6 Tips for Optimizing Your Web Design for Mobile

Web designing is an art and a science. It’s also becoming a more complicated profession thanks to the proliferation of mobile devices — Happy 10^th Anniversary, Apple iPhone! With so many individuals conducting searches on their hand-held devices like tablets and smart phones, they expect websites that have been optimized for their mobile experiences. This means yours has to live up to the evolving standards by being suitable for mobile audiences.

Optimizing your web design can be challenging, but there are six great ways to make sure you start on solid footing. We’ve listed them here, and we encourage you to add others as you design more mobile sites:

#1: Go Responsive

For most web designers, responsive sites are the easiest way to solve the issue of how a website looks on a variety of devices. The last thing you want is for your beautiful website to look terrible when viewed on smaller screens.

Responsive websites aren’t just good for satisfying readers. They are also good for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. Google rewards responsive sites with better mobile search engine rank. In other words, it just makes sense to consider having a responsive website.

#2: Streamline Your Navigation

The hamburger menu — the name for the sandwiched-together parallel bars indicating the presence of a menu — has changed everything. Now, when people see it, they know one touch will get them to an instant menu. It’s a clever way to avoid cluttering your mobile website with a navigation bar.

Still, having a hamburger menu doesn’t mean your job is done. The navigation has to be easy the further you get into the website. When you’re planning your website’s navigation and general architecture, keep mobile users in mind. Think about their needs, and make it easy for them to get where they want to go in as few clicks as possible.

#3: Design for the Average Fingertip

Have you ever tried in vain to activate a button or link on a mobile device, only to have problems because it’s too small for your finger? This can cause major hiccups, and it’s a big web design flaw.

The best way to manage this is to test all your buttons, links, etc., on human hands before the website goes live. Have you given enough room for people with larger fingers? Unless people are using a stylus, they are going to be swiping and clicking with mainly their thumbs and forefingers. Don’t make their journey arduous!

#4: Disable Any Pop-Ups

Most website visitors grumble about pop-ups on websites, but they won’t necessarily leave the website when they encounter a pop-up. Mobile users are much different. They know that a pop-up can be difficult to get rid of on a mobile device. For this reason, they may simply opt out of a website if pop-ups are prevalent.

#5: Go for Speed

There’s no speed limit when it comes to the Internet. In other words, the faster, the better. Your mobile website should appear in lightning-fast time, with zero downtime waiting for videos or images. Most mobile searchers are accustomed to their phones, tablets and laptops loading rapidly. Slow websites just don’t cut it.

If you’re having trouble getting a fast speed, you may have to take out some of the bells and whistles of your web design. You may not want to do that as a designer, but your users probably won’t feel like they’re missing out. They’ll just be pleased they don’t have to wait to get the content they want.

#6: Use Icons Instead of Words

Mobile is all about shorthand. Instead of adding text, always ask yourself if there could be an icon that makes just as much sense. Some icons are more universal than others, but more become well-known each day. You can even try an A/B split test if you aren’t sure if a set of icons is preferable to using words or labels.

Awareness Equates to Excellence

What characteristic will all excellent websites share in the coming months and years? They’ll be mobile-ready and optimized for viewing anywhere, anytime. As a web designer, you can increase your abilities and reputation by anticipating user needs through well-planned, intuitive sites.