Customers use websites in different ways so make sure you cater for them all

When someone visits your website they expect it to work quickly, smoothly and effortlessly every time on any device. Whether scrolling on a mobile phone, browsing from a tablet, or navigating via a desktop, the experience should be intuitive, efficient, and just easy to find what they are looking for.

From a website design point of view, how do you deliver consistent content and branding while ensuring your site looks perfect on different screen sizes, user preferences, and behaviours?

Simple. Or is it? The answer is more than just developing responsive layouts. It’s about understanding how users interact with your site depending on the device they are using. For example, mobile users often want quick, actionable information, like contact details or location, and desktop users may explore more in-depth content or engage with complex features.

One size does NOT fit all

Research shows that user expectations shift dramatically between devices. That means your website presence needs to go beyond looking good. It needs to respond to the context in which it’s being viewed, providing a seamless and positive experience every time.

We all accept that customer experience is a key differentiator, businesses need to treat every access point as an opportunity to impress. A well-optimised, device-agnostic website isn’t just good practice, it’s essential for staying competitive in a mobile-first world.

Creating a mobile-friendly website categorically does not mean simply shrinking your existing desktop site to fit a smaller screen. Both laptop and mobile users deserve sites that have been well thought through for their needs – and with half your viewers looking at your site on their desktop, the way your website performs for them is equally as important.

Key differences for mobile users:

Speed – Mobile users are typically in more of a hurry to cut to the chase and get vital information quickly than desktop viewers; this may be because they’re on the move, checking their phone between meetings, or in front of the TV in the evening, browsing your site at the same time, and therefore easily frustrated with anything that’s hard to see or too fiddly. These users will not be prepared to spend as much time exploring your site as desktop visitors, but they still expect to be shown the same information; this means re-prioritising by switching on and off elements of the site to make them appear differently depending on the viewing method. For example, a desktop site can have “mouseovers” (content that is uncovered when you hover over it with a mouse) but mobile user have no mouse, so will need this information to be accessed in a different way.

Things that we consider when designing a mobile-first website:

• Clear, easily-pressed buttons.
• User-actions such as “buy”, “get quote” or “check availability” will benefit from being in large letters on the landing page, while on a desktop you may prefer a more subtle approach so as not to put off the customer with too much of a sales pitch early on in their visit.
• Clear means of getting back to the home page, e.g., selecting your business logo.
• Edited down content on the landing page so it’s shorter and punchier.
• Adding filters to menus so they are pared down but the same level of content is still there.

On the move – When creating a website design we think carefully about what mobile users may want and need, that desktop users won’t and also, what advantages a mobile phone may have over a laptop. For example, if your business is a shop we would look at including mobile-specific features such as directions to your premises which use the phone’s GPS.

Different times of day – One very exciting area to consider when designing sites, which we are pioneering at Gravity Digital, is to change information on our mobile-friendly sites depending on the time of day. As with all the other points above, the best way of coming up with innovative design is to put yourself in the shoes of your users. In particular, think how their needs will change as the day progresses. At eight in the evening, a mobile user may be interested in different information than they are in the morning – whether that’s because they are out with friends or watching TV at home. Your business could give different content than when the site is accessed at 10am. Let’s say your business is in idyllic country cottages – you could include a ‘sunset’ picture in the evenings, which will make your site feel fresh and up to date. Or if you run a restaurant, a button which tells people how busy you are when they press it at 7pm, or what the specials are today, will be both innovative and useful. First thing in the morning? Think about what commuters might need when looking at your site. Remember, everything is flexible, from colours to content.

The key is, as with all areas of business, try to think about the needs of your customer and put them at the forefront of every decision you make. That way, you’re sure to come up with multi-purpose, user-friendly websites that will take you from strength to strength.