Why designing Mobile 1st is key

Mobile-first web design is important because it prioritizes the user experience on mobile devices, which are increasingly being used to access the internet. By starting with a mobile-first approach, website design and development is optimized for small screens and touch-based interfaces, ensuring that users have a positive experience regardless of the device they are using.

Additionally, search engines such as Google now use mobile-first indexing, which means that a website's mobile version is indexed and used to rank the site in search results. Most websites designed and developed by Sagentic Web Design are crawled use Google's mobile-first indexing crawler. This means Google crawls (and scores) your website using a mobile crawler instead of a desktop crawler - only viewing your website the way a mobile device would.

Having a mobile-friendly website is now crucial for SEO and visibility in search results since Google considers it a ranking factor. As the majority of internet usage now occurs on mobile devices, Google wants to ensure that the top-ranked websites are optimized for those users. 

Mobile Traffic Far Exceeds Desktop Traffic

Mobile-first web design has become increasingly important in recent years, as the majority of internet access now comes from mobile devices. This means that mobile-friendly websites are in high demand, and designing for mobile devices should be a priority for any web designer. With over 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, it's important to ensure that your website looks good and functions well on mobile phones in order to provide a good user experience.

Mobile Friendliness Is A Ranking Factor

Google’s ranking algorithm now considers mobile-friendliness as a factor for mobile searches, so designing a website with a mobile-first approach has a better chance of achieving a higher search ranking and potentially generating more conversions. By ranking mobile-friendly sites higher, Google aims to improve the search experience for its users and drive more traffic to sites that offer a positive mobile experience.

User Friendliness

By focusing on designing for mobile devices, web designers are forced to prioritize only the most essential elements of the website. This leads to a better user experience on mobile devices, as there are fewer distractions and the layout is easily accessible. In the early days, clients would request a dancing Jesus or American flag gif to "spruce up the look" of a website. Fortunately, those days are long over and the design focus is more strategic.

Large Screen Experience

Additionally, designing a website with a mobile-first approach also strengthens the design for desktop and tablet devices. The content-first approach to designing for smartphones can be expanded upon when designing for larger screen sizes, while still maintaining the essential elements of the website.

A mobile-friendly website helps ensure that your website is accessible to all users, regardless of the device they are using, which can have a positive impact on your brand and your search engine rankings.