What Does Mobile Friendly Mean in Web Design?

In 2019, 40.61% of web traffic came from mobile devices, up from only 26.8% in 2015.

Mobile traffic is clearly a trend that’s here to stay.

If you’re setting up a website, you’ve probably heard terms like mobile friendly or responsive design in your research. You might be feeling lost in the lingo.

So, what does mobile friendly mean in web design? Keep reading to find out. Plus, read on to learn what a mobile website should have and why you need one.

What Does Mobile Friendly Mean?

A few years ago, the definition of a mobile friendly website was a site that showed up on a mobile device. Usually, it was a smaller version of the desktop website. You had to do a lot of zooming in just to use one of these frustrating sites.

Since then, the definition has shifted. Today when digital marketers talk about websites that are mobile friendly, they’re really talking about sites that are optimized for mobile devices. In other words, these are sites that are easy to use on a smartphone or tablet.

Mobile sites are designed with the user in mind. Users want a streamlined version of your desktop site that loads quickly on their phone.

Why You Need a Mobile-Friendly Site

Over the last several years, Google has made the user’s needs the top priority. And users want sites that work well on mobile.

In fact, whether or not your site is mobile friendly has been a major ranking factor for Google since May of 2016. So if you’ve noticed a drop in traffic, make sure your site is optimized for mobile. It could be what’s hurting your website.

A good mobile experience will also make your customers stick around. If your website is difficult to use, people will associate that frustration with your brand. You don’t want that.

If your site doesn’t work on mobile, your customers might even go to one of your competitors.

Must-Haves for a Mobile Site

While no two websites are exactly the same, there are a few things that all good mobile website designs have in common.

Fast Page Load Time

When it comes to mobile page speed, it’s not only about doing something nice for your readers. In fact, the longer it takes for a page on your website to load, the lower your Google ranking.

Plus, waiting seconds for a page to load will only frustrate your customers.

Uncluttered Layout

Responsive design is the most popular solution for sites that need to be both mobile and desktop-friendly. This design responds to the size of screen you’re using and resizes accordingly.

You won’t have to zoom in to read it, the website will do it for you.

Simple Navigation

Mobile users don’t have a mouse so navigating a website will depend on swipes and taps. Think about what your customers need to know and make that information easy to find.