With the latest smart phones available in the market, more and more people are browsing and searching over the Internet using their handsets. There is a tremendous growth in the mobile market that most tech-savvy people couldn’t go a day without their iPhone or Android devices. For this reason, websites and web mobile interfaces should continue to keep up to these standards and adopt to fit the need. Web layouts have to be tweaked and updated so the display on mobile devices will work properly.
Below are some best practices to consider in building or rebuilding websites that are mobile user friendly.
Simplicity
When designing websites for PC viewing, one thing you need to consider is how it will look and work on mobiles. Simplicity plays an important role, for this will determine whether your mobile viewers will stay on your site or just leave because of complicated features. Piling up information in a small space is not a good idea. Given such limited space to put all your content and images will not only be harder to read, but also more zooming and scrolling will be required. Therefore, using a single column layout is a best choice.
Meeting Users’ Need Quickly
Mobile users have a small screen and often times Internet connection is slow, even unstable so it is so important for to give visitors quick access to the most important part of the website. These users are on-the-go and need only the relevant information such as finding directions, what’s going on nearby or what current movies are showing. You would want viewers to find it as quickly as possible with the least amount of distractions. For some, they may want to pass away a short period of time by browsing on quick entertainment while waiting to meet a friend or something to read while on the bus.
Whenever user input is required, always make it easy for users by giving quick links or selections rather than having them key-in information. Always consider that mobile users have a small keypad to type on – not only is it slow but it is prone to errors.
Mobile-Friendly Page Layouts
Wide landscape website layouts usually do not display so well on mobile screens. The wider the layout, the smaller and harder it will be to read. The most effective layouts are done vertically for easier and better browsing. Here are some factors that need to be considered for an effective mobile page layout.
- Screens on mobile devices come in different shapes and sizes
- Mobile devices have different levels of screen quality and resolutions
- Mobile devices may or may not support zooming or scrolling
Easy Navigational Buttons
With the arising volume of touchscreen mobile devices, the size of the navigation buttons as well as the other clickable objects are becoming an issue. Small buttons will sure give those with big hands a hard time selecting options on the screen. It is essential to make your mobile layout large and easy-to-press links and clickable objects.
