The number of smart phone users around the world will cross
the 2 billion mark by 2016. People will make use of their smart phones not only
for calling and texting, but also for browsing the web for news, information,
and even shopping. It is imperative that businesses must make their websites
mobile-friendly or they may lose out on potential customers.
Use Good Framework for Responsive Site
You can use bootstrap for the
same. Here the website’s elements are arranged in the form of a grid. The grid
shifts and adjusts itself according to the display device like tab or
smartphone. Thus the website elements are spaced appropriately to look good on
a desktops, laptops, tabs as well as smart phones.
One more advantage of bootstrap is that it is free, open
source and properly documented. It also applies a unified approach to web
development and you have the same user experience, whether you access the site
from a mobile or desktop; and what’s more is that you don’t require a separate
URL for the mobile website.
Navigation must be Easy
When the website design is
optimized for mobile usage, it must be navigable by the thumb. One shouldn’t
feel the need pinch it to make things readable. Even if the site is mobile
friendly, sometimes we find that the navigation buttons are very small and the
wrong button will get pressed. The average width of a finger is 15mm or 45
pixels and therefore, the button’s selection area must be created accordingly.
Simplicity in Design
When you are optimizing a website for mobile usage, you must
make sure that it loads fast. The website must not contain high quality video
or images. The images must be optimized to facilitate faster loading time and a
better user experience. Replace the heavy Java Script libraries like mobile
jQuery with standalone JavaScript.
Content must be Concise
The user may be accessing the site via a mobile phone and
obviously the mobile screen is much smaller. He may not have the time to scroll
down and keep reading your website content forever. So keep it short and sweet.
Use Icons
Instead of explaining it in a dozen words, say it by mobile
icons. The user will find it easier to just tap the call or email icon,
rather than mentioning the same in words in your contact page.
Limit the JavaScript
Do not use excess JavaScript as mobiles may behave
differently. It doesn’t mean that one mustn’t use it, but utilize it cleverly
enough so that the speed of the mobile site doesn’t get affected.
Access to Basic Information
Make the basic information available to the user. For E.g.
if you are a restaurant chain, people will be looking for your nearest branch
address, map, contact and home delivery number. So, place your information
accordingly.
User Friendly Forms
The forms must not ask for extensive information. They must
just ask for a person’s basic information like name and email; the rest can be
obtained in future correspondences.
Extensive Testing
The website must be tested extensively on different devices
and browsers for making sure that the user experience is good. SolidifyApp,
delight.io are some useful tools.
For affordable website design
services, contact WebCanny.
