Why are we still even discussing Mobile First Thinking?

Mobile usage is not only surpassing but in some cases making up ALL of the traffic to websites. Keep that in mind.

By Wadih Antoun

About 2 min read . May 23, 2019Web Design & Development

People are on their mobiles. ALL. THE. TIME. And you shouldn’t forget this. EVER! This is addressed to everyone, including those who work in our industry.

We’re ready to bet that you’re reading this on a mobile right now. You’re not? Text us; we’d like to be proven wrong.

97% of Facebook Users in Lebanon have ONLY used Facebook on their mobile, these people have never recently seen what Facebook looks like on a laptop. (Facebook Audience Insight)

Despite all of the knowledge on the power of mobile, designers still begin by designing a desktop version of a website and try to scale it down , and clients want to see things on a big screen and then decide accordingly… Meanwhile, web developers begin by developing the mobile version of a website, and then scale up. This is how Mobile First Thinking started, but it’s more than just about development. It’s about planning.

What are the implications of Mobile First Thinking?

Think of your visitor experience on a small screen. They’re scrolling on a vertical canvas, they can’t see everything, and they’re also scrolling fast, so:

  • Reduce page weight
  • Remove automatic image carousels
  • Speed up check out process or navigational steps
  • Focus on functionality, not just design
  • And test, test, test before going live

Google has a neat tool to test your mobile site limits called Test My Site. Try it.

Before we conclude, and although a website is the main focus here, the topic of Mobile First extends to everything we do digitally, including photos & videos on social media, vertical story format and the like. It even extends to thinking of your usual content in terms of short, quick, but attention-grabbing messaging.

Talk to us to discuss this further or to tell us if you read this on a big screen.

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