The emphasis on mobile usage when it comes to designing a website is a recurring topic among most businesses these days. The experience of a website on mobile is just so critical considering that these devices account for over 60% of website traffic in 2023. Additionally, the sheer amount of monthly mobile data traffic (measured in exabytes) has grown dramatically over the last decade and is projected to go up even further in the next decade. For web designers, this means developing an easy-to-navigate website and condensing the page when making changes to the site. For software developers, there’s a bit more involved to ensure a seamless experience for mobile users.
Enter Mobile-First CSS
Mobile-First CSS is a popular solution for designing websites or web apps specifically for smaller screens. This approach prioritizes the mobile experience by starting with the mobile design, then gradual additions are made to accommodate bigger (desktop) screens. It’s important to emphasize here that this approach doesn’t mean neglecting the experience for desktop users. Simply, it’s creating a seamless mobile look and feel that will then influence the development of the desktop version.
What Benefits to Expect With Mobile-First CSS in Action
There are many advantages to taking the Mobile-First approach particularly if your analytics suggest the majority of your traffic is coming from mobile users. Here are 4 that you can expect to see on your website:
A simpler design: By focusing on the mobile experience first, the design will be simplified and made more user-friendly. This makes the website or app easy to navigate, even on smaller screens.
A responsive website or app: With Mobile-First CSS, the design will automatically adjust to different screen sizes, providing a seamless experience for all users, regardless of the device they're using.
Improved performance: By creating a streamlined design for mobile users first, you are improving the overall performance of the website or app, making the site perform faster and more efficiently.
Improved SEO: With an emphasis on mobile, you are also improving your website's or app's SEO by making it mobile-friendly, which is a ranking factor for search engines.
We’re not telling you how to design your website or web apps when we’re talking about Mobile-First CSS. These benefits apply to the company that doesn’t have a desktop-focused, legacy, complex, or static website.
The Potential Drawbacks
With that being said, it’s important to know the pros and cons of any system your organization is looking to get involved with. Here are some potential drawbacks of Mobile-First CSS:
Requires a mobile-focused mindset: Designers and developers must have a strong understanding of mobile design and development best practices to effectively implement Mobile-First CSS.
Increased development time: Creating the mobile version first and then making adjustments for larger screens can take more time compared to designing for the desktop first.
Limited creative control: Designers may feel limited in their creative control and ability to showcase their designs on larger screens.
Lack of attention to desktop users: There is a risk of neglecting the desktop user experience, which can lead to a subpar experience for these users. However, this can be fixed down the line.
Increased complexity: With Mobile-First CSS, the code becomes more complex as the design is adjusted for different screen sizes. This can make the development process much more difficult.
What’s useful when it comes to weighing the pros and cons of a new software system is that it allows organizations to plan for contingencies. Teams who take on the development process with the mindset of “we know how this has benefitted others, this is how we see it benefitting us, let’s outline the timeline and go from there” will be much better off. Additionally, weighing the potential negatives will be good to bring up when consulting with programmers to see how they plan to solve potential issues.
The Takeaway
Software projects are only made successful with sufficient involvement from both parties which means having realistic expectations and accurate estimations. It comes down to knowing your audience and the goals of your business long-term. If the majority of your audience accesses your website or web app on a desktop, then a mobile-first approach may not be an appropriate solution. Whatever the case may be, proper planning and communication are the keys to a successful software implementation.
Written By Ben Brown
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ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.
Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.
