Start Of A New Era - Mobile First Is The Way To Go

Start Of A New Era - Mobile First Is The Way To Go

Have the desktop computers shrunk in size and comfortably sit in our side-pockets now? If you’re reading this blog on your smartphone, that’s exactly what you must feel like. Not long ago, mobile overtook desktop for driving the greatest share of internet traffic. It now commands 56% of all internet traffic and as per some reports, consumers are having twice as many interactions with brands on mobile than through any other medium.

What does that tell us? It’s the smartphone era and businesses need to opt for a mobile-first approach. Now what does that mean? Put simply, it’s an approach to a business’ design, development and marketing activities with mobile experience at the center of them all. So, you start by designing the screens and content for the mobile experience first and then move on to the desktop. You’ll find that it’s the opposite of the responsive approach that used to be followed earlier. 

There’s more reason for opt for a mobile-first approach. Not long ago, Google started penalizing websites that weren’t optimized for a mobile view. Websites that were solely created for a desktop view found themselves at a disadvantage and saw their ranking drop on the search results. With traffic from mobile devices continually on the rise, it may happen that Google will start ranking websites based on their mobile view. 

That’s a distant thought but businesses should remain conscious of it. That leads us to the question - how to become mobile first? 

How To Go Mobile-First? 

Well, the ideal place to start is really from your customer journey. Keenly observe the various touchpoint as a customer makes contact with your brand. That will allow you to create a map of their journey as they move from one step to another. Based on that knowledge you can go ahead and develop your mobile first strategy. It shouldn’t, however, be looked at as solely a design focused undertaking. It’s quite as much about marketing and product development strategies. It requires you to dig deep and carefully look at the elements that can obstruct and advance the overall mobile experience. Think about the loading speed and the ability of personal assistants like Google and Siri to look up your business details. Also, don’t forget to check if your ads are fully optimized for the mobile view. 

Conclusion 

The shift from desktop to mobile has really caught business by surprise. Companies have had to rethink their strategies of connecting with their customers. That effectively has impacted the modern approach to marketing, design and development. With the modern generation becoming more and more mobile-centric, it really makes sense now for businesses to devote more attention to offering a superior mobile experience. No doubt, the race to stay competitive also calls for cutting edge mobile apps. Make sure you opt for a two-pronged approach that includes both a dedicated mobile app and a website built with mobile first design. Seek the assistance of an expert mobile app development company when planning to develop a powerful mobile app for your business.