People are turning to mobile devices to surf the web at an amazing rate, which accounts for the rise of mobile websites. But mobile optimization is not enough anymore. Display sizes are constantly changing and a responsive mobile first design is the only way to ensure that you websites will work on today’s devices.
Designers who avoid these common mistakes listed below will find that the websites they build serve clients well into the future, regardless of what devices are available to surf the web:
Mistake #1: Building a responsive website that isn’t responsive at all
Web designers creating a responsive website must test their site on a variety of devices—not just their own smartphone and laptop computer. Ideally, the website should be tested on everything from a smartwatch to a smart TV to verify that it truly is adaptable to all devices. A designer never knows what type of devices their customers or clients are using to view their new website.
Mistake #2: Forgetting to check links
Most websites link to resources and other content that adds value to their readers. When a visitor clicks on a link from a responsive website, they expect the site they visit to be responsive as well. If it’s not, they will have a bad user experience. Designers should check all external links before copying the desktop version’s content.
Mistake #3: Leaving out mobile features that visitors expect
When visiting a responsive website from their smartphone, visitors expect to click on a phone number to dial the number. Therefore, you’ll want to be sure to use tel protocol, which uses the international dialing format. All modern browsers support tel: schema and most display the phone number dialed (in addition to asking for a confirmation).
For local businesses, users will also expect the address link to go to Google Maps, so they can easily find their way to the business.
Simple responsive features like these are a small but essential part of providing a good mobile user experience.
Mistake #4: Forgetting mobile first designs
Website development services that utilize a mobile-first approach will have a better desktop user experience as well. Best practices such as talking about how the business can benefit the visitor rather than how great the business is helps give visitors a better experience on any version of the website—from mobile to tablet to laptop or desktop.
Also, ditching the clutter and unnecessary widgets is a mobile-first best practice that should carry over to the desktop design. Widgets tend to slow a website’s page load speed, which annoys users regardless of the device they are using to access the Internet.
Mistake #5: Ignoring page “weight”
Without unlimited data, heavy pages cost users more money than light pages. Many free tools exist for determining page weight, with a breakdown by MIME type.
Mistake #6: Creating content for large screens only
Web designers need to understand that content optimized for mobile devices must be different than for desktop and tablet users. Long-winded text and big, blocky paragraphs is out. Content creators and designers must get right to the point in the first few paragraphs.
Website development and design is a thankless business at times. Trying to balance functionality, useful design principles, and the client’s wishes is a juggling act. But while developers can make compromises on fonts, styles, and colors, they cannot compromise on responsiveness and functionality.