Today when people look for a web design agency in London, they will look for one that can design a mobile-friendly website. This is much more than just having a website that will fit on a mobile screen. Some more tricks have to be employed to have the best responsive site.
If a web design agency in London is worth its salt, it will incorporate some or all of the following tips into the website it designs for clients.
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Design for the Fingers
Mobile phones are all about navigating with the fingers so your design needs to consider that. Calls to action need to be more than just visible, they need to be touchable. By touchable we are referring to how easy it is for a user to zero in on that box without ending up touching something that is near it.
Call to actions should also be familiar. While you may want to show off your creativity, there is no need to deviate from what people are used to. Call to actions are usually square or circular so it might be a good idea to stick with that because those shapes are also easier to click on with the fingers.
Limit Word Count
Mobile phones do not exactly offer the widest real estate for text. You will be trying to get your point across in a small space so shelve any unnecessary words. It is wise to use bullet points where possible because that is easier to skim through and probably if more information is needed, the user will click on the longer version.
Identify Content Before Design
Look at web design as the packaging and the content as the product that needs to be packaged. You cannot make the package for a product you do not yet have. If you did that, you could end up with a product that doesn’t fit in the packaging.
To avoid such a scenario, establish what the content of the website will be and then begin to create the web design that will accommodate that content. Map out your content and determine what you need to highlight and what message you want to emboss in the minds of a visitor to the site. Design your site according to what you establish about the content.
First Design With Mobile in Mind
Although you may intend to have a responsive site or one for desktop and another version for mobile, you are better off starting with a design that is ideal for mobile. The reason for this is that whatever design can fit on mobile, can also fit on other devices like laptop, desktop, and tablet. The same will not apply if you started by designing for desktop
optimize Images
Your images might be scaling down to fit on a mobile screen, but that doesn’t mean the size has changed. What this means is that although it will eventually appear on the mobile device, it is still going to take longer to load.
Optimizing image for mobile will ensure that the size is also reduced so that it is not too heavy to load quickly onto the screen. Remember, most mobile users are in a hurry to get the information they want and then move on to the next site.
Favor Dropdown Menus Over Sidebars
When dealing with mobile sites, users are more comfortable with dropdown menus because they do not involve scrolling or swiping and they can get to what they want faster. Keeping this in mind will help you provide a pleasant user experience.
You also need to remember that you will have space for a maximum of five core links. As you design the site, try to get all the important things that a user would want in those links. This is not the easiest task to accomplish, but a skilled web designer will get it done.
Consider Voice Navigation
Voice command is a new trend for most mobile users. It is worth considering this as you design a website for mobile. There is no telling when users might prefer websites that can be navigated using a voice command instead of the fingers.
If you think of it, it is more convenient and worth researching.
Speaking of research, with web design there is no end to the amount of research you need to carry out. Always check to see what is trending and try to incorporate that in your next site update.
Final Advice
Web design for mobile is primarily about ensuring the user has a pleasant experience visiting your site. If you can think of any design that would improve the experience, it would be worth trying it out. Always have a prototype that you can use to test a new design before it goes live. Ask for a second opinion when testing prototypes.
