Web Design in the Mobile age

The number of smartphone owners has reached almost saturation point in developed countries and is growing exponentially globally to an estimated 2.5 billion in 2016.  

Should your focus be on the Mobile User ?

Website owners can no longer assume their target audience will be sitting comfortably in front of a desktop PC.  In fact if you care to look at the traffic statistics on your existing website; over 65% of visitors will have arrived via mobile technology.  (Tablet or Smartphone)

Current estimated indicate 70% of Irish people own a Smartphone or Tablet, yet less than 40% of online businesses have a website that is optimised for mobile. Plainly speaking, if your website is not optimised for mobile you are losing sales, enquiries and new business as people abandon your website as they either can't see the content clearly, can't navigate easily or the functionality breaks down.

It goes without saying that if you are embarking on a new web project or a revamp of your existing website in 2017 that the design and development focus should be MOBILE first, DESKTOP second.  At all design draft and early development stages ask to see all interfaces in both smartphone, tablet  and desktop context so that primary content and functionality goals are established and achieved in each context.  

There is no meaningful cost saving in accepting a desktop only design, but a huge cost to ignoring users in a mobile context.

For those with an existing perfectly functioning desktop webiste, that needs mobile optimisation, you should not need a complete redevelopment. If the existing website was built by a professional company (standards compliant) then additional HTML & CSS can be developed and deployed to gracefully manipulate existing HTML and formatting that would go a long way toward adressing the needs of the mobile user.

If you wouldlike to talk to a professional about your project please call our UX consultant Jeremiah on  01 5611917