Goodbye, mobile-friendly—hello, mobile-first. Savvy organizations know mobile-first design can’t be an afterthought.
Once upon a time, companies designed web projects with computer users in mind. But those days are long gone. Today, when your organization creates a website, blog, or email newsletter, your top priority should be to ensure the best possible function and look for visitors on mobile devices. Why? Here are three good reasons.
- Mobile is the new normal.
Globally, more than half of all website visits originate from mobile devices—and that number is growing rapidly. Tasks such as shopping, paying bills, working, and banking were once relegated to desktops and laptops. However, people are no longer content to be tethered to their computers.
In our go-go-go society, people are more likely to whip through their to-do lists via smartphones and tablets.Think of what that means: There’s a good chance many of your users will never even visit your site using a computer. It’s crucial to offer these mobile visitors the best possible experience during what may be their only impression of your brand.
- Google’s mobile-first indexing means go mobile—or potentially lose business.
Google used to rely on the desktop version of a page’s content when crawling, indexing, and ranking. But the company recently rolled out mobile-first indexing: incorporating the mobile version of a web page in their criteria for determining search engine rankings.
Essentially, Google wants to improve user experiences. What does that mean for your brand? If you ignore the mobile-first movement, it’s likely your online metrics will take a pretty hard hit. You care about your SERPs. Google has spoken—and it’s time to focus on mobile-first design. (Your competitors may already be there.)
- There are no risks associated with mobile-first design.
Think back to the early days of navigating desktop sites on mobile devices: Scrolling endlessly. Encountering enormous photos no amount of pinching could resize. Tapping fruitlessly to input information in forms. Can you imagine that situation today? No user would stick around for that.
But mobile users don’t want a watered-down experience either; they want the same rich content and full experience that computer users enjoy. The good news? If you design with mobile users in mind, you can scale up for computers—but it’s much tougher to go the other direction.
Mobile-first design risks nothing. In fact, the only real risk lies in refusing to accommodate the 4.57 billion mobile phone users in the world because you’re stuck in the past.
How to Win at Mobile-First Design
As you review your company’s overall mobile strategy and online presence, it’s crucial to look at the big picture. You might need to launch an app. Perhaps it’s time to update your email templates to better suit mobile users. You may even need a major website revamp.
Where can you start? Your best bet is to seek out a partner who understands mobile-first design—a partner who stays on the cutting-edge of this ever-evolving practice.
At Alter Imaging, we take a business intelligence approach to better identify your needs and come up with the best possible solutions. Our team of thought leaders have the knowledge and experience to not only help you master mobile-first—but also to empower you to transform your entire digital presence.