What does mobile-first mean and why should I care?

Mobile Redesign

We’ve all seen them. We’ve all had to struggle with them. It’s usually at the worst possible time. We are out and need to get some simple piece of information. That restaurant’s menu, or that store’s business hours.  So we pinch and we zoom, we scroll, we get frustrated and finally we either get the info we need, or we take our business elsewhere.  I’m talking of course about websites that are not built for mobile devices.

As many studies have shown, mobile web usage has grown exponentially since the introduction of the iPhone back in 2007.   Mobile web now accounts for a big portion of web traffic and it’s only getting bigger every year. For some small businesses like restaurants, that number has already approached 50%. Yet most restaurants and small businesses either have a very dated or non-functional website or have a website that’s just awful to use on a mobile device.  Think about the image you are setting for the potential customer; especially if you are a hip, trendy or high-end business. It’s like walking into an expensive restaurant and seeing a dirty table cloth.

 

bad-mobile-website-loses-business

 

We know mobile is the future of the web yet a lot of small businesses are behind the curve when it comes to providing a good user experience for their mobile users. While this may not seem like a huge priority, it could impact sales.  This is why every site we build doesn’t just work on mobile, we optimize it for mobile. Within the first 10 minutes of talking to a new client, we talk about mobile.

As a small business owner looking to put your business online or update your website, a good way to judge whether or not you are dealing with a good, modern-minded web designer is whether or not they mention mobile in that first conversation.  If they don’t, I would look for someone else.

Posted in Mobile, Mobile Devices, Mobile Redesign, Small Business.