Last updated on June 10th, 2024 at 09:48 am
Are you wondering how to make a website mobile-friendly in the Philippines? In this blog article, we will give you a complete guide to ensuring your website provides the best possible experience for mobile users.
A mobile-friendly website is now a must-have for any business. Mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, Android phones, and tablets, account for over half of all web traffic.
Now more than ever, if a company’s website isn’t mobile-friendly and easy to read on a small screen, it risks losing more than half of its potential clients.
You’re probably already viewing this on a mobile device. Google reports that mobile devices account for more than 50% of all web traffic. The Philippines has the world’s highest average smartphone usage time of 5 hours and 47 minutes per day.
A mobile-friendly website can make all the difference in reaching and connecting with the Filipino audience, who prefers to consume online content while on the go.
What does it mean to be mobile-friendly?
In simpler terms, a mobile-friendly website is intended to deliver a consistent user experience regardless of the device used to view it. This implies that the site’s style, content, and navigation will automatically resize to fit the smaller screens and touch-based interfaces of smartphones and tablets, providing users with the best possible experience.
Why Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly?
1). Increased visitors
Optimizing mobile sites is critical for improving search engine rankings (SERPs). Search engines like Google favor mobile-friendly websites, resulting in higher search rankings and more organic visitors.
2). Brand credibility.
Mobile website optimization can boost a company’s trustworthiness. It shows a commitment to innovation and professionalism, which might entice investors, especially for startups. In fact, with the growing trend of mobile access, even small businesses are producing mobile apps to supplement their websites.
3). User Accessibility:
Making your website accessible across several devices improves user accessibility and overall user experience (UX). Businesses can also benefit from this by expanding their market reach. Mobile-friendly websites encourage users to return, which leads to improved conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
4). Competitive Advantage
Having a mobile-friendly website can help you stand out from competitors who have yet to adapt to mobile.
How to Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Here are 12 recommendations for creating a mobile-friendly website that is equally effective for desktop users.
#1. Start with a mobile-first approach.
A mobile-first design prioritizes creating user experiences for mobile devices before adapting them for desktops. By designing and developing your website for mobile first, you ensure that it is optimized for tiny displays and remains responsive as the display size increases. This approach prioritizes the needs of mobile users, who are likely to make up most of your audience. This guarantees that the mobile experience is not an afterthought but a priority.
#2. Select a mobile responsive template.
A responsive layout lets your website alter its size to match the user’s device. It adapts to different screen sizes, displaying relevant content and altering design, such as switching from a two-column layout on a computer to a one-column style on a smartphone. If you employ a responsive design, shifting between screens should not slow down download speeds.
Google favors mobile-friendly sites in search results, so a responsive website can help with search engine optimization (SEO). Google’s algorithms now prioritize mobile-rendered web pages for ranking, raising the bar for mobile-friendly websites. Most website builders in the Philippines provide customizable website designs with mobile-friendly features, making it ideal for individuals new to website construction or without technical skills.
#3. Avoid using flash.
Flash is commonly used for animations, but it is not supported on mobile devices, thus it is best avoided. Use HTML5 and CSS to create a responsive and mobile-friendly website. HTML5 allows you to conduct online operations without browser plugins, incorporate media, and create mobile-friendly animations.
#4. Improve Your Site’s Speed
A website’s page load speed is the time it takes for a page to fully load when a visitor accesses it. Optimizing this speed is essential for enhancing user experience, as slow loading times can deter visitors and negatively affect conversions.
Additionally, faster sites can rank better in search engine results. Use free tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to check your website’s load time. If you find it’s sluggish, consider the following tips to boost your website’s speed:
a). Reduce the Number of Redirects
Each URL redirect requires the browser to make a new request to the server, adding to the load time. Minimize redirects by using direct links or URL shorteners.
b). Check Your Web Hosting Plan
The quality of your hosting service significantly affects your site’s performance. Choose a fast and reliable hosting provider to ensure your website operates at optimal speed.
#5. Choosing Readable Fonts for Better Engagement
Selecting clear, simple fonts is essential for users on the go, enhancing readability and engagement with your site. A good font selection not only boosts readability but also enhances your site’s professional and trustworthy appearance.
Tips for Choosing the Best Website Font:
i). Stick to Standard Fonts
Avoid delays caused by font downloads, which can slow down your website’s loading time, especially on mobile devices.
ii). Adjust Font Size for Mobile
The recommended font size for desktops (at least 14 pixels) may not be sufficient for smaller screens. Test font sizes on mobile devices to ensure legibility.
iii). Opt for Black Text
Black text ensures better visibility across different backgrounds and lighting conditions, avoiding readability issues caused by multiple colors.
iv). Use Limited Space Effectively
On mobile devices, bold or capitalize text to prevent lines from merging. Unlike desktops, you can’t always afford to space out text and images extensively.
