You always have two things when you leave the house—your keys and your phone. That speaks to how crucial mobile experiences are for anyone building an app, website, or e-commerce platform.

Since smartphone and tablet usage became widespread, web designers have had the added challenge of creating responsive website experiences. However, maybe the challenge is that we’re still taking a desktop-first approach. It’s high time that more web developers and designers start thinking with a mobile-first experience.

Let’s dive into the micro-moments a mobile-first experience gives in this multi-screen world and see why this matters.

The Mobile World We Live In

We know mobile experiences matter because smartphones and mobile devices are everywhere. However, some people might not know the extent of the mobile experience’s gravity on user experiences. Consider this — 54.67% of web traffic comes through mobile phones.

With more than half of our online experiences now coming through phones (the others divided between desktops, tablets, watches, smart speakers, and so on), is it high time that we started building our sites with mobile devices as a priority? Mobile-first design will make your website ready to adjust to mobile devices. The sooner we embrace this approach, the quicker we can maximize its benefits.

Why You Should Take a Mobile-first Approach

Why should the mobile-first approach be the default for designers? Taking a mobile-first approach to design and development offers several significant advantages. Here are just some of them:

• Growing Mobile Usage. We’ve already established that more people are using mobile phones to browse the internet than ever before. Most users now access the internet through smartphones and tablets. That means it’s crucial to prioritize mobile user experience.
• Improved User Experience on Mobile. Mobile-first UX research and design matter because they tailor a platform or channel to the screen it appears on. The content, layout, and functionality should work seamlessly on smaller screens, enhancing user satisfaction and engagement.
• Favorable for SEO. It’s a well-known fact that search engines like Google will highly prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search rankings. So, a mobile-first approach will make your site or platform more likely to rank higher in search results and get more organic traffic.
• Efficient Problem-Solving. Designing for mobile first means taking on the challenges of a smaller screen and limited resources from your first pixel. It’s easier to adapt your design from smaller to larger screens than the other way around.
• Increased Conversion Rates. If you have a mobile-optimized website, it can lead to higher conversion rates. That’s because you cater to a larger audience who prefer using mobile devices for buying, booking, and paying.
• Scalability. Mobile-first designs are more scalable in most situations (probably the vast majority). A minimalistic mobile approach is easier to scale. You can gradually add more features for larger screens without compromising functionality or user experience.
• Focus on Core Content and Functionality. A mobile-first approach forces designers and developers to focus on the most essential aspects of a website or application. That way, your users have a direct and efficient experience.
• Faster Load Times. Mobile-first designs also have lighter and faster loading. Speed matters greatly, especially for users who rely on cellular data at varying speeds.
• Preparation for the Future. The trend in technology is increasingly mobile-centric. By adopting a mobile-first approach, businesses and developers are better positioned for future technological advancements.
• Better Cross-Device Compatibility. Designing for mobile first can make ensuring compatibility across various devices and screen sizes easier. This benefits a website or app's overall reach and effectiveness.

Best Practices for Mobile-first Experience Design

When taking on a mobile-first approach, you should remember some best practices. These will serve as your guide and help you maximize this approach and enjoy the abovementioned benefits.

Let’s take a look at the seven most crucial best practices:

1) Responsive Design

Responsive design is the starting point of all mobile-first experiences. Several web design software tools emphasize responsive design, ensuring your mobile site or e-commerce platform adjusts seamlessly to different screen sizes and orientations. Responsive design provides a consistent user experience across various devices and helps maintain the design’s integrity and functionality.

Tools in the web design software list, like Adobe XD and Sketch, are among the best web design software options. You’ll only need a computer science accelerated program to learn these tools. That’s because they offer robust features for creating responsive designs. Check them out if you want to design a mobile-first experience.

For inspiration and web design templates, you can head over to TemplateMonster. Using existing templates saves you the trouble of having to start from scratch. Many of these templates are free to use, so you can maximize them at little to no cost.

2) Simplified Navigation

Navigation matters greatly for great mobile-first websites. The goal should be to keep it as simple and intuitive as possible. This is especially important in mobile e-commerce, where users must find products quickly and effortlessly.

The best professional web design software (like Figma and Axure) enables advanced prototyping that helps you create a user-friendly navigation system. A good mobile navigation experience will make it easier for customers to browse and shop on their mobile devices.

3) Optimized Checkout Process

Total mobile E-commerce sales reached $2.2 trillion in 2023. So, if you have the opportunity, you should definitely include an e-commerce aspect to your mobile site. One thing you should focus on is optimizing your mobile checkout process. Several web design software tools allow you to create an easy and secure checkout experience.

Make checkouts faster and easier to minimize cart abandonment rates. Offering multiple payment options and clearly displaying security badges helps significantly, too.

4) Prioritize Speed

Mobile users will always expect quick loading times. The best web design software will help you optimize images. Use minimalistic design elements to ensure faster page loads.

Google’s AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is an example of a tool that you can use to increase mobile page speed. Fast-loading pages enhance the user experience, which keeps visitors engaged, especially in mobile e-commerce scenarios.

5) Incorporate Reputation Management

Good reputation management should always be on your site, whether mobile or desktop. To improve your online reputation, have a section for social proof, like customer reviews and testimonials. Reviews not only build trust but also provide valuable feedback for improvements.

We highly recommend using web design software tools to integrate review sections on product pages. The best route is to connect that section to review websites so it dynamically updates when you get new testimonials.

6) Touch-friendly Interfaces

Mobile experiences operate with the thumb in mind. Since mobile devices are primarily touch-based, it's important to use web design software tools to create touch-friendly interfaces.

Buttons and links should be easy to tap. You should also adequately space out interactive elements to prevent accidental clicks. This approach is particularly relevant in mobile e-commerce.

7) Testing and Optimization

Regular testing and optimization are key to a good mobile website. Devices and browsers shift and change constantly, so you need to keep testing. Luckily, the best professional web design software will let you conduct A/B testing and usability tests specifically for mobile users. This practice helps identify and fix issues that could hinder the mobile user experience.

Regular updates based on user feedback and performance metrics ensure the mobile site remains effective and user-friendly. Ultimately, that will contribute to a better online reputation and higher user engagement.

Mobile is Here to Stay

Let’s face it— we will likely never see a time again when mobile phones and other devices no longer exist. If we want our websites to stay relevant and effective, we must take on a mobile-first approach at times. And the times we will need to do that will only increase yearly. So what are you waiting for?