Take a look at a few tips that can get you started on building a mobile-friendly website!
With the world that is going increasingly digital, mobile phones have really come in handy [literally and figuratively!]. People now get most of their shopping and information on the go, with mobile phones accounting for 54% of the total traffic on the internet in 2021.
But what does this mean for jewellery websites? How can the increase in usage of the internet on the phone impact your online sales?
When you build an eCommerce website that is optimal for use on a laptop or a computer but doesn’t have a mobile-friendly interface, people tend to avoid shopping from the said websites. When a user views a typical business website on the browser of a mobile device, it needs a lot of pinching, zooming and scrolling just to see what’s on the page. If you do not optimize your online jewellery website for mobile devices, you’re losing out on a whole bunch of potential customers and clients – something that can hugely impact your sales in the long run.
Did you know? Mobile sites have a simplified design that makes them easy to use on a smaller screen. Many jewellery brands also make customized content for their mobile websites which may or may not be featured on their websites, a move that can lead to the increased popularity of one’s mobile website. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly.
Pro-tip: When gettings started with building a mobile website, it is important that you use a responsive design, an approach that allows your website to adapt to the screen size of the device it is being viewed from.
- Use a platform that supports responsive web design
First, you need to make sure you’re using a platform that supports responsive web design. These platforms provide countless options when it comes to themes and other website compartments.
- Simplify navigation
Complicated navigation options are the last thing a mobile user wants to see when they visit a website. They can be overwhelming and confusing on mobile devices where you can’t see all the different options at once. By keeping it simple, you ensure a mobile user can easily navigate your website without being confused about where to click.
- Compress your files
Compressing files on your website is a great way to boost mobile responsiveness. Since most mobile devices are lower-powered and rely on lower bandwidth than desktops, keeping data and power usage to a minimum is crucial for a good mobile experience. From a technical standpoint, this means that high-resolution images and animations on your website may result in a slower experience for some mobile users.
- Check out competitors’ sites on various devices.
Keep a list of URLs for businesses similar to yours. Periodically check them all out on a variety of computers, smartphones and tablets. Which are easiest to navigate and use, requiring the least pinching, zooming and scrolling? Use the best as guidance for your designer.
- Hire web designers with responsive design experience.
Many designers serving small-to-medium business clients are still focused on designing sites intended for viewing on computers. Be sure to ask for recent examples of a designer’s responsively designed sites. Don’t just get screenshots — ask for the URLs and check those sites on a variety of device types, paying attention both to how they look and how well they function.
- Keep testing the interface until it runs smoothly!
Once you are done with implementing the components according to the best design practice, the most crucial thing is testing the website. Testing the website raises out some issues that would have been impossible to detect while developing the website. Testing the website would also give you confidence in your website when it goes live on the internet.
A responsive mobile website plays a key role because of the competition in the market. Run with the assumption that an average mobile user is not a patient person, and won’t wait around your website if it isn’t smoothly navigating. A better-designed website not only speaks volumes but also tells Google that people do tend to like your website which automatically bumps it up the search ranking, ultimately providing more traffic. Therefore, stick to these design points and develop a better and more convenient mobile-friendly website for the user!
