50% chance you’re on your mobile right now…

In the UK, we’re using our mobile devices for roughly half of our web browsing (2024). This trend that has been on a steady incline for over a decade means your website likely be viewed the most on mobile.

The future of desktops

While desktop computers will still have their place for certain tasks, their overall usage for web browsing is likely to decline. This is especially true for younger demographics who have grown up with mobile devices.

The desktop has some benefits over the mobile. Ergonomics, large screens, business applications, creative applications, and gaming are a few areas that come to mind.

While the desktop’s role in web browsing may diminish, it is likely to remain a valuable tool for specific use cases and continue to evolve to meet changing needs.

We’ll take a punt and suggest that the future may involve a situation where our devices are perfectly integrated and are in essence the same machine accessed through different means.

The future of mobiles

While desktop usage declines, emerging technologies like 5G and foldable screens may accelerate the dominance of our mobile devices to a point where many users may never use a desktop Even if users reject foldable screens, mobile performance will continue to improve.

It’s difficult to imagine a situation where mobile devices lose their dominance.

Build websites for mobile and desktop

In 2024 it makes sense to give equal attention to designing a website for mobile and desktop.

Consider the following when building your website for mobile and desktop.

Mobile website design tips:

Websites can be built to use different layouts based on different screen sizes. In 2024 its important to have a mobile layout that is as effective as your desktop layout.

Avoid clutter and excessive animations, especially on mobile devices. Focus on how the user will experience the logical flow of information you’re presenting.

Design for mobile devices first and then adapt for larger screens. This ensures a good foundation and helps you focus on essential elements.

Avoid trying to provide all your information in ‘one page’ view and acknowledge that users will intuitively and happily scroll to absorb more information in orderly fashion.

While emulators and simulators can be helpful, testing on real devices is essential to catch any device-specific issues.

Ensure your site loads as quickly as possible by optimising your code and content, e.g., images can be resized and compressed for purpose without losing any signficant visual quality – this can significant shorten the time it takes to load a page

There are emulators and simulators which can be helpful but testing on real devices is essential to catch any device-specific issues.

Build for change

Building a responsive website that caters to the mobile experience will allow you to:

  • Create something that looks beautiful on all devices
  • Develop logic that will provide a seamless and enjoyable user experience
  • Be prepared for ongoing change as new devices are developed

Hope you found this article helpful.

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