#6. Optimize Images for Mobile Viewing
Mobile devices typically have limited bandwidth compared to desktops, leading to slower loading times for large image files. Additionally, many mobile users face data restrictions, so using smaller image sizes helps conserve data usage. The goal is to keep image sizes as small as possible without compromising quality. Here are some tips to achieve this:
✔Size Your Images
High-resolution images can significantly slow down load times. Compress images to formats like WebP, which is optimized for web performance. Tools like image resizers can help reduce file sizes while maintaining visual quality.
✔Adopt Lazy Loading
Loading all images on a page simultaneously can slow down the initial load time, particularly on pages with many images. Implement lazy loading to ensure images load only when they are about to come into view, enhancing performance and user experience.
✔Use Percentages Instead of Pixels
Setting image dimensions in fixed pixels can cause display issues on smaller screens with different resolutions. Use percentage-based dimensions to ensure images scale appropriately, preventing horizontal scrolling and ensuring a better fit on various screen sizes.
#7. Simplify navigation.
When consumers pull out their smartphones, they are frequently looking for something specific, such as a quick answer, a restaurant address, or a customer care number. In these situations, individuals want to get the information they need as quickly and easily as possible.
Consider what your mobile visitors are looking for, and make it easy to find on your mobile homepage. Use analytics to learn what mobile visitors want. In Google Analytics, you can add Mobile Traffic as a Segment in the Behaviour area to track how mobile visitors interact with your website.
#8. Eliminate pop-ups.
Pop-ups may be fine on desktop computers, but they degrade the user experience on mobile devices. When visitors come to our website, we want to give them a smooth experience, whether they’re doing research or trying to convert. If you believe a pop-up is necessary for mobile devices, you should first alter your calls to action and content hierarchy.
#9. Strategize CTA Buttons
Buttons are crucial elements in website design, particularly for calls to action (CTA). For mobile users, larger buttons are essential as they facilitate easy tapping and navigation. Since most mobile users navigate with their thumbs, buttons should be designed with thumb usability in mind.
Here are some guidelines for designing mobile-friendly buttons:
01). Apply Contrast
Enhance button visibility by using contrasting color schemes. For instance, use a light color for the button text, a dark color for the button itself, and a different contrasting color for the surrounding area. Adding a distinct color for the button’s border can also improve visibility.
02). Optimize Button Size
Buttons should be neither too small nor too large. A size of around 10mm by 10mm ensures the buttons are easy to press and readable on small screens, accommodating various fingertip sizes.
03). Maximize Button Position
Position buttons within easy reach of the thumb, typically in the lower right part of the screen, to enhance user-friendliness. Most users tap with their dominant thumb, so placing buttons within this zone improves accessibility.
#10. Declutter Web Design
Avoid cluttering your website with multiple calls to action on a single page. Too many options can make navigation confusing, particularly on smaller screens. Focus on essential functions, like the contact form.
Keep the design simple to ensure easy navigation. Use white space effectively to help users view content at a glance and stay organized. Remove outdated content to avoid unnecessary clutter and confusion.
For menus, avoid extensive lists of options. While a comprehensive menu might seem user-friendly, it can dominate screen space, especially on mobile devices. Instead, use a hamburger menu—a button that opens a detailed menu—to save space and reduce clutter.
#11. Implementing the Viewport Meta Tag
If your page maintains the same width on a phone’s small screen as on a desktop, viewers will have to awkwardly scroll side to side to read a text and view different parts of the page.
By using the viewport meta tag, you can control the width and scaling of the viewport, ensuring your website displays correctly on all devices.
#12. Test the website on actual mobile devices.
Regular testing is the most effective technique to detect minor errors that degrade your visitors’ experience. Now and then, open your website on your phone or tablet and browse to see if anything needs to be clarified or done. Make sure you test on both Android and iOS devices.
Conclusion
As we conclude this comprehensive guide on creating a mobile-friendly website, it’s crucial to emphasize the importance of mobile readiness in the Filipino market. The Philippines, with its highly active online community, offers significant opportunities for businesses to succeed digitally. With 67 million mobile users, having a mobile-friendly website is a necessity, not a luxury.
A mobile-friendly website is vital for reaching the broadest possible audience in the Philippines. By following these steps, you can ensure your site is accessible, engaging, and effective for mobile users. The goal is to provide a seamless experience that encourages visitors to return, regardless of the device they use. Implementing these strategies will help you create a mobile-friendly website that meets the needs of modern Filipino users, ensuring a strong online presence and an engaged audience.