{"id":151,"date":"2016-07-09T11:24:05","date_gmt":"2016-07-09T15:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onlinebusinessguide.ca\/?p=151"},"modified":"2016-09-16T22:38:57","modified_gmt":"2016-09-17T02:38:57","slug":"mobile-friendly-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onlinebusinessguide.ca\/mobile-friendly-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Website Must Be Mobile-Friendly"},"content":{"rendered":"

These days, practically everyone has a smartphone with the ability to access the Internet. Chances are you could even be reading this right now using your phone or tablet!<\/p>\n

Designing a mobile-friendly website<\/strong> compatible with popular technology puts your company’s web presence in the hands of consumers and ensures they’ll see what you’ve got to offer in a way that’s convenient to them.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

Mobile Internet Usage Has Eclipsed Desktop Access<\/h2>\n

When Blackberry was cornering the market on mobile, web access analysts could already see the speed at which this trend would take off. Now, in 2016, accessing the web via an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy, other smartphone or tablet has overtaken fixed computer access.<\/p>\n

While many people still use desktop computers to work and surf the web it is not an uncommon sight to see someone checking their email or searching the Web while out and about their busy days.<\/p>\n

Google’s 2015 Mobile-Friendly Announcement<\/h2>\n

Tech-giant Google kept a vigilant eye on the changing world of mobile web access and announced in April of 2015<\/b><\/a> their plans to make a website’s ease of mobile use a crucial part of its ranking process in their search results.<\/p>\n

This was a game changer in the world of mobile computing and web access as sites that catered to mobile devices were now more accessible via Google search from a hand-held device.<\/p>\n

Fortunately Google also provided simple tools for website designers and owners to bring their websites up-to-date and be seen by more viewers.<\/p>\n

Getting Noticed on the Mobile Web<\/h2>\n

Staying in front of the eyes of your audience means keeping up with changing technology<\/em><\/strong> – In the world of mobile computing that once meant laptop computers. Now users don’t have to lug a heavy computer with them wherever they go; they only need to press a button on their phone to access the internet.<\/p>\n

So what does this mean for your website design?<\/p>\n

It means thinking like a mobile internet user and understanding how people interact with the material that is literally in their hands. The Internet brought the global community together and shrank the idea of speaking with someone on the other side of the world to an instant sensation. The same applies to designing a mobile-friendly website as well.<\/p>\n

Embracing Mobile First Design<\/h2>\n

Mobile first design<\/strong> is a concept that was first coined in 2009 just as the mobile Internet craze was beginning to take root. It’s a very simple principle to use when making your website mobile-friendly but it all-too-often gets overlooked by the fact that most web designing is taking place on a fixed computer.<\/p>\n

Mobile first design starts by considering the smallest screen visitors’ use to access your site and making concessions for those visitors.<\/strong> As they move to bigger screens (say accessing your website via desktop after they have found you on their phone) then you can add in more bells and whistles. You need to grab them with that first visit when they find you on their smartphone or tablet.<\/p>\n

Getting Started with Mobile First Design<\/h2>\n

Once you keep in mind that your visitors are probably looking at your site with a screen a bit bigger than their own hands and using their fingers to scroll to find information, it becomes easy to decide what you want to be seen. To get you started with designing the perfect mobile-friendly website for your company keep the following tips in mind:<\/p>\n