The task of building a website is quite easy. There are multiple sites and tools available on the internet that will easily help a person in building a website. There are many purposes for which a website is built. Some people use the website as an e-commerce platform while others describe the services which they offer. The causes for creating a website can be different, but all website holders want to ensure that their websites attract the target audience effectively.
The transition concerning internet access
It is well-known that the internet is accessed by an individual through a particular device which has an internet connection. Previously mostly desktop computers were used for accessing the internet. However with the passage of time and development in computer technology portable computers were introduced in the market. Therefore the method of providing internet access also changed.
Wireless mode of connection is used for providing internet access to individuals using portable devices. However further revolution was brought about by Android technology. Mobile devices were created which enabled internet access from anywhere and during any point of time. Therefore the websites which were developed for desktop computers have to be adjusted so that mobile users could access the same websites without any problem.
The adjustments required for making mobile websites
When a website is opened through a desktop device, then a lot of information can be shown on the home page. However when the same website is viewed through a mobile device which can have a considerably smaller screen size then putting all the information on the main page becomes a challenge. The aspects which have to be considered by website owners and builders for ensuring mobile traffic for their websites include the following:
1. The orientation of the home page
The homepage is the first page of the website which is shown to a person when he/she clicks on the link of the website. This home page, when displayed on the desktop, doesn’t have to be oriented as per different screen modes. However when the website is accessed through a mobile device, then the issue of orientation adjustment rises. There are two screen modes portrait and landscape. As per the mode of the screen selected by the user the website homepage has to be displayed. The screen size changes considerably as per the screen orientation. Therefore websites have to be adjusted according to the orientation of the screen. For this purpose, optimization has to be done so that the website can be viewed by the user through any mode.
2. The adjustment of the menu
There is a main menu for any website. Along with the primary separation of different categories, there are also submenus which have to be displayed. Reducing content is not a good option because mobile users should not get insufficient information. However, the menu which can be clearly shown under different categories on a desktop site cannot be shown directly on a mobile device, so the website owners and/or developers have to use mobile website design. Therefore the categories have to be swept in one icon. Usually, a hamburger menu is used for that purpose. In this process, the entire navigation consisting of different information categories are added in a single button.
The user can tap on the hamburger menu icon and then the categories will be displayed on the screen. Sub categories under a specific information heading will be shown when the category is selected. Therefore the menu has to be swept under a single button in mobile websites so that the screen is not cluttered with menu options and the rest of the content doesn’t get sidelined. Hence the menu has to be adjusted suitably so that navigation is not jeopardized and screen space is also saved.
3. The presentation of graphical content
Slow websites are despised by internet users and while visiting a website if it takes more than 10 seconds to load then the user will navigate away from that website. For website builders, it is a challenging affair because graphical content can take time to load and when websites are viewed through mobile devices, then it takes all the more time to load the entire content. Therefore web developers have to be conscious regarding the use of media content on the website. There is no doubt about that fact that graphical content is, but it cannot be used if the content lowers the speed of the website. Therefore in the case of mobile websites the content has to be made in an intelligent manner so that visual vibrancy doesn’t negatively affect the performance of the website.
4. The maintenance of legible font size:
One of the most common practices engaged for making a website viewable through a mobile device is to downsize the content. Written content is also reduced in size, so that fits it within the mobile screen. There is no doubt about the fact that bringing down the size of the content is important, but if the written content is not legible to the naked eye, then it becomes a problem. Websites that have a sufficient quantity of written content might face a problem in this regard. However, instead of including the entire content, it is sensible to use excerpts of the content.
Headings can be used, and if the user clicks on the content, then the entire material can be shown. Certainly, sites having a huge amount of written content will face difficulty while optimizing the website for mobile but with correct tweaking, desirable results can be achieved. It is also important to identify the most significant information. This can be new content or the most searched quality content on the website. Highlighting this type of content on the homepage of the website is vital.
Hence, website owners have to be careful and view the website through multiple devices. If the website doesn’t look appropriate or takes a lot of time to load then changes, have to be made so that the website becomes mobile friendly.