I am curious as to what device you are reading this on? Could it be on a laptop? Maybe you’re at work on a desk? Or – perhaps you have a smartphone in your hand and you’re thumbing through this page.
Are you looking to rebuild your website? If so, then you should consider a mobile-first approach. In today’s digital age, most people use their smartphones to browse the internet. A mobile-first website is designed to prioritize the user experience on smaller screens, making it easier to navigate and find what they need. By creating a mobile-first website, you can attract more visitors to your site, increase engagement, and ultimately, boost your conversions.
The Benefits of Mobile-Responsive Design
A responsive web design is what allows a website the ability to wrap and adapt to the size of the current screen that it is being viewed on. With a mobile-responsive design, your website will automatically reformat to give users a better experience suited to their device. This approach also takes into consideration the interaction, which makes your site easier to use by acknowledging and integrating things like touch screens and special mobile-aided navigation.
By optimizing your website for different devices, you can improve the user experience, increase engagement, and boost conversions. Additionally, mobile-responsive sites work well across many existing devices on the market and should be a safe bet that it will be this way for a considerable time to come. While it may take longer to design and develop a mobile-responsive site, it will survive longer, and management, upgrades, and support only need to be applied to a single place. This will save time and money in the long run.
Why an Alternative Mobile Website May Not Be the Best Approach
A common (and outdated) approach for building a mobile website has been to create an alternate website for your mobile visitors to see when they use their mobile device. However, this approach has some significant downsides. For one, mobile websites are usually optimized for phones and not for tablets. Additionally, alternative mobile websites are almost never managed with the same database, which can lead to inconsistencies and outdated information.
Mobile Apps Are Not Always the Solution
While mobile apps can be a great way to engage users, they may not be the best approach for all businesses. Apps can be expensive to develop and maintain, and they require users to download them, which can be a barrier to entry. Additionally, not all businesses need an app to meet their goals.
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
Finally, you may have heard of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). AMP is an open-source project designed to create faster-loading web pages for mobile users. While AMP can be a good option for some businesses, it may not be the best approach for everyone. AMP pages can be limited in terms of design and functionality, so you should carefully consider your options before implementing AMP.
Time to Create a Mobile Friendly Website
If you’re an organization looking to rebuild your website, then you should focus on building a responsive design. This approach provides a better user experience, which increases engagement and leads to more conversions. While alternative mobile websites and mobile apps may have their place, they are not always the best solution. Ultimately, the key is to create a website that is optimized for all devices, making it easy for users to find what they need, no matter how they access your site.
Written by Corey Smith
Corey Smith is the founder of Tribute Media and serves as the Managing Director for Tribute Media. He is also the VP of Web & Creative for Hawke Media.
