Many people will first meet your brand on a phone. They may be on a bus, between meetings or on the sofa. If your pages are hard to read or use on a small screen, they may leave before they find what they came for. Designing mobile-first means starting with the smallest screen and building up.
Why start with mobile
Designing for a small screen forces you to prioritise. There is no room for every idea, so you must decide what matters most. That clarity usually improves the desktop version too. It is much easier to add space and detail for larger screens than to squeeze a crowded desktop layout onto a phone.
Practical layout tips
- Put the main message and the key action near the top of the page.
- Use a single column for most content on small screens.
- Keep paragraphs short and headings clear.
- Make buttons large enough to tap easily, with space around them.
- Use readable text sizes without the need to zoom.
- Keep forms short, and use the right input types for phone numbers and emails.
Think about images and speed
Large images can slow pages down, especially on mobile connections. Use images that are sized for the screen, and compress them before upload. Ask whether each image earns its place. A clear, fast page often works better than a heavy, decorative one.
Navigation and testing
Keep your main menu short and clearly labelled. Make sure the menu button is easy to find and the options inside are easy to tap. Think about what people most often look for, such as contact details or pricing, and make those easy to reach. Browser tools that simulate phones are helpful, but they are not the same as the real thing. Test your pages on a few actual phones, in different sizes, and try completing the key task yourself.
Mobile-first design is really about respect for your visitors’ time and attention. If you would like help reviewing your key pages on mobile, the Northpeak team would be happy to take a look.
