Designing Websites for Mobile or Desktop
As website design specialists we need to not only be able to design a website, but also understand how people are viewing your website, and design it accordingly. The key is to make the user experience as good as possible on any device, as happy website users are more likely to become customers.
Where are people viewing your website?
As business owners, we probably spend most of our time interacting with our own website on our desktop machines, but actually we’re probably in the minority.
How we use the internet has changed dramatically over the last decade. In 2011, only 11% of people were browsing the internet using mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets. However, this has been rapidly increasing due to the widespread introduction of smart phones and the integration of tablets and iPads into everyday life. By 2013, the data showed that 25% of people were now using mobile devices to surf the internet and by 2014 it was over 50%. Now, a staggering 75% of web visitors are using a mobile device such as a phone or a tablet.
Predictions are that this is a trend which will just keep on increasing, with Ericsson’s Mobility Report predicting that the amount we consume on our smartphone will significantly increase in the near future. They report that globally, the average monthly usage per smartphone now exceeds 10GB, and is forecast to reach 35GB by the end of 2026. Video traffic is also increasing rapidly with it accounting for 66% of web traffic at the moment, with 77% predicted by 2026.
Why does this matter for your business’ website?
It’s clear that we’re looking for content on our phones and tablets more and will continue to do so. This means that your website needs to be mobile friendly and work well on a small screen as well as on a large desktop computer monitor.
I’m sure you’ve experienced for yourself how frustrating it is when you have to scroll and zoom to be able to browse a website on your phone. Most people have very little patience when they can’t easily and enjoyably interact with a website and will quickly click away. This means you lose a potential client and have probably annoyed them, so they are very unlikely to try again on a desktop and give you a second chance.
This is what we want to avoid at all cost. We want to maximise how many web visitors you can convert into clients and everyone that clicks away without buying or getting in touch is a lost opportunity.
One way we can improve the user experience, and keep our website visitors happy, is to make sure your website looks great and works well on every device. To do that you need responsive web design.
What is responsive website design?
When we say “responsive” we really mean website design which rearranges the elements of your website to fit the size of the screen you’re viewing it on.
So you’re not creating a dedicated mobile website, rather ensuring that the design which you’ve created for a desktop computer, also works perfectly for the size and layout of your smartphone’s screen, or on a tablet. Now the website will look quite different on your mobile than on your desktop in terms of layout, but all the same information will be there, the look and feel will be right and the functionality that you wanted will be there on all devices.
This means that if your customer views your website both in their office and in the park, they will get a consistent message and experience. This is important, especially when people want to purchase, or make a decision to contract a professional service. Often, they will check you out first, when they are on their phones, feel like you’re the right company for them, and then head back to a larger format screen to find out more and make their final purchasing decision.
So make sure your website isn’t letting your business down by ensuring it is fully responsive and call-to-action driven. Talk to your website designer about what you want your users to do when they reach your website and make sure they are switched on to how your website can be the best tool for your business.
How can we help?
We are dedicated website designers with over 20 years’ experience and thousands of websites under our belts. We’re committed to keeping up with all the latest trends and work closely with our clients to ensure that their business objectives are met. On our website, you’ll see examples of our web design projects, with pictures of how the sites look both on a laptop and a phone as this is vital to making the site works wherever and however your clients are searching for you.
Please get in touch with us to discuss your website design needs and how your website could be performing better and attracting more customers.