In today’s digital world, everything is becoming more and more mobile-friendly. Think about it: how often do you look things up on your phone? Are you reading this blog on your mobile device? According to Statista, “Mobile accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide. In the first quarter of 2023, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 58.33 percent of global website traffic, consistently hovering around the 50 percent mark since the beginning of 2017 before permanently surpassing it in 2020.”
According to TechJury, “83 percent of mobile users expect a flawless experience whenever they visit a website with any mobile device.” Up to 70 percent of web traffic comes from mobile devices. So how do you make your website mobile-friendly? Here are a few tips.
CREATE THE BEST WEBSITE
A website can be one page, five pages, or 10,000+ pages. It can be informative, just showcase designs, or physically sell your wares. There is really no limit to how small or how big you can go with a website. For thousands of screen printers, a basic website may be all you need. This type of website typically is only around 5 pages but showcases your brand, talks about your business, and shows off the products and services you offer. It also includes contact information like an email address or phone number and often provides a physical address.
Anything beyond the list above is completely up to you. Maybe you’d like to add a portfolio section to highlight some of your awesome work, or even add photos or videos from events, customers, cool print jobs, etc. Once you have a website, you can make your footprint online. You now have a “home” on the web where you can point people, show off your work, and be found by potential customers.
WHERE CAN I BUILD A WEBSITE?
There are several website tools available for building your own website. Entry-level tools, like the ones listed below, range in price from free up to about $25 per month. If you Google “website builders” you’ll get quite a list, but the ones you’ll typically hear most about are:
Weebly: This site-building software may seem older than other platforms, but don’t discount it. It’s still the world’s top website-building tool.
WordPress: Many great websites are built using WordPress. It contains excellent SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools that will help your site get noticed and gain viewers. It’s also the perfect platform for written content like blogging
SquareSpace: Perhaps the most popular website builder is SquareSpace, especially for shops not looking to sell online. It's easy navigation and user-friendly building tools make it a great all-around site builder. The sleek look and numerous template options make it easy to personalize. Shops like Boyd Creative Print Shop have set up websites using SquareSpace.
Shopify: Looking to get into the e-commerce game? Shopify is the perfect site for your shop. With tons of integration, great themes to personalize your shop, and tons of support, you’ll be able to sell your garments easily. For example, Rogue Lab uses Shopify as its e-commerce platform.
RELATED: ESTABLISHING A BRAND: CREATING VISUAL ELEMENTS
Now that you have created a website, it’s time to make it mobile-friendly.
OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE FOR MOBILE DEVICES
Good news: most sites nowadays are already mobile-friendly. If you’ve created a website in the recent past (2-3 years), you’re probably a few steps ahead of the curve. Every site could use a bit of improvement, so here are 5 tips to create the best mobile site ever.
#1: THINK OF THE THUMBS
People using their phones to scroll through websites are likely using their thumbs. This means the overall layout, links, and button size should be optimized for mobile devices. If you’re clicking a link with your thumb, the link needs to be separated from other links so you click the right link. Buttons need to be thumb-sized, and placed in a location that someone can easily tap it. You don’t want buttons in the top corners of the screen, where they’re hard to reach with your thumb.
One large issue with mobile-friendly sites is the responsive layout between the desktop and mobile versions of the site. On a desktop, two images can be placed next to each other. That’s not the case with mobile sites. On mobile, these images need to be formatted on top of each other to create the best experience. Similarly, text needs to wrap to a phone screen, so users don’t have to scroll over to read the ends of sentences.
#2: WEBSITE SPEED
Let’s be honest: people are impatient these days. Remember when you used to sit for minutes at a time waiting for the internet to load? Not anymore. The website needs to load instantly. Here are some tips to make it happen.
Host videos on a 3rd party site like YouTube, then embed them into your website. Compress images and use proper formats: JPEG 2000, JPEG XR, AVIF, and WebP, which all result in smaller file sizes than JPEGs and PNGs of similar quality.
Avoid pop-ups. Not only are they annoying, but pop-ups also don’t work well on many mobile sites. Remember the thumbs? Exiting out of a pop-up on a mobile device isn’t thumb-friendly.
#3: KEEP IT CLEAN
No, we’re not referring to language (although keeping language friendly will help your site’s SEO). We’re talking about the design of the website.
Step one: De-clutter pages. The best user experience means a user can get anywhere on your site (and back again) within 3 or 4 clicks. This means limiting the number of clicks you’re asking users to make. Too many Calls to Action (CTAs) make the message too cluttered and can lead to confusion. Telling users to “shop your new collection” but also to “sign up for my newsletter” on the same page can be too much. Users can bounce from your website in favor of another clear and concise site.
Step two: Keep text easy to read and make sure every page has plenty of white space. You might have a novel to write about your brand, but will users take the time to read it? And if they do, can they read it if the text is poorly formatted? Incorporate blank space in your website to keep the layout clear and readable. Your users — and graphic designer — will thank you for it.
Keep testing your website for mobile-friendliness. Here’s a bonus tip: link your social media to the website and link your site on your social media bios, making it easy for people to find you across platforms. Want some extra visibility? Add your shop to the screen printer directory on ScreenPrinting.com so people everywhere can find your shop and website that much easier.
