Smartphones used to be considered a luxury item, but now are common accessories used by many consumers to surf the internet and access data on the go. To keep up with this trend, website owners need to think about how their business translates over to the small screen. There are several ways to go about optimising your website for mobile users. It’s possible to use apps and plug-ins to create a separate mobile version of your existing website, or you could redesign and streamline your main site to make it equally accessible through a mobile phone or computer. No matter which path you wish to follow, there are several design tips that can help maximize your site’s mobile potential.
Minimize your Content
Whether you’re viewing a website on a full-sized computer screen or mobile phone, nothing looks worse than a site that’s cramped. Viewers naturally shy away from information overload, so less is more when it comes to web design. This is particularly true for an ecommerce website, which should feature products with adequate white space to show them off. A streamlined site will be easier for visitors to navigate and search for any particular items they have in mind. With today’s best ecommerce software solutions, you can take a look at templates built with simplicity in mind, which will translate more effectively to the mobile screen.
Design for Slow Connections
Although smartphones provide faster connections than ever before, most of the time they still don’t compare to a home computer or laptop. This means that if you overload your website with images, flash animations, or other visual features, it increases the time it takes to load up the page. With a slow connection, your audience might get frustrated and decide to go elsewhere rather than visiting your site. To help combat this problem, you can design your website without flash, to cut down on the time it takes to load. It’s also a good idea to limit your use of images to just one or two per post, which is usually enough to retain your viewer’s visual interest while reducing loading time.
Install Finger-Friendly Navigation Features
Many of today’s top phones use touch screens. This is something to keep in mind when you are trying to optimise your website for a mobile phone. It’s easier for visitors to your website to navigate your ecommerce shop if they have large buttons to tap. Another thing to think about is scrolling. Most readers will be scrolling down the page using their finger, so creating content in a simple vertical format will help them keep track of what they’re looking at.
Avoid Pop-Ups
Although pop-up ads can serve an important function on your main website, they can be more trouble than they’re worth on a mobile screen. They slow down the experience significantly, and can create confusion. Viewers may not understand where the pop-up is coming from, and may leave your site before they get a chance to view the rest of your content.
Originally posted on August 24, 2012 @ 5:56 am