The Mobile Web Design Mistakes To Avoid

As mobile web design is still a relatively new phenomenon, there is still a certain amount of trial and error involved in getting it right. Unfortunately, this means that all sorts of problems can arise out of mistakes that are made during the design process; some of these can be solved easily, whilst others could take a long time to put right. The following list incorporates the top mistakes that you should avoid making at all costs:

• Ignoring the device width
  The shape and size of the screen can vastly differ between mobile devices; the iPhone, for example, is smaller than the HTC Desire. If you have ignored these differing screen widths, you will find that some users are unable to see your website properly (more often than not resulting in them leaving the site). The design needs to fit whatever screen it is being displayed on.
• Longer load times
  Whilst filling your website with images will make it look great when viewed on a desktop computer, it will actually hamper the load times when viewed on a mobile device. If users are sitting around, waiting and waiting for your page to load, they will simply leave the site and look elsewhere for the information.
• Endless form filling
  You should not attempt to generate leads for your business via mobile web design by asking users to fill out a contact form. Trying to fill in a long form on a tiny screen can be a near impossible task (especially as you have to type using your fingers and not buttons). Another reason that this tends to be a bad idea is that users like to know that their information is secure; this is difficult on a mobile phone.
• Functionality fails
  Keep in mind that a mouse point and a human finger differ vastly in size and proportion. When putting together a design for mobile devices, you need to consider how they will be able to navigate their way around the website; place icons further apart to avoid accidental clicks, for example, and make sure icons are large enough to be clicked.

Another mobile web design mistake that should be avoided at all costs is the failure to even take your website to the mobile browsing masses. In many respects, this could be the biggest mistake of them all, as users will be forced to view the website that has been designed for a desktop computer (with quite a large screen) on their smart phone (with a much smaller screen). If this isn’t enough to send potential customers into the arms of your competitors, then we don’t know what is.