Why the phone comes first
People often look for a business in passing: at the bus stop, during a break, on the sofa. Within a few seconds they decide whether to call or swipe back to the search results. Google, too, judges websites mainly by their mobile version.
A site that looks good on a computer can still fail on a phone: tiny text, buttons you can’t hit, or a menu that covers half the screen.
The five-minute self-test
Take your own phone and open your website, ideally over mobile data rather than Wi-Fi.
- Does it load quickly? Do you see content after a few seconds, or just a blank white screen?
- Can you tell straight away what the business does? Without scrolling and without zooming.
- Can you call with one tap? The phone number should be a link, not plain text.
- Is the text comfortable to read? Without zooming in on the page.
- Can you hit every button with your thumb? Including links in the menu and the footer.
- Is anything in the way? Pop-ups, banners or chat windows that cover the content.
Every “no” is worth fixing.
What makes a good mobile website
- The most important things at the top. What you offer, for whom and where, plus one clear button: call, book an appointment or send an enquiry.
- Large, unambiguous buttons. Easy to hit with your thumb, with enough space between them.
- Short paragraphs and clear headings. On a small screen, a long paragraph looks like a wall. How good copy comes about is covered in Writing website copy.
- Images at the right size. A photo made for a large screen doesn’t need to load at full size on a phone.
- Contact always within reach. A button that stays visible while scrolling, or the phone number at the top of the page.
- Forms with few fields. Every extra field costs enquiries. Only ask for what you really need for your first reply.
Loading time: the underestimated factor
Slow pages lose visitors before they’ve even seen anything. Typical culprits are oversized images, lots of plug-ins and embedded services such as maps or videos that load as soon as the page opens. Google’s PageSpeed Insights shows you for free whether your site is fast enough, with hints on what’s slowing it down.
A simple trick: only load maps and videos once someone taps on them. That saves time and is good for data protection.
When a rebuild is worth it
Small weaknesses can often be fixed. But if the site wasn’t built for phones from the ground up, every improvement becomes a patch-up job. A rebuild is then usually the faster and cheaper route.
How we build websites
We design for the phone first and only then for the large screen. We check every page on real screen sizes, from a small smartphone to a large monitor. Our websites start at €1,290 as a one-page website with a logo in the “Start” package; multi-page websites at €1,490. Find out more under Web design and Packages.
As your business grows, the website grows with it: it can later be extended with appointment booking or a customer portal, also built for the phone first.