7 Smart Tips to Enhance Website Usability on Mobile Devices
The use of mobile devices have become quite common among the masses, so much so that people prefer to go online on their mobiles rather than desktops in recent times. Smart phones and other electronic gadgets dominate this era and as a result, the use of mobile internet is experiencing exponential growth with each passing day. This demand in turn increases the need for enhanced web designing techniques in order to facilitate a better web experience for those using mobile devices. Here are some tips that will help you improve your web experience on these modern gadgets.
1. Reduce the quantity of content: All the content shown on PC cannot fit onto mobile web page since less space is available and every pixel counts for the same. So, it is important to reduce the amount of content on mobile optimized versions. Remove low priority content stick to what is crucial for your business. Mobile websites need to be highly focused in order to make them convenient to read, navigate, and load quickly.
2. Use single column layouts: It is difficult to view wide web pages on the small screens of mobile phones. Even on Smart phones, which have larger screens, most of the text is illegible and you will need to zoom in to read the content on the web pages that are loaded onto these devices. Zooming in and out continuously is inconvenient, especially, when you need to go through considerable amount of content. To counteract this issue, create single column pages that can occupy the entire width of the screen. If you wish to add additional content, the web page should expand downwards rather than across the width because scrolling down is more convenient than scrolling across and users usually prefer it.
3. Add the navigation differently: If you fit the navigation across the top of the screen on any mobile web page it can get in the way of user. Instead add the navigation to a mobile website at the bottom since it doesn’t get in the way of reading the web page and is easier for users to navigate, search, and read when accessing home page of any website. Alternatively you can place it in a drop down link at the top of the page. Provide a ‘Back’ button on web pages other than homepage in order to keep the page design simple and easy for navigation.
4. Reduce text entries: Mobile web users find it inconvenient and make a greater number of errors when they need to type something on to websites using a mobile keyboard rather than using a desktop keyboard. This is why typing on a mobile device should be avoided and minimal text entries required for better mobile web user experience. Allow users to take advantage of inbuilt functionality options, enter their PIN instead of password, and utilize stored details in their ‘My Account’ section on a website.
5. Evaluate your need for a mobile site: Processing power and screens on mobile phones vary considerably. Some mobile devices can upload entire web pages while some can’t. If your mobile website needs to be seen only by Smartphone user then only one version of your website is fine. However, if you need a broader reach then it is better to create a paired down version. Assistance from an efficient company such as a website design company in Cambridge can enable you to create multiple versions of your website. For instance, Facebook has three mobile versions. For a touchscreen mobile its touch.facebook.com, 0.facebook.com for the mobile users in the nations with slow download speeds, and m.facebook.com for the main mobile website.
6. Design for touchscreen and non-touchscreen mobile users: Today, lots of individuals use Smartphones. Though many of these mobile devices have touchscreen mechanisms some people still prefer to use a joystick, trackball, or directional keys. So, your web design should be easy to use for both touchscreen as well as non-touchscreen users. Avoid links for any important calls to action. Better, design calls to action that occupy more screen space and that can be tapped easily.
7. Have inbuilt functionalities: Several mobile phones come with many inbuilt functionalities that most PCs lack. Efficient professionals such as mobile app developers from UK can make it easier for users to perform some of their important tasks by utilizing mobile’s inbuilt functionalities, thereby eliminating the need of manual steps. Inbuilt functionality enables you to view an address on a mobile phone’s map application. The inbuilt location detection aspect in the mobile phones enables you to locate the nearest places that you need such as high street retailers, stores of popular brands, and much more.
Use these seven web designing techniques to enhance the web experience of mobile users. This will increase your online traffic and accessibility to your website for all those who use mobiles and smart phones.
1. Reduce the quantity of content: All the content shown on PC cannot fit onto mobile web page since less space is available and every pixel counts for the same. So, it is important to reduce the amount of content on mobile optimized versions. Remove low priority content stick to what is crucial for your business. Mobile websites need to be highly focused in order to make them convenient to read, navigate, and load quickly.
2. Use single column layouts: It is difficult to view wide web pages on the small screens of mobile phones. Even on Smart phones, which have larger screens, most of the text is illegible and you will need to zoom in to read the content on the web pages that are loaded onto these devices. Zooming in and out continuously is inconvenient, especially, when you need to go through considerable amount of content. To counteract this issue, create single column pages that can occupy the entire width of the screen. If you wish to add additional content, the web page should expand downwards rather than across the width because scrolling down is more convenient than scrolling across and users usually prefer it.
3. Add the navigation differently: If you fit the navigation across the top of the screen on any mobile web page it can get in the way of user. Instead add the navigation to a mobile website at the bottom since it doesn’t get in the way of reading the web page and is easier for users to navigate, search, and read when accessing home page of any website. Alternatively you can place it in a drop down link at the top of the page. Provide a ‘Back’ button on web pages other than homepage in order to keep the page design simple and easy for navigation.
4. Reduce text entries: Mobile web users find it inconvenient and make a greater number of errors when they need to type something on to websites using a mobile keyboard rather than using a desktop keyboard. This is why typing on a mobile device should be avoided and minimal text entries required for better mobile web user experience. Allow users to take advantage of inbuilt functionality options, enter their PIN instead of password, and utilize stored details in their ‘My Account’ section on a website.
5. Evaluate your need for a mobile site: Processing power and screens on mobile phones vary considerably. Some mobile devices can upload entire web pages while some can’t. If your mobile website needs to be seen only by Smartphone user then only one version of your website is fine. However, if you need a broader reach then it is better to create a paired down version. Assistance from an efficient company such as a website design company in Cambridge can enable you to create multiple versions of your website. For instance, Facebook has three mobile versions. For a touchscreen mobile its touch.facebook.com, 0.facebook.com for the mobile users in the nations with slow download speeds, and m.facebook.com for the main mobile website.
6. Design for touchscreen and non-touchscreen mobile users: Today, lots of individuals use Smartphones. Though many of these mobile devices have touchscreen mechanisms some people still prefer to use a joystick, trackball, or directional keys. So, your web design should be easy to use for both touchscreen as well as non-touchscreen users. Avoid links for any important calls to action. Better, design calls to action that occupy more screen space and that can be tapped easily.
7. Have inbuilt functionalities: Several mobile phones come with many inbuilt functionalities that most PCs lack. Efficient professionals such as mobile app developers from UK can make it easier for users to perform some of their important tasks by utilizing mobile’s inbuilt functionalities, thereby eliminating the need of manual steps. Inbuilt functionality enables you to view an address on a mobile phone’s map application. The inbuilt location detection aspect in the mobile phones enables you to locate the nearest places that you need such as high street retailers, stores of popular brands, and much more.
Use these seven web designing techniques to enhance the web experience of mobile users. This will increase your online traffic and accessibility to your website for all those who use mobiles and smart phones.