Optimizing for mobile is essential for online business owners who wish to remain competitive in today’s overpopulated digital market. According to Smart Insights, 80% of Internet users own a smartphone,and 48% of consumers begin their mobile search with a search engine. These statistics alone illustrate how important it is for e-Commerce businesses to incorporate responsive Web design as part of their digital marketing plan.
There are some things to avoid,though,when it comes to responsive Web design. Here are 4 of them to be aware of, so that you start off on the right foot:
1. Too Much Content
Unlike desktop computers, mobile devices, ranging from smart phones to portable tablets, come equipped with much smaller screens, meaning much smaller screen space for viewing. Adding too much content to your responsive web design makes for endless scrolling for mobile users. Try to trim down content and keep only the most important information near the top of pages.
2. Complex Navigation
With limited screen display on mobile devices, incorporating large-scaled menus and navigation features (like those used on desktops) won’t be effective with responsive Web design. In order to enhance the user experience, you will need to rethink navigation for mobile users, and consider utilizing hidden navigation, or incorporate horizontal swiping (giving mobile users the ability to swipe content on or off screen).
3. Too Many Images
Incorporating a number of large and high-resolution images will prove costly and time-consuming for mobile users, who may have lower bandwidth capabilities. If you need to include images in your responsive Web design, include only necessary images,which are available in various sizes and formats.
4. Failure To Test Responsive Web Design
Constructing your website with responsive web design is a smart business decision, however failing to test your end design is something you do not want to do. Checking your responsive Web design for functionality on a variety of mobile devices and browsers is essential for ensuring that your website is truly responsive in design, with no hindrances to mobile users. Consider combining testing using emulators and real mobile devices to get a thorough analysis of how your responsive web design functions.
Much of today’s population utilizes mobile devices to access information, and businesses that wish to stay ahead of the competition need to embrace responsive web design and do it the right way the first time around
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