Responsive vs. Mobile-First Design: How is One Different from the Other?

Over the years, mobile phone usage has increased dramatically. Case in point: in 2011, more people owned mobile phones than toothbrushes! In 2021, the number of smartphone users has grown to a staggering 3.8 billion. This translates to over 48.20% of the population.

The World Advertising Research Center (WARC) report indicated that close to 2 billion people use their phones to browse the internet. People also use their smartphones to access social media, emails, music, games, and others. By 2025, a projected 72.6% of people will use their phones to access the internet.

The statistics above highlight the importance of creating web pages that function well on mobile devices. Clearly, you need more than just creative web design to ensure your site visitors have a pleasant browsing experience. It’s safe to assume mobile browsing is here to stay. That said, you need to keep mobile users in mind in your web marketing efforts.

Responsive Web Design vs. Mobile-First Design

How is responsive web design different from mobile-first design? Which approach is right for your business? To answer this question, you need to first determine your target audience. You also need to factor in the actions you want them to do and how they access your website.

Are they accessing your site on their desks, or are they on the move? Are they using a 3G connection or WiFi? Once you know the answers to these questions, it’s easier for you to figure out which of the two suits your needs best. Unfortunately, there is a bit of confusion when it comes to these two concepts.

Many assume the two are the same. However, they are two different things. For starters, while a mobile-first website is always responsive, a responsive site is not always mobile-first. Mobile-first is a technical approach, while responsive web design is a deliberate design choice focused on how people interact with mobile devices.

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Responsive Web Design in a Nutshell

Responsive web design will respond to changes in device display sizes. So when your website is displayed on a smartphone, you will see different dimensions compared to when you view the site on your laptop, desktop, or tablet.

You can liken responsive web design to water—it fits into whatever you pour it into. Since it shifts content to fit other devices rather than focus on the visitors’ experience on those devices, the mobile experience is deemed lacking.

A website is of the utmost importance to your business.

Mobile-First Web Design in a Nutshell

On the other hand, mobile-first is considered a proactive approach to web design. It is not only about creating a website that works on mobile devices, it is also about creating a design that’s primarily for users on mobile devices.

Key Features of Mobile-First Design

1. Expandable “Hamburger” Menu

When browsing using your phone, it would be annoying to open multiple tabs. Unfortunately, many responsive websites will require you to click multiple times just to navigate a single interior page. A mobile-first design can improve the navigation process significantly.

For instance, some websites use an accordion-style navigation menu to give visitors a preview of what they can find in each section. It is also more user-friendly since they can simply scan the sections and directly access the information they need.

2.  Larger Buttons

Mobile phone users navigate websites using their thumbs. That said, the mobile-first design pays special attention to anything the visitors are supposed to click. This means hyperlinked sections are larger, buttons are more prominent, and items in a clickable list are spaced further apart.

3.  Consolidated Content

When it comes to the mobile experience, less is more. While responsive websites will condense all content on a desktop, it is not typically conducive to those visitors who use their mobile phones. Mobile-first websites will simplify bulky content and present information in a way mobile users will find engaging.

4. Larger Font Sizes

The text size is also crucial in reading comprehension. To further improve readability on mobile-first websites, font sizes are no smaller than 16 pixels. This is important, so mobile users won’t need to zoom in just to read the content.

When it comes to header texts, going larger is recommended. The bottom line is to make information and content easy to scan to find what they are looking for right away. Large headings can also be used to separate content into scannable sections.

Responsive vs. Mobile-First Design: Key Difference

The primary difference between the two is how the designer approaches the website. A mobile-first design is created and executed in tandem with the desktop site. In other words, it involves making proactive changes to the website’s overall design to ensure the mobile experiences can mimic the desktop experience. On the other hand, a responsive design is reactive. This means the design moves fluidly to fit devices.

Final Thought

While both designs can make websites more accessible on various devices, a mobile-first experience is considered better as it provides a more favorable user experience. This can be attributed to the fact that many important factors are considered during the design process, including load time, font size, and the use of white space. If unsure which of the two your site and brand needs more, invest in the services of an expert so you can be guided accordingly.

5 Tips to Build Trust With Website Design

Did you know that most people form an opinion of a website within 0.05 seconds (50 milliseconds) of landing on it? With that first glance, people decide whether they can trust you or not — often based on the design of your website alone. A good website design builds trust. That’s why it is so important to focus on building trust when designing your website.

This article will go over five tips to help you build trust with website design.

1. Keep Your Design Professional and Modern

An outdated design immediately brings up feelings of distrust and suspicion. If your website looks like it’s out of the 90s, it’s going to be hard for people to trust it. That’s why you need to get a modern, professional theme that looks great, is easy to navigate, and is clean and professional.

Let’s go over some things to pay attention to in this regard.

First, your website needs to be clean. That means you need to cut down on the number of pop-ups and advertisements on your site. You’re probably only getting a few cents per click from those ads, so ask yourself if they are worth it.

