In case you didn’t notice, many people have decided to forgo traditional computers in favor of mobile devices. As a result, it is important for developers who are designing mobile websites to take this into consideration. Here are seven secrets from Starfire Web Design Las Vegas to creating the perfect mobile optimized site.
1. Create A Responsive Design
Just because there are so many people using mobile devices, it does not mean that they are all created equally. For instance, someone with a tablet will not have the same experience as a user with a phone that has a smaller screen. This is why responsive web design is essential. It will ensure that people on different devices will have the same experience when viewing your website.
2. Use Larger Font
While it may seem easy enough for users to zoom in when looking at a website, your goal should be to make things as simple as possible. This is why you should use a decent sized font when creating content. The easier it is for someone to read information without making adjustments, the better their experience will be when using your website. Google will even send you a nasty-gram when your font is too small for mobile users, so stay out of the penalty box by thinking ahead.
3. Keep Your Design Simple
You may believe that being overly complex will make you stand out from the crowd. It will, but not in the way that you might think. The more complicated your site is, the more likely people will be to bounce off it back to the search results. Since you are trying to appeal to those with smaller screens, being as simple as possible would certainly be the way to go.
4. Add Videos from YouTube Rather than Self-Hosting
When you add videos to a website, sometimes they are hard to view on mobile devices. The best solution to this issue would be to load content to YouTube then use the embed codes on your site. This is because these codes are already responsive, which means there is a 100% chance that they will be view-able regardless of the device that is being used.
5. Avoid a Ton of Text
One problem that people have when creating websites is being overly wordy. People who use mobile devices are generally on the go, and the last thing they want is to be stuck on a website reading a ton of information. Try your best to keep things short, simple and to the point. With that said, make sure that you are not so vague that people will have a difficult time trying to determine whether or not your site is useful to them.
6. Test Your Website Constantly
A great website needs more than a “set it and forget it” approach. It is important for you to monitor how well your site is doing and continuously test the functionality. People are not very forgiving, and they are not likely to return to a site that is filled with error pages and glitches. By testing things on a regular basis, you will ensure that users will have the best possible experience every time they visit. Google also offers a simple mobile-friendly test, which is a good starting point.
7. Reduce the Use of Javascript
Oddly enough, Javascript acts very differently for many people who use mobile devices. This is even true in instances when people have devices that are the same model. Your best bet would be to not use it at all, but if you must, make sure that you keep it to a minimum.
Creating a great mobile website is essential for the success of any business that wants to be successful in the age of the mobile device dominated market. If you are interested in soaring above the competition, make sure that you incorporate all of the above advice when creating your site.
