go to a competitor’s website.
4. Using Multiple URLs
Don’t use multiple URL’s for your site. Some business use a different URL for mobile and desktop and it will cause nightmares for your SEO. When you use separate URL’s for each mobile device, search engines have to view them as completely separate websites. In other words, not only are you competing against other businesses’ websites for better rankings but you are also competing against yourself. In addition, visitors to your site will find it frustrating to switch between devices and different URL’s.
5. Missing Branding
Though your mobile website does not have space for a lot of information, you must not forget to add your branding. As mentioned above, the mobile website design and your desktop design do not have to be the same but they should match. Make sure to keep the branding, colors, and message consistent no matter which device your website shows up on.
When it comes to marketing success today, mobile marketing is a huge part of that. You must have a mobile website and consequently, good mobile website design as well. By making sure you do not make any of these 5 mistakes, your mobile website will be well on its way to success.
