A headache for web designers, a challenge for developers, an opportunity for marketers... Mobile introduces new rules, especially that of compatibility. This is precisely the objective of the mobile first approach. Good to know: the expression "mobile first" has two meanings: the philosophy (having a mobile first approach to adapt to the uses of its users) and the design (offering screens perfectly adapted to small terminals). Here, we will talk about both philosophy and design, since both are linked to mobile first development.
More and more users are on mobile
Contrary to what companies who develop their websites in desktop first would like to believe, smartphones and tablets are leading the market: more than half of the time spent on the Internet is spent via mobile. This statistic, eloquent in itself, takes on a certain magnitude when you consider that the world is populated by 4.54 billion Internet users. In fact, more than 2.27 billion people access the Internet through their smartphone.
But it doesn't stop there: mobile users spend a lot of time on their devices, about 3 hours and 40 minutes a day. Is it time to initiate a mobile first strategy? More than ever, or else we will miss out on billions of opportunities.
Mobile first, responsive design, mobile friendly, adaptive website... What are the differences?
The mobile-first approach is appealing, but in concrete terms, how can it be developed? Is it the only solution? What about desktop first websites? Discover the different mobile-oriented designs.
Mobile-first design has a unique process: we move from the classic pattern (progressive degradation from desktop to mobile) to a progressive improvement between mobile and desktop. Content and screens are created for a mobile website which will then be enhanced for the desktop version.
Mobile friendly design is, simply put, a website configured in desktop version that is readable on mobile. The readability varies from one development to another.
The responsive design responds to a simple logic: a single web page for all media. The elements float and adapt automatically to the size of the window. Very economical in time and resources, the responsive design sometimes poses concerns about loading speed. Languages and contents can take time (even too much time) to be displayed on mobile.
Adaptive design is a unique template that is reworked per device. Tedious, but offering very good results, adaptive design allows to create content specific to each device and loads quickly.
The advantages and disadvantages of the mobile first approach to ask the right questions
As tempting as it may be, the mobile-first approach addresses specific issues for developers and for users. On the development side, let's consider the advantages and constraints of mobile first.
Thanks to the mobile-first approach, the user experience is more lively. The adapted screen, the fluid navigation and the speed of loading remove a lot of tension. Moreover, the content, at the center of your site, is perfectly mastered. Every piece of information published is useful for the user and nothing is missing from your mobile interface. These points are also beneficial for your referencing: the Google search engine prioritizes fast loading mobile sites.
However, mobile first requires more resources and above all, specialized experts (or at least, comfortable with this technique). Developers will have to create a website with the resources of the cell phone, which are naturally poorer than those of a desktop computer.
Pros and cons aside, mobile first is created especially when it meets a need. Therefore, ask yourself the right questions: is it for you? Is your customer base on mobile? Do they use mobile first? Are they looking for different functionalities on mobile than on desktop?
There are multiple ways to be mobile-friendly without putting in all the effort that mobile first requires. Before starting any mobile-first development project, you need to ask yourself the right questions and look at your users. Whatever your decision, one piece of advice: design mobile as a complement and not as an extension of the desktop, you will enrich your platforms and combine multiple successful user experiences.