You also need to avoid self-playing videos, flashy colors, distracting animations, and anything else that adds more clutter than value. Use black text on white background, not white text on black background — the latter is just too hard on the eyes. In general, try to include plenty of white space.

You also need high-quality media. Use professional, premium photos in your posts, and use a great logo. Avoid public domain stock photos you found on the web or Google Images — many bloggers use the same public domain images, and it looks lazy.

Finally, your website needs to be responsive on all devices of all sizes. A mobile-responsive theme is a must. You need to make sure mobile users can access your menu, fill out forms, click call-to-action buttons, and read the text — the text shouldn’t be too wide for the screen.

We specialize in digital marketing, which includes web designs that work and convert. Get a quote below.

2. Build Your Brand

A strong brand helps build trust, and a strong brand requires consistency. While there are many things you should be consistent with, there are two main aspects that will stand out the most: your color palette and your tone of voice.

The colors you use in your branding should be consistent across all branding materials. That includes your:

• Website
• Social media profiles
• Emails
• Advertisements
• Offline flyers
• Television ads
• And so on

You might not have thought about it much, but there are specific color palettes that you usually associate with particular brands. Let’s go over some examples:

• Green, lime green, yellow, and white — Sprite
• Red, blue, and white — after the US flag, you’d probably think of Pepsi
• Red and yellow — McDonald’s

Of course, context matters. If you are buying a soda in the store, and you see Pepsi’s colors, you’ll automatically think of Pepsi; in another context, you might think of the US flag. The specific shades of those colors matter as well.

Color palettes help increase brand recognition and help people remember you.

You also need a consistent tone of voice. Keep a consistent tone of voice:

• On your blog
• On social media
• In your emails
• In your messages and conversations with consumers

That way, people will know what to expect from you. They will know you are consistent and stick to a certain set of values.

3. Highlight Social Proofs

Social proof is important when building trust. When people come across a business online, the first thing they often look for is what other people are saying. People trust other people’s opinions online.

One way to highlight social proof is by showing awards or certifications you received. It doesn’t matter if the certification was big or small — most consumers don’t know the difference, and just having a badge affirming your award will often do wonders for your conversion rates.

If you did not receive any awards or certifications, you can always add simple trust badges to your website. Many WordPress plugins will help you do that. For example, you can add a Visa or Mastercard icon, a GoDaddy trust seal if you host on GoDaddy, or a DigiCert Trust badge if you have an SSL certificate from DigiCert.

Testimonials are important too. Try to get a few testimonials from customers and display them on your site. You can make a separate page with testimonials that you link to, or you can display a testimonial or two in your footer or sidebar.

Important: Make sure to include pictures and names with your testimonials, so people feel that the testimonials are coming from real people.

The reason testimonials work so well is that people put a lot of trust in online reviews. Testimonials on your website might seem somewhat less trustworthy, so consider linking to or highlighting reviews you have received on other platforms as well, such as:

• Google
• Facebook
• Yelp

Since those reviews are on third-party platforms that you do not control, people tend to trust them a little more.

In addition to text testimonials, consider embedding a video testimonial. In a video testimonial, the speaker can tell a story and connect with their audience more. Videos by actual people often seem more real than a short paragraph with someone’s picture next to it.

Case studies on results you have achieved for your clients are perfect as well. You can make all kinds of claims and promises, but nothing beats real results, backed up with real data.

4. Make It Easy to Get in Touch

A good website design will make it easy for visitors to get in touch with you will drive more sales, as people will be able to ask questions and relieve common pre-purchase doubts and hesitations.

However, by making it clear how people can get in touch with you, you also help build trust. It shows you are transparent with your customers and that you are ready and willing to answer any questions. It also shows you are confident in the value of what you have to offer.

Some things to highlight on your website include your:

• Address
• Email
• Phone number

Your address is especially important as a local business. Consider also embedding a Google Maps widget, so people can find directions to your location in Google Maps. Need help? Contact us today.

Having an email address is the bare minimum, but having a phone number that people can call to talk with a real person builds even more trust.

You can display your contact information in your header, sidebar, or footer. You can also add a contact page to your sidebar menu, but people shouldn’t have to look around your website for a way to contact you. You want your contact information to be clear and visible from the get-go, as soon as customers land on your site.

Make sure any contact information on your website is consistent with the contact information listed on your local citations.

5. Show Authority

Finally, you need to show that you are an authority in your niche and that you know what you’re doing. If you offer plumbing services, for example, or you are an HVAC technician, how will people know that you are any good at what you do?

A great way to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise is to offer valuable information on your blog. A blog allows you to not only help people but also show that you understand common problems and have the solutions to fix them. You can also talk about common mistakes that people make — including other professionals in your field — so people know you are unique and provide a better service.

Building a social following is another effective way to show authority. That goes back to the social proof aspect we talked about — when a lot of people follow you, it shows that others value your opinions and trust you, which builds trust in new visitors.

It’s not enough to have a lot of followers, however. You need your followers to engage with your content. If you have a lot of followers but no engagement, it will seem as if you bought followers, which is terrible for building trust.

