A decade ago, many websites were viewed from laptop or desktop computers. But as the smartphone became more popular, web designers began seeing the need for mobile-friendly versions of their websites. Today the transition to a smartphone-dominated internet is complete. The websites Zimmer Marketing hosts receive about 90% mobile visits. That means rather than creating mobile versions of a website designed with desktop users in mind, it is now essential to prioritize smartphone users with mobile-first web design. This week, we'll discuss the best reasons for embracing mobile-first web design. 

Web design is all about user experience. Pages laid out for large wide screens and mouse navigation are notoriously nonintuitive and difficult to use from a smartphone. Websites built on these principles frustrate users and cause them to quickly abandon your website. Even websites designed for desktops with a 'mobile-friendly' version struggle with these user experience issues. That's because it's difficult to completely mitigate usability issues if the original website design is geared toward desktop. The best practice is to start with the mobile user in mind to create the best possible user experience and better serve your customers.

Mobile-first design emphasizes performance optimization, which is essential for mobile users with slower internet connections or limited data plans. By focusing on mobile design, developers can streamline the website's code, reduce unnecessary elements, and optimize images for faster page loading times. This greatly improves your opportunity to reach new customers who may otherwise navigate away from your website, discouraged by too long of a wait.

Google and other search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results. A mobile-first design can improve your website's search engine optimization (SEO) by increasing its visibility and ranking in mobile search results. Additionally, Google improves your website's ranking potential by measuring the time users spend on your website, based on the premise that the longer visitors stay on your website, the better your content meets their needs.

It's hard to overstate the importance of a website optimized for mobile web visitors. Many small businesses (and some large businesses) are lagging far behind in the transition to an internet space dominated by mobile users. That presents an excellent opportunity to distinguish your business from competitors by offering an unmatched experience, faster loading times, and improving your organic SEO. The time to take advantage of the current environment and stand out online is now!

We've helped dozens of local businesses improve their online presence with mobile-first web design. Zimmer Marketing would love to talk with you about bringing your business website up-to-date and helping you reach new and existing customers!

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