Here are some tips for building up a social following and showing authority on social media:

• Fill out your bio and upload a professional logo or photo
• Post helpful content consistently
• Mix up your content
• Post images and videos
• Consider posting helpful links to resources published on other websites (as long as they are not competitor websites)
• Like and share posts made by others in your niche
• Encourage discussions and comments
• Respond to comments

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, it all boils down to trust. Can consumers trust you enough to give you their money? If you can build trust, you will increase your conversion rates, improve your online brand and reputation, and get more sales. You will also get more word-of-mouth referrals. A good website design will build the needed trust if you follow the steps outlined above.

In addition to these five tips, always provide excellent customer service, both before and after a sale. Providing professional support is an integral part of building trust. Be attentive and make your customers feel heard. Accept feedback, including constructive criticism, and use it to improve your services.

Importance of Web Design To Your Business

Are you wondering why many businesses are willing to pay top dollar for web design work? Consider this: most consumers nowadays search for product information online before purchasing. This type of consumer behavior highlights the importance of having a content-rich, functional, and modern web design.

With competition becoming increasingly fierce, creating a basic website for your business would no longer suffice. Since it is considered one of your online presence’s critical elements, it must be designed right. If your site leaves much to be desired, you won’t be able to convert potential leads into paying customers.

Why Website Design Matters

Here’s an interesting statistic: A staggering 75 percent of online users make judgments about a company’s credibility based on visual design alone. Understandably, when you come across a website with an outdated design, more often than not, you won’t think highly of the company it represents.

It is possible that you may even question the quality of the products or services they are offering, doubt their legitimacy, or visit a competitor’s website to find what you are looking for. It is important to remember that first impressions are powerful, and their first impression of your site can either make them stay or drive them away.

The Importance of Web Design for Your Business

While unfortunate to note, poor design will not only hurt your credibility, it can also drive potential customers away. Below are other reasons why you need to make good web design a top priority:

It can help create a favorable first impression.

It takes just a few seconds for visitors to form an impression of your website. That said, you need to ensure you can create a great first impression in the first few seconds your visitors will land on your site. This is something your web design can help you accomplish.

It is also crucial that you update your site when needed to ensure it stays relevant and to guarantee a remarkable user experience. Fortunately, your site does not have to be brought down for updates to be patched. Nowadays, many expert web developers and designers can integrate updates seamlessly.

It can make it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for.

Your web design has a massive impact on how easy it will be for your visitors to find what they are looking for. Some research indicates that 86 percent of site visitors are looking for service or product information, 65 percent are looking for contact information, while 52 percent want to read the About page.

It is recommended that your web design should make finding those crucial elements easy. Otherwise, you can end up frustrating your visitors and, worse, driving them away. In line with this, consider placing primary services in your website’s main navigation. It would also be a good idea to feature the contact number in the upper right-hand corner.

It can help amplify your conversions.

Want to increase your conversions significantly? Your website design can help! Start by creating a design that highlights calls to action and draws attention to special offers. It is reassuring to know there are various ways you can optimize your web design for maximum conversion. Let us examine two different but equally powerful examples:

One of the foolproof ways you can draw attention toward the desired action is to use open or white space around the call-to-action. One established brand that employs this technique is Apple. The brand is known for its bold images and simple and clean designs surrounded by lots of white space.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Amazon. While most Amazon pages are crowded with product options and information, one thing always stands out: the yellow Add to Cart button. Even if the page is busy with contrasting colors and different styles, you are still drawn to the ever-important conversion button.

It can make your site look and function on all devices.

Nowadays, most online searches occur on mobile devices, and the trend has no signs of slowing down. With Google now encouraging a mobile-first approach, a web design that’s mobile-friendly is recommended if you want to stay relevant. Many users also think a mobile website design should be just as good as a desktop website design.

Unfortunately, some web designers focus too much on making the website visually appealing that they forget about mobile friendliness. In today’s mobile-friendly world, a superior website design should go beyond a single screen. Ideally, your website should be responsive and should function accordingly on all devices regardless of size.

You can learn more about common web design mistakes here.

It can help strengthen your search engine optimization efforts.

A well-rounded website design is not about the visual elements on the front end alone. However, it is essential to remember that how the design comes together can significantly impact your search engine optimization efforts.

For instance, if your website design has too many large images or loads slowly, it will drive visitors away and impact your SEO efforts negatively.

If you would like a free SEO site audit just message us today to get on the schedule.

It is easy to maintain.

While it can be an expensive investment at the beginning, a well-designed website is worth every penny. Aside from the fact that they are way easier to develop, well-designed websites are also straightforward to maintain.

Not only that, maintaining a website that’s properly designed will also cost much less. With less maintenance work and cost, you can focus your time on other aspects of the business that need your immediate attention. We specialize in website design for businesses to get started simply fill out a quote request.

Conclusion

Your website design is one of the most powerful tools you can use to take your business to the next level. That said, it’s safe to assume it is one of those investments that will provide the most bang for your buck.

It is also recommended that you invest in professional help to ensure your website design is optimized accordingly so you can enